PEAK OIL AND THE FATE OF HUMANITY Chapter 9 C – What We Can Do at the Federal Level

1. PEAK OIL AND THE FATE OF HUMANITY Chapter 9 C – What We Can Do at the Federal Level

2. What do you think your federal government should do?

3. Before I start, I’d like to point out something important: Although I will tell you about what Canada should do, non-Canadians from around the world will find that many of my recommendations can apply to their country as well. Every country should take responsibility for its future.

4. A matter of social choices: Human nature being what it is, we won’t accomplish significant change by relying on individual choice. The important measures that are required will have to be established at the social level. This is where the federal government comes in. House of Commons in session Parliament Hill Ottawa, Canada

5. A thought to ponder: • Most of the federal actions that I am proposing are essential – but many of them politically unacceptable. • But the sad fact that they are unacceptable doesn’t doesn’t make them less important. Political suicide Statue of Ludovisi

6. What the Canadian Federal government should do – 1 In view of the fact that the human race has overshot the Earth’s carrying capacity, it is inevitable that there will be a drastic drop in population some time this century - probably to a level below carrying capacity. Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, page 178”, Meadows, Meadows and Randers

7. Well, then, what can you do to soften the blow?

8. On the global scale, not much can be done Each country will have to do what it can to prepare itself. However, Canada is in a special position because it has: Oil in the tar sands, minerals, forests, fresh water, energy and a reasonable amount of farmland (remember only 4% of Canada’s surface is appropriate for farming).

9. I would like to ensure Canada becomes one of those areas. Make Canada a “Safe Zone”By the end of this century, due to starvation, war and disease, the world population might be a tenth of what it is today.All we can hope for is to preserve civilization in a few select parts of the world:

10. We will not be able to preserve the present scale of consumption. … So we ought to ask ourselves what we do want to preserve.

11. First and foremost, I would like to see us respect a precious Canadian principle – that of helping poor countries: That would entail assisting poor countries that have adopted a population reduction policy. Those countries would get financial support from Canada to carry out their birth control programs. Currentlythere are an estimated 500 million women worldwide who either want no more children or wish to postpone their next pregnancy, but do not have access to a full range of family planning services.* * Population Institute of Canada

12. These are the things I think are important to preserve: • Art and music • Literary masterpieces • Knowledge of anthropology and history • Acquired scientific knowledge in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, medicine, etc. • The Canadian rule of law • The Canadian parliamentary system • A health system that is sustainable with respect to the environment

13. Well, what’s the problem then?

14. My view of the problem – 1: Although Canada is endowed with natural riches, in order to achieve short term gain, we have engaged ourselves in a process of offering them to the whole world. Our involvement with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has committed us to hawking our resources at firesale prices.

15. My view of the problem – 1: Even our renewable resources (forests, water, soil) are being drawn down. When you extract renewables faster than their replenishment rate, you’re making them non-renewable.

16. My view of the problem – 1: We have re-established ourselves as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the global marketplace. And now, to top it off: we’ve become pumpers of oil.

17. My view of the problem – 1: The best illustration of this is the frenetic pace at which the American government is pushing Canada to develop the Alberta tar sands…a desperate attempt to push back world peak oil as far into the future as possible – perhaps a year or two. The Americans want Canada to quadruple her production of oil from the oil sands, from 1.2 million barrels a day to 5 million barrels a day. Do they care about the environmental cost?

18. My view of the problem – 2: In the past two decades a large number of Canadian businesses have discovered that they can have goods made overseas much cheaper than in Canada…

19. Team Canada Before the end of his term, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien took with him a large delegation of Canadian business people, “Team Canada”, to China. The idea was to create alliances with Chinese manufacturers in order to annihilate Canadian jobs.

20. My view of the problem – 2: The average Canadian factory worker earns $16.50 an hour vs. 48¢ an hour for a Chinese so it’s easy for China to outcompete us. The exporting of Canadian jobs has effectively destroyed much of our manufacturing industries: textile, shoe, furniture and others.

21. I think as Canadians we must re-examine the assumptions upon which our international trade policies are based: • Growth is good for its own sake • Growth is essential for the economy • Anything that stifles growth is bad • Companies’ first duty is towards shareholders • Money is the only bottom line • Canada’s population can grow forever

22. You must have inferred by now that I’m not in favour of the global economy. Canada has the necessary attributes to be one of the few places on Earth to escape catastrophic societal collapse and depopulation. In my view, we can only achieve that goal by becoming self-sufficient. This requires reversal of our involvement in globalization.

23. I propose that the federal government should plan on making Canada a post-Oil Peak“SAFE ZONE”

24. What the Canadian government should do – 1 Canada is a country of 33 million people blessed with sufficient resources, I believe, to maintain its civilization sustainably. Our commitment to NAFTA* compels us to share our resources with 315 million consumers. -- This is not sustainable. I think self-sufficiency is a question of survival, not only for Canadians but for the human race. Backing out of NAFTA is an absolute necessity. Canadian oil going south * North American Free TradeAgreement

25. The problem is that our neighbour south of us would not just stand by while we turn off the oil valve. They’ve invaded countries for much less.

26. We are a sovereign nation…We have the right to save our resources for our children We have to adopt the notion that oil in the ground is money in the bank (earning interest in a manner of speaking, as it will only increase in value as we pass the oil peak). Likewise, a tree in the forest is a breath of fresh air for our grand-children. Likewise, minerals left in the ground will ensure that future generations of Canadians will be able to sustain our technological civilization.

