WHY CANADIANS SHOULD CARE ABOUT KEYSTONE XL

January 19, 2012

I'm still trying to make sense of President Obama's decision to delay the building of the Keystone XL pipeline. Across the world, enviros rejoiced, claiming "power to the people" works, if you try hard enough. Supporters of the pipeline, like the erratic Sun News Network infotainer Ezra Levant, claim this is a win for our enemies – that without the pipeline being built, we will be forced to continue to buy oil from our enemies in the Middle East and Venezuela. Government officials spin the debate around the old-school debate of "jobs vs. environment", claiming we're killing good-paying jobs.

I'd like to frame the debate a little differently – and give a reason for all of us to think about what the Keystone (and its far greater proposed project, the Northern Gateway Project) should mean to Canadians. Stopping a pipeline, seems to heal the symptom, but doesn't affect the cause. We need to start thinking about the demand side. There's a reason oil companies spend billions on research and development; there's a reason multinational (and yes, foreign-invested) companies are lobbying both sides of the border to approve the pipelines; there's a reason the jobs vs environment debate is even reported by our mainstream news media. We're addicted to this stuff, and we can't get enough.

The true "power of the people" will manifest itself when we all start to think about the world in which we want to live, and make the choices that reflect it. A world where the choices aren't simply "jobs vs environment", "pipeline through this wetland, or pipeline through that wetland". A world where the choices are centred around living a happy, positive life in your community.

Thankfully, there are precedents and technologies for all of this to happen. I've spent the majority of my career working in the utility sector. Across Canada, governments recognized that the cheapest kilowatt-hour was not one generated, but one saved. The premise is simple – allow utilities to generate a rate of return by NOT selling electricity. Essentially, creating a network of "virtual power plants" across the country, to reduce the need for the building of new power plants. The results are in – it works. And guess what? It's hard work; which means small businesses across this country are employing thousands of people to help Canadians reduce their energy bills.

So why not have a similar regime for the oil patch? Could the federal government mandate and reward each of the players to finance a national regime to encourage Canadians to reduce their dependence on oil? What if each of us were given the tools and incentives to reduce our vehicle use by 10%? What if the oil giants were forced to invest profits into sustainable transportation options, weaning us off their product? If you think it's such a fantasy – have a look at the inserts in your next utility bill. You'll notice that almost every message is about NOT using their product. And the last time I checked, electric utilities were profitable.

Taking it one step further, what if Canada aspired to become an Energy Solutions Superpower, instead of simply an Energy Superpower. What if, along with oil products, we exported our skills and technologies to help oil-thirsty countries wean themselves off our product? In that sense, our resources would last longer (giving ourselves the chance to reduce the impact of its extraction), as well as create thousands of sustainable service-oriented jobs in the process.

So, if you're wondering how this debate could possibly affect your life, think again. It has everything to do with your life – and the life of people you don't know in China, US, India and other places that want our oil.

Over the next few months, Summerhill Impact will be unveiling new programs and ideas to help you reduce your energy and transportation use. And like we've always done, these solutions will be rooted in the reality of living in modern times. They will be pragmatic, simple and improve your life. And participating in them will be easier than doing nothing.

Corey Diamond
Managing Director, Summerhill Impact

Follow me on Twitter: @SummerhillCorey