Energy generation and our environment

It’s essential that policy-makers consider local perspectives as we move forward with new projects, and re-invest in our existing generation capacity.

Locally, we’re in the business of energy generation and transmission. Our natural gas industry goes back to the 1840s. More recently, our stretch of Lake Erie now hosts one of the largest collections of wind turbines in Canada. And the work continues on solar, ethanol, and wood chips – with local debate now occurring on coal gasification, carbon sequestration and nuclear generation.

Many of us have personal reflections that have helped to shape our perceptions on the wide range of electricity generation options, as well as their impacts on our environment.

Back in the 1960s, I toured the then brand-new Douglas Point Nuclear Station with my parents. Douglas Point was mothballed in the 1980s.

In 1972, at Long Point while walking the South Beach at Cortwright Ridge, my brother and I found a blue balloon. Tied to it was a message, “if you are reading this you are down wind from the Perry, Ohio Nuclear Power Plant.”

In 1968 the former Ontario Hydro announced plans for a 3,920 megawatt coal plant near the Norfolk-Haldimand county line. We were told the 600 foot stacks would punch any pollution into the stratosphere. Completed in 1972, 6 of the 8 units have yet to receive installation of SCRs (selective catalytic reduction units) to remove nitrous oxide.

If we fast forward to 2003, the present government cited dirty air and smog as its rationale when it promised to close all of the coal-fired power plants by 2007. That promise was broken twice, with the closure dates moved to 2009, and then to an undetermined point in the future. All the while, our air is dirtier and smoggier because the Ontario Government refuses to invest in proven technology that will help remove harmful pollutants from our coal-fired power pants.

And now, in recent debate on climate change – the Globe and Mail first wrote about the greenhouse effect in 1953 – nuclear energy is portrayed as carbon dioxide free, and coal is not.

Twice now, I’ve specifically requested that Dalton McGuinty’s government hold public hearings on the future of electricity generation in our area. I have yet to receive a response.

What better time and place to host a meeting of the minds – and no doubt emotions. Plans are afoot for a symposium on ‘Energy Generation and our Environment’ to be held from 6:00PM to 10:00PM on Tuesday, June 19th at the Jarvis Community Centre. Ontario’s Environment Commissioner, Gord Miller, will deliver the keynote address. He looks forward to meeting with area residents, and hearing their ideas about the future of energy and the environment in our communities.

Plan to attend – perhaps to set up a literature table, perhaps to speak. If you are interested, send me an email at toby@tobybarrett.com, or phone 1-800-903-8629.

Area residents need to learn more about options – we need to compare apples with apples. For example, despite my repeated requests, government is yet to provide us with a cost comparison between nuclear generation and coal-fired generation with carbon capture and clean-air technology. Government is similarly quiet on an environmental risk comparison between nuclear generation and further investment in coal technology at Nanticoke.

Any thoughts? Come to Jarvis on Tuesday, June 19th between 6:00 and 10:00.