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The Brampton Guardian
Renewable energy still a long way off
Thursday August 14 2008
Peter Criscione
By Peter Criscione
 
British researchers released a detailed map recently outlining how the resource-rich Arctic may be divided up between countries in the future. ?Five nations, among them Canada, dispute ownership of vast swaths of this ice-covered territory, and the newly drafted map is an attempt to give a clear picture of who feels entitled to what.  ?And while I fully support Ottawa’s efforts to stand up for our territorial sovereignty, I think this story highlights a very important lesson on the future of fossil fuels.  ?You see, the Arctic is thought to contain a significant amount of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas resources. ?One U.S. geological survey assessment released last month concluded that underneath all that ice lies 13 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil, and possibly 30 per cent of undiscovered gas reserves.  ?The race for oil is always a heated one, and the prospect of crude just sitting under the North Pole may very well be the motivation behind countries igniting age-old boundary disputes.?Researchers from respective countries have been gathering geological data to argue their claims, and Russia last summer managed to raise tensions by planting a flag on the seabed under the North Pole. ?This recent map, drafted by the International Boundaries Research Unit at England’s Durham University, will surely add fuel to the fire as it suggests Russia and Denmark may have a greater claim to the actual North Pole.?But besides possibly putting a strain on our relations with foreign countries, the drive to drill and suck oil reserves out of the ground goes to show society has no intention of letting up on fossil fuels.  ?Like a bad addiction, humanity’s dependency on crude oil looks to endure well into the 21st Century. ?My question is: where does this leave the push for renewable energy? ?Canadians want a green alternative. ?We (and by that I mean the majority) have voiced our preference for a way of life that does not endanger the air we breathe and the water we drink; or cause the Earth’s temperature to rise and the weather to change dramatically. ?Rather than impose ourselves on nature, we want to coexist with it.?Why the maps and geological surveys then? ?Fighting for our sovereignty is one thing. ?And to reiterate, I believe Canada must do all it can to maintain its historic boundaries. ?However, it seems contradictory to me that Canada and other nations butt heads over a resource that many of us believe is headed the way of the Dodo Bird.  ?I think the answer may lay with our naiveté. ?There is a gap between what our vision for the future is and what is currently happening on the ground.?Green living, or at least the kind being touted by political parties harvesting votes, is nothing more than a marketing campaign at this point. ?Truth is we are nowhere close to finding a viable alternative to fossil fuels. ?And while we have our heads in the clouds, doing our part by buying the environmentally friendly dish soap, governments are still running the old race, which is to secure vast sections of land rich in oil. ?Therefore, it is important that we not become complacent on this issue. ?Ideally, the collective energy put into mapping oil reserves could be used to find a “greener” and more sustainable way to fuel the future.