Sustainability where I live

Apr 28, 2016 by Taina Kanerva

How would investing in green energy benefit Ontario economically, socially, environmentally?

Current Situation/Context

Ontario & Green Energy

about ½ the energy we use in Ontario is nuclear
- HLW (high-level waste) has negative environmental impacts
- nuclear power is non-renewable as uranium is a limited resource, while wind, sun, the flow of water, etc. are not

although this may be a more viable option than fossil fuels, as it is more efficient and is considered renewable, the long-term plan for Ontario is to generate a greater amount of energy from nuclear power, rather than investing in more completely renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, etc.
still a high dependency on fossil fuels, even in long-term plans
- this resource is being quickly depleted and therefore should not be relied upon as it is non-renewable

Denmark & Green Energy

World leader in green energy
plans for 50% of energy use to be from wind power by 2020
on very windy days, have been able supply all domestic energy needs and to sell excess energy (up to 40% more than what is needed) generated from wind farms to neighbouring countries
Denmark has about 3,768 windmills which make up around ¾ of their wind energy while the rest comes from offshore wind farms

Answer to Question

Economical Benefits

Despite having costly start-up expenses, green energy will have positive benefits on Ontario's economy
Converting to green energy will create thousands of jobs as this industry is labour-intensive, for example: these jobs include research & development, manufacturing, maintenance, operating, construction
Surpluses in green energy produced can be exported to other provinces, territories and even nations (for example, Denmark exports green energy to neighbouring countries)
In contrast to fossil fuels, which are often subject to recurring variances in prices, green energy has the ability to offer lower and stable energy prices

Environmental Benefits

Green energy has many positive impacts on the earth’s environment
Green energy causes little to no greenhouse gases and air pollutants, minimizing risks of environmental disasters on a provincial and global scale (ex. Acid rain and smog), which non-renewable energy sources are known to do
Because air, wind and the earth’s heat are abundant renewable sources, they serve as great replacements to non-renewable sources, which are being depleted (ex. Coal and oil)

Social Benefits

positive economic impacts will translate to positive social impacts with increased employment, training, skills, and supply chains
increased green energy and decreased non-renewable energy result in better air and water quality
- improved health conditions of citizens due to improved air and water conditions
- less medical expenses and losses due to poor water and air quality

collection of property tax from large wind farms resultnms in increased government funds

Actions to Take

Increased investment in wind farms in northwest Ontario, where wind is most plentiful
- Assessing the land before setting it as a place for wind farms, solar panels, etc, is important as we need to see if it would be the most efficient area to use
- While choosing land for wind farms, one must receive land permits, government approvals, also introducing this project to the community. In the past there has been opposition to green energy because residents complain it looks “ugly”. However, by informing them about the benefits included their opinions can hopefully be swayed
- After building, proper operation and maintenance is essential
- Lastly, further research and development must be done to find cleaner and more cost efficient ways of producing green energy
Engaging with businesses, governments and consumers to help them realize their threats to the environment and challenging them to power their operations with 100% renewable energy can help better our environment.
Investing in renewable energy, such as solar panels on school roofs can help save money, provide a hands on educational opportunity for students, and contribute to cleaner air.