Green Energy And Economy And Their Relation To Canada
The global economic crisis has the world community working to improve their economies and as they do so they must keep an eye to the global economy ...
The global economic crisis has the world community working to improve their economies and as they do so they must keep an eye to the global economy if they wish their economy to truly thrive after recovery. In tandem with the economic crash another crisis looms – that of dwindling fossil energy sources and climate change. Many nations and groups see renewable – “green” – energy and the industries built around it as a solution to economic depression; in other words, green energy and economy. Canada, in particular, is one of these nations.
The combined world investment in natural gas, nuclear and coal powered electricity in 2008 was still smaller than the total investment the world’s nations and multinational corporations and organizations made in renewable energy. In fact, initiatives in green energy solutions attract nearly 148 billion US dollars per year. The largest shares of this money will end up with those nations who invest in and create renewable energy technology and thus nations that commit to green energy will have the advantage in the world economy. Canada is adjacent to one of the world’s economic powerhouses, the United States, and if it decides not to bring in investments in renewable energy, the US will.
For instance, the US has just invested almost 14 times as much money in green energy than Canada did in last year’s Federal budget.
Seen from another view, it is largely agreed that the global climate is in danger primarily as a result of carbon emissions. In order to combat global warming emissions will need to be reduced, and to remain competitive industry will have to find green energy solutions. The countries constituting the Major Economies Forum set a goal to reduce carbon emissions to fifty percent of their 2005 levels in forty years. The International Energy Agency estimates that they will have to spend three to six times more yearly than they are now if they want to achieve those numbers.
One notable R&D investment is that of carbon capture and storage. Canada claims to be strongly in favor of this and to be providing robust investment. However, nations who have not evinced a strong commitment to climate change such as the United States and Australia are still outspending Canada’s 19 million by hundreds of millions.
Canada is already ahead of most nations in at least one area of renewable energy – hydroelectricity. The provinces of Labrador, Yukon, Manitoba and Quebec already get more than ninety percent of their power from hydroelectric dams. Nationwide, most of Canada’s electricity comes from these dams.
It is noted that Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies region of Canada are regions with strong potential for solar power. Canada does not yet use much solar energy to produce electricity, though its government has produced studies showing this could change by 2025, with solar power providing 5 percent of electricity by then. Canada does use solar power more regularly for heating buildings and water as well as drying lumber and crops.
Canada has many remote areas with small and spread-out populations and this makes providing electricity to them difficult. Since the standalone diesel fuel systems that had to be used to provide power in these places were so costly, energy providers in these regions began using standalone units powered by PV cells instead. When exposed to light, the semiconductors within the photovoltaic cell directly generate electricity. This has proven especially beneficial in the northern part of the country.
Canada is beginning to increase its reliance on wind power. There are already ninety-nine wind farms generating a little over one percent of Canadian electricity. According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, the building of new wind farms could allow the country to reach 55,000 MW by 2025. That is twenty percent of Canada’s energy requirements.
Ontario is a demonstrative case of how new energy initiatives in Canada can enhance the economy. They recently passed the Green Energy and Green Economy Act of 2009. One of the provisions of the act is to offer low- or no-interest loans to homeowners in order to pay for the cost of using renewable generators and to make their homes more energy efficient.
British Columbia is turning toward a green economy the creation of which has already produced 117,000 full time jobs and makes up over fifteen billion dollars of the province’s GDP. GLOBE Foundation of Canada has estimated British Columbia’s development of a renewable resource economy will make the province worth over twenty-seven billion dollars in ten years.
However the debate in government and amongst citizens goes, it is clear that Canada has plenty natural energy, has proven skilled at creating energy systems that harvest it and in some provinces has already shown economic growth as a result of developments in green and economy.
devices, sources like the field of science is around every day. The children learn with fun optical equipment, telescopes and science lab equipment.