27. What I’m saying is that we should turn the valves off!!! Selling oil at $40 a barrel or $140 is stealing from our children. Our descendants will recognise our export policies as acts of extreme greed and stupidity.

28. 15¢ a cup!!! Trading oil at $140 a barrelcomes to 15¢ a cup. Just try to buy anything for less than $1 a cup. Hundred and forty dollar oil is WAY too cheap.

29. Bringing our industries back home: • Ending our participation in NAFTA and WTO is the first step in bringing our industries back home. • The second step would be to re-establish the “Buy Canadian” campaign of the 1970s. • Third would be to subsidize manufacturing in Canada. • Then to impose tariffs on imported goods that are available from Canadian companies. The green portion is where the loud sucking sound from the south is coming from.

30. Canada’s most important source of population increase is through immigration. Canada doesn’t only derive its richness from its natural resources. It’s main richness lies in its multicultural heritage, resulting from welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world. Unfortunately, we shall have no choice but to restrict immigration and I’ll explain why…

31. What the Canadian government should do – 2 Stabilize Canada’s population. Consider the following scenario: http://www.greenparty.ca/lp/tiki-index.php?page=Population

32. Suppose we decided that we would cut back our energy consumption by one third, ok? How would you feel if you made all the sacrifices necessary to achieve a 33% reduction in your own consumption and find out thirty years later that in spite of your personal sacrifices, Canada as a whole has increased consumption by 33%? This man wants to reduce his impact on the environment

33. Have a look at Canada’s population curve: • Canada’s population is increasing by 1% per year • Our actual population is 33 million • 33 million at 1% for 30 years amounts to 45 million (an increase of 12 million)

34. Canada’s official policy is to increase its population by 1% a year. • Those additional 12 million are going to join us on the consumerism bandwagon • That’s a 33% increase in consumption in 30 years • That will exactly cancel the efforts we will have made during 30 years!

35. This means all our efforts would be in vain. We’d just be spinning our wheels.

36. Other concerns about a 33% increase in population: • 33% more roads • 33% more houses • 33% more schools • 33% more hospitals • 33% more farmland, ski resorts, beaches, parks • 33% more social services • 33% more administrative offices • 33% more TV stations, stores, cars, gas stations, garages, arenas, cinemas, stadiums, theatres, etc. etc. etc. It means we will need:

37. In a world of declining oil and gas, how will we afford the energy needed for all this construction?

38. And how will we feed another 12 million people with less farmland and less fertilizer and pesticides?

39. Furthermore, our cities can’t take any more population increase: Toronto’s air and water pollution difficulties are exacerbated by an ever expanding population driven by immigration. Smog alert in Toronto

40. And what about Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city? The bulging city of Vancouver’s Lower Mainland is pushing its way up the Fraser Valley, destroying its salmon fishery and covering up the province’s best farmland with houses. All driven by immigration. Fraser Valley: note the colour of the water due to siltation from upriver deforestation.

41. And I can tell you aboutOttawa since it’smy home town. In 1980 Ottawa was a pleasant city. The population was 553,000. It had all the amenities of a large city and few of the inconveniences! However the city fathers, like city leaders everywhere were hooked on growth. Now the population is nearing a 900 thousand. It takes an hour to drive across the city and commuting to work is a nightmare. World’s longest skating rink

42. Cities and their citizens have to deal with the consequences of the federal policy on non-stop population growth.

43. Every country has the right to determine its own immigration policy. So does Canada! Why should Canada have fewer rights in this regard than other countries?

44. Every country has the duty to determine its own immigration policy. • We have an obligation towards our children and grandchildren to ensure that we protect the web of life they will need to sustain them. The web of life begins with the soil needed to grow crops. An excessive human population will destroy the web of life.

45. There are many obstacles to a reduced immigration policy: First, we all have friends or family of varied ethnic backgrounds. This makes it extremely difficult for us on an emotional level to close the door on additional immigrants. This is my family, including my grand daughter Gabrielle and her Canadian father of Haitian origin

46. Furthermore: Politicians feel they need the immigrant vote to get elected. So any party in power will likely want to be seen favourable to immigration. Many thousands of Canadians owe their livelihood to the immigration process: • 6020 CIC employees • brokers in many countries of the world • immigration lawyers and their staff • immigration courts • language schools • municipal welfare office workers • health care workers. Chinese boat people intercepted by the Coast Guard All of theabove would object to reducing immigration

47. Furthermore: • The construction boom we have been experiencing in the past 6 years has been fuelled by the 220,000 immigrants arriving here every year. • If we were to halt immigration, thousands of construction workers would find themselves out of work. And they would not like it. (I will discuss ways of alleviating their plight later in the presentation.)

48. Furthermore: • There is a strong belief in the business sector and amongst economists that growth is essential to the economy. • The business community is intent on short term profit with no regard for the long term. • Corporations regard immigrants as an inexhaustible and necessary source of new consumers and a source of cheap labour. TSX GROWTH CHART The stockmarket could not exist without growth

49. It’s little wonder then that if you bring up the subject of immigration: • People who don’t have a good understanding of carrying capacity will deny there’s any environmental reason for limiting the number of people in Canada • Those who have a poor reasoning capacity won’t listen to valid arguments and might respond by launching insults. • New Canadians who have family in their country of origin might close their ears to any logical argument and invoke racism. • The people whose job depends on immigration believe that what they are doing is good, so they will not be receptive to anybody who implies the contrary.

50. We often hear the argument that by accepting 250,000 immigrants per year from poor countries we are helping those countries.Lets work this out…