In Canada, where efforts are being made to cut down on cities’ carbon footprints, recent developments surrounding coal mining in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia are being compared. Mike Chisholm reports on this for the Vancouver Observer.
It may be the industrial heartland of Canada, but Ontario took a major step forward this week by announcing all its coal fired generating plants would shut down, while in ‘super natural” BC the province is preparing to increase its coal mining and shipments.
On Thursday, the Ontario government announced it is taking the final steps to reach its goal to close all provincial coal burning facilities, including the Nanticoke Generating Station – the largest coal-fired electrical generating plant in North America. And the government has announced a permanent ban on all coal-fired electricity from the province, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in North America to do so.
BC officials contend, however, that the coal being mined in the province is used to manufacture steel and not to supply power. The spokesman for the Coal Alliance in BC says:
“In BC, we believe steel making coal is not only an essential ingredient in making steel but is also an ingredient in ultimately reducing greenhouse gases
Coal burning is a process that is used to generate electricity, and Ontario used to rely on this process to produce 25% of its electricity needs. However, as Chisolm’s report indicates, the province has recently been taking steps to completely stay out of this practice. BC, on the other hand, is known to rarely rely on coal for power generation, and gets most of its energy from hydroelectric dams.
Justifications for BC’s growing coal mining industry notwithstanding, the efforts of both provinces to utilize sustainable energy for its electricity needs are commendable. In fact, the government of BC is granting incentives to households that make use of solar energy in Vancouver and other parts of the province. It has also funded programs aimed at promoting the use of solar energy in homes, communities, and businesses.
Solar energy has many benefits: it can reduce a household’s electric bills to zero, power remote properties such as an RV or a yacht, and provide low-power electricity in appropriate areas. The biggest benefit of solar energy, however, is its sustainability, coming as it is from an unlimited power source. Along with the rest of BC, Vancouver is known to have good solar energy supply which can be properly harnessed through solar panels in Vancouver installed by reputable companies like Terratek Energy, Inc. By using solar energy, households and businesses can reduce their carbon footprints, and thus contribute greatly to the preservation of the environment.
(Article excerpt and image from Ontario cuts coal, while BC looks for more, Vancouver Observer, November 22, 2013)