Renewable Energy
Topic
Canada should subsidize renewable energy options such as wind and solar power in order to increase the share of renewables in Canada’s energy balance.
Introduction Canada government subsidizes a number of socially beneficial services, including health care, education and energy services. Subsidies to the energy sector mainly are for oil and gas production, however, they are not all socially beneficial[figure 1]. In fact, they have negative impact for the environment and hinder developments of environmentally friendly alternative energy options. Indeed, Canada’s implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is seriously threatened by continued government support for oil and gas production, a sector with large and rapidly growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions[1]. There are two main reasons for us to switch to renewable energy. First, there are exhaustible supply of alternatives, non-renewable energy; Second, the earth’s limited assimilative capacities[2].
Benefits Increase usage of renewable energy sources will provide a wide range of benefits to Canada’s environment, economy and society. There are some important reasons why Canada government should support the development of renewable energy technologies. Renewable energies are environmental friendly, they do not contribute to climate change, air pollution, acid deposition, or large-scale habitat destruction, and they do not face the safety and waste disposal issues characteristic of nuclear power[2]. For example, such as biomass, it simply releases the CO2 and absorbs back when their feedstock is growing, so the net effect on the atmosphere is zero. In contrast, the combustion of fossil fuels release greenhouse gases to the ozone and contribute to climate change by affecting the composition of our atmosphere. The National Center for Atmospheric Research conclude, there is no doubt that the composition of the atmosphere is changing because of human activities, and today
Canada should subsidize renewable energy options such as wind and solar power in order to increase the share of renewables in Canada’s energy balance.
Introduction Canada government subsidizes a number of socially beneficial services, including health care, education and energy services. Subsidies to the energy sector mainly are for oil and gas production, however, they are not all socially beneficial[figure 1]. In fact, they have negative impact for the environment and hinder developments of environmentally friendly alternative energy options. Indeed, Canada’s implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is seriously threatened by continued government support for oil and gas production, a sector with large and rapidly growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions[1]. There are two main reasons for us to switch to renewable energy. First, there are exhaustible supply of alternatives, non-renewable energy; Second, the earth’s limited assimilative capacities[2].
Benefits Increase usage of renewable energy sources will provide a wide range of benefits to Canada’s environment, economy and society. There are some important reasons why Canada government should support the development of renewable energy technologies. Renewable energies are environmental friendly, they do not contribute to climate change, air pollution, acid deposition, or large-scale habitat destruction, and they do not face the safety and waste disposal issues characteristic of nuclear power[2]. For example, such as biomass, it simply releases the CO2 and absorbs back when their feedstock is growing, so the net effect on the atmosphere is zero. In contrast, the combustion of fossil fuels release greenhouse gases to the ozone and contribute to climate change by affecting the composition of our atmosphere. The National Center for Atmospheric Research conclude, there is no doubt that the composition of the atmosphere is changing because of human activities, and today
Bibliography: 1. Shirkey, “Incentives for Renewable Energy: The writing is on the wall… but our policy-makers choose to be illiterate” 2. Pape A. & Hornung R., “Lost Opportunities: Canada and Renewable Energy” Pembina Institute, (September, 1999) 3. Taylor A.; Bramley M. & Winfield M., “Government Spending on Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry” Commissioned by Climate Action Network Canada, (January 31, 2005) 4. Nyboer J. & Groves S., “A Review of Renewable Energy in Canada, 2008” Canadian Industrial Energy End-use Data and Analysis Centre, (March, 2010) 5. Shen Y.C.; Lin T.R.; Li K.P. & Yuan J.C., “An assessment of exploiting renewable energy sources with conercerns of policy and techology” Energy Policy P4604-P4616 (Issue 38, 2010) 6. Understanding Microeconomics, supra note 51 at 398. A quick recall of basic microeconomics principles, like marginal cost and marginal benefit.