Hydro-Québec wants our opinion. At least that’s what his email sent at the beginning of the week indicates, referring to his “ambitious” game plan which should, by his own admission, allow us to rethink ways of consuming energy. This is part of what is now called the essential energy “transition”. What exactly is it?
A “transition” should mean the passage from one state to another, whereas what is envisaged is rather to substitute one form of energy for another. In this case, the aim is to replace the energy generated by fossil fuels with supposedly “clean” energy coming from various other sources, including nuclear power. In reality, Hydro-Québec’s plan plans not only to replace, but also to increase the production and total consumption of energy.
The questionnaire used by Hydro-Québec to obtain our opinion leaves no room to question this approach, the underlying premise of which is obviously never explained. The infinite economic growth advocated by our leaders (and those elsewhere) will require equally infinite growth in energy production and consumption. To hope otherwise would be heresy. You don’t have to be an expert to be convinced that such ambitions are doomed to failure.
On the contrary, the current situation calls for a real “transition” towards greater sobriety in terms of energy consumption. There can be no question here of believing that, for example, efforts in the area of building insulation or other such initiatives will be enough. Rather, true sobriety will have to be based on goals of a different kind than endless economic growth. At the end of this true “transition”, energy consumption should be reserved for activities that truly contribute to the well-being of all without also contributing to the degradation of our environment, that of our descendants and that of all others living species.
Our capacity for innovation could then be turned towards creating conditions allowing us to achieve such objectives by considerably reducing our energy consumption. It is not only possible, but eminently necessary. Will we understand it before it is too late? Until then, you can do like me and still respond to Hydro-Québec’s survey, even if the plan presented to us is completely wrong. With any luck, our opinion could influence the shape of the new pylons used by Hydro!
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