The concept of fossil fuels and the costs associated in it's transportation is driving the market. We have Alberta but is that used in Canada or shipped abroad for profit (US). Where do we get our oil from? I heard South America.
In the shipping alone we are using vast amounts of petrol or fuel to sail the ships from the Middle East.
It is not helping when we see the fruits of the oil profits and the lavish lifestyles of the Middle East Oil barons. Not to mention the war(s) there (Iraq)
I remember not that long ago we had electric heat (80's). Canada has plenty of hydro resources.
This would ease our need for gas.
We have had problems with the big blackout and amount of useage during the summer mostly with air-conditioners. With the heat of the day comes the sun which not only makes problem, it provide the solar that would feed its own need especially during peak periods.
We have more wind than before with all the storms and global warming.
We exceeded our production/capacity but with conservation and many Canadians buying into the program we dropped somewhat. The drop from a simple 100 watt incandescant bulb is now 21. Or a 60 is a 13.
Funny an issue not discussed is that in winter a 100 watt bulb does use more juice but it is given off as heat a positive byproduct in winter.
As for HYDRO, we would need a honest knowledgable CEO for Ontario Hydro as in the past this outfit has decades of mismanagment from limos for the kids to school and the huge debt tacked onto our monthly bill to this day.
Someone has to take a close look at this great Canadian resource and use it to our advantage.
There has been so many innovations for the consumer. from front loading washers, low flow toilets, to solar night lights to LED lighting which is a further reduction from the spiral mini florescent. LED lights has taken over the christmas light marker $$$$$$$$$.
Quebec this week just started a three year pilot project for electric cars (see
www.zenncars.com) for city streets at this point 40 kph max. GM is pushing the VOLT and wants it out by 2010. See the Ontario Power corporation commercials with the people plugging in their cars at night. It is coming but for their (GM) profit.
Odd they had all this technology with the EV1 but it was destroyed sort of like the Avro Arrow concept years before it's time but would rob from another industry. If you want soem insight watch "Who killed the electric car" about the EV1 in California in 1994 (GM).
We need to embrace this hydro made in Ontario solution.
We would still need fossil fuels but it would ween us back some. And reduce some elements of global warming
Funny how we are going back to so many old ways. Burn firewood (as we grow more, a renewable resource) moving from ashphalt shingles (petrol based) to metal or light weight steel (Ontario is famous for steel). They have wood pellet boilers for the home which heat home and water. I lived in Rural Nova Scotia and they still use many combo furnaces wood by day and heating oil by night.
There is the ethanol option as if we don't have enough farm land to grow bio-fuel.
I guess the key component is availibility and unless we push for better options from our government, big business will fight and lobby for the status quo and they can afford it with the current price of fossil fuels.