Economic stimulus should support green transformation
We hear continually about the economic impact of COVID-19 and how governments provide economic packages to lessen the impacts.
We also hear about the need to boost the economy as we slowly move out of the pandemic. Never has it been more important and more difficult to ensure that we avoid renewed spreading of the pandemic.
Many of the normally strong economic businesses, especially in today's demand-driven economy, are not available, or are available to a less than normal extent. Promoting demanddriven businesses, including entertainment, shopping, travel, accommodation and restaurants is inappropriate, as they can increase the spread of the pandemic.
The oil and gas industry and industrial and commercial construction will have reduced demand. The standard fallback to boost the economy, replacing or upgrading aging infrastructure including bridges, roads and all town and city utilities, should be pursued, but infrastructure is not sufficient to give the economy the required boost.
The other economic stimuli that should be aggressively pursued are green energy and green economy. In my opinion, the types of green energy that should be pursued are solar and wind, and the green economy required is the upgrade or replacement of all heated structures to be energy efficient (heating, cooling, ventilation and envelop efficiency) and carbon neutral by 2050.
Other ideas might exist that should be considered, but these are currently well understood. The climate change stimuli need to be large. The scope must be sufficiently large to allow aggressive pursuit but does not surpass the ultimate requirements.
In an Energi Media video, Maggie Hanna stated: “Based on Vancouver’s plans not to use natural gas for heat, BC Hydro says they do not have a hope in hell of providing enough electricity for heating.” This indicates the immense scope of green electricity.
Green electricity can be provided in a wide variety of ways including commercial solar power developments, solar panels on individual residences and businesses, solar panels on apartments, strata residences, buildings managed by building management companies, government buildings and institutions.
The provincial government should approach these groups and promote initiating solar panel installation through appropriate federal and provincial tax credits. For B.C., off- shore wind turbines, that catch both the off-shore and on-shore winds, would be an excellent green power source for coastal towns and cities. The coastal communities should be approached and this suggestion should be initiated.
The required upgrades or replacement of all heated occupied structures to be energy efficient by 2050 is an overwhelming task. Again, there is more than enough scope to approach this task aggressively in the foreseeable future to boost the economy.
Please be assured that I continue to support the economic packages the government is providing for the pandemic impacts.
However, these plans need to also be promoted aggressively to provide a significant boost to the B.C. economy to help us transition out of the pandemic.
Bill Stollery is a retired construction manager living in Penticton and an aspiring author “How WE Can Save the World.