Most of our electricity in Calgary comes from power plants that burn coal or natural gas. This model has worked in the past, but with declining non-renewable energy supplies, a continuously degrading environment, and more demand than ever for energy, I think we need to put more emphasis on cleaner energy supplies.

I’m very much in support of clean energy sources such as water, wind and solar power, versus so called “green energy” solutions like bio-fuels or nuclear power. I’m concerned that bio-fuels not only turn much needed food into gasoline, but also pollute like gasoline. Nuclear energy is very powerful, but leaves us with radioactive material that will take millenia to break down.

Around Calgary and the surrounding area, I’ve seen inklings of cleaner energy cropping up, somewhat like the tender shoots of a new plant breaking through the soil. For example, I’ve seen solar panels in use at the University of Calgary and at a mountain top fire lookout station. I’ve seen rows of wind turbines in Pincher Creek. Canmore has had a hydro-electric power station for years. This is a good start, and I think we’ll see more of this technology as oil prices return to their formerly high cost.

In Greece, I noticed that many of the houses on the islands that I visited had water tanks and solar panels on their roofs to take advantage of the free and ready Mediterranean sun. I also saw large windmills dotting the landscape. My point is that individuals and coroporations in other locations have made clean energy work for them - at least in some capacity. Why have we not done the same?