Ontario might be regressing when it comes to green energy. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s repeal of the Green Energy Act is a step into the hands of Trump’s political goons, as it stands for the same nonchalant views on climate change in the U.S.
But Canada might not be the only country to dismiss the ideals that Trudeau so heavily based his first-term campaign on – the idea that climate goals should be safeguarded through actions accountable via global commitments like the Paris Accord, for example. In this, Trudeau stands alone.
It seems to be a worldwide “trend” in rejecting climate change, in favour of embracing coal and other fossil fuels. This might be because of the energy poverty elicited by the price of adopting renewables and the high electricity rates that resulted from going back to traditional energy forms.
Wind and solar energy have almost become the fossil fuels of the energy industry, while oil, gas and coal have a steady future.
China:
China was once the global leader in renewables. In fact, just months prior, Bloomberg predicted that China’s investments in renewables was “leaving the rest of the world in its wake.” Today, the picture is very different. In fact, China is now cutting subsidiaries to renewables, signalling an impending demise in the investment toward its renewables sector.
Since scrapping their subsidies to renewables in the EU, investment in the previous year dropped to less than half of its peak six years earlier. In just three years, Japan’s investment cut to half.
And since China is stepping back from renewables, it is stepping back into the coal race – again. The BBC reported China has increased its reliance on coal by 25 per cent through the development of hundreds of new coal generating plants. Upon completion, its coal capacity will be equivalent to the entire U.S. coal fleet. China will also become the world’s largest importer of natural gas by pipeline and through ship.
Germany:
Germany is also cutting subsidies to wind developers, and increasing gas imports as well as local coal. The country has decided to expand on an existing coal mine by funding the razing of a 12,000-year-old forest. It is going to relax regulations that would have required automakers to produce low emitting vehicles.
United States:
Trump is a clear critic of global-warming. He abandoned the Paris climate in favour of coal and various carbon-based fuels. Currently, the U.S. is said to have revived its coal industry, and has become the world’s largest oil producer. Other world leaders are following their lead, and failing to come close to what was agreed at in Paris.
The public isn’t showing much alarm, if any, on the issue of climate change. In fact, it may as well be left to lobbying groups and climate enthusiasts because it’s certainly not being reflected in policy.
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