Our leaders say they want to generate so-called green economic growth. Their solutions are based solely on corporate interests, too often for the benefit of multinationals that are not even from here and that set up shop in the heart of fragile environments. The required infrastructure is often paid for by our governments. Billions of dollars in the name of collective well-being, really?
It is high time to shed light on all the possibilities surrounding our energy autonomy. Masters of ours, yes, it’s possible!
Residential autonomy
Imagine if the money used — the billions of dollars invested in mineral exploration, extraction, processing of raw materials, transportation, construction of gigantic infrastructure and redistribution — was reinvested in our pockets.
Possible solutions exist for greener energy: solar panels and small wind turbines, or even the maximized use of hydrogen. A good part of these solutions should be subsidized by the State, which would benefit from not having to spend billions on megaprojects with all the associated risks.
It’s the guy who repaired your distribution lines for 30 years as a lineman for Hydro-Québec who speaks and who dreams of directly relieving future electricity demand and thus reducing its environmental impact. If only for the lighting of our homes throughout Quebec, this would represent a gigantic energy saving for Hydro. Unfortunately, our leaders talk about an inevitable shortage to justify their big plans. It would not cost that much, however, to make residences more independent and more energy efficient. A real and tangible investment, worthy of the future and its expected weather hazards with climate change.
To depend on a service is to be vulnerable. Other solutions, such as wind turbines, solar panels or geothermal energy, all have a role to play. Currently, there are Hydro customers who are almost independent, without giving up their Hydro connections for backup energy and becoming self-producers.
Solutions that our leaders avoid, but know
We can produce energy with what is available in our direct environment, even at home. The biomethanization of our waste is a solution. The digestate can end up in our gardens and fields as fertilizer. Yes, there are factories now, but their profitability leaves something to be desired. Cost of factory, picking, processing, cost overruns, management fees, etc. It’s often too big, too expensive.
To make biogas, we need organic matter, which is available everywhere. All it would take is for a manufacturer to develop a safe and easy-to-use methanizer with which we could heat ourselves or simply cook our food. For those who are more rural, our farming neighbors are excellent producers of local biomass.
We are talking here about a circular economy, which is a good thing for all humans as well as for the planet. We are talking here about renewable sources for producing energy in several forms and which, for example, could be used as fuel in farm tractors. According to some experts, the GHGs emitted in this way would have less impact compared to traditional methods. This is a solution that would help our farmers currently.
Electric automobiles
Ah, what a great deal for the promoters of wild capitalism focused solely on the linear economy, i.e. extract, produce, consume and throw away! The construction of electric cars generates a significant amount of GHGs. Not to mention the difficulties caused by winter, including more frequent recharging which adds time to our travels. Will a terminal be available when we arrive? Will the number of terminals be sufficient in the future if we are still struggling with this same technology?
How to recharge in the event of a power outage? Lithium-ion battery manufacturing, which is not truly green, will likely become obsolete in the future in the face of new discoveries. Will a factory like Northvolt still be profitable in ten years? Let’s ask questions to the right people, but certainly not to those who have no forward-looking vision, without naming names.
Let us hope that our thinkers and our leaders are more honest and less insidious than they are currently with this issue. For this to happen, our media and the population must make the transition and energy autonomy a priority subject. The future requires autonomy, period.