Vincent J. Curtis
20 Dec 21
RE: Ontario on track to see major growth in GHGs. Op-ed by Mark Winfield and Colleen Kaiser. Mark Winfield is a professor of Environmental and Urban Change at York University and co-chair of the faculty’s sustainable energy initiative. Colleen Kaiser is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa. Published in the Hamilton Spectator 20 Dec 21.
We see yet again the tedious rehearsal of environmentalists complaining about something, and having no solutions. The authors complain about the planned building of natural gas fired electrical generation in Ontario to replace nuclear generation that will be either retired or taken off-line for refurbishment. The highly educated authors erred when they claimed that burning natural gas generated particulate matter. Everybody but them seems to know that natural gas is clean burning. It’s not like diesel or coal.
As I observed back in 1996, climate environmentalists have boxed themselves in. We now have enough practical experience to know that over-priced wind and solar are never available when you need it. That’s why renewables are always backed up by natural gas generators that can fill the power gap in a hurry. There is little more hydro left to be tapped in Ontario. Coal is out, and nuclear is another environmentalist’s nightmare. So there’s nothing left but the complaining.
Rather that complain about Ontario, the environmentalists need to reflect upon a few facts. Like 1.5 percent. That COP26 was a failure. That China and India are building more coal fired generation each year than Ontario’s total power portfolio.
If they believe a climate catastrophe is
coming because of CO2 emission, as I do not, they should be thinking about
bracing for impact. Think of things by
which we can cope with whatever it is they think is coming.
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