Honestly, fuck the economy. Areas dependent on fossil fuels should have h
started diversifying decades ago, but they stubbornly refused to — and continue to do so — to their own detriment. We’ve known for a long time that being entirely dependent on a single natural resource for the bulk of our jobs and trade was a bad idea: just look at the mill towns in BC when their mills closed. At how devastating the softwood lumber disputes were. It was pure hubris for provincial and local governments to push forward with continued dependence on single resource economies.
I agree that we’ll never entirely end fossil fuel use because plastics are an amazing material, but I absolutely do not agree that we need to continue fossil fuel extraction for the sake of the “economy.” This is shortsighted thinking: the “economy” will be destroyed in the longterm by climate change. Natural disasters, human displacement, crop failures, water shortages, wildfires, the list goes on and on.
Fossil fuels are too important for both our economy and for basic goods (plastics…) to be eliminated.
Honestly, fuck the economy. Areas dependent on fossil fuels should have h started diversifying decades ago, but they stubbornly refused to — and continue to do so — to their own detriment. We’ve known for a long time that being entirely dependent on a single natural resource for the bulk of our jobs and trade was a bad idea: just look at the mill towns in BC when their mills closed. At how devastating the softwood lumber disputes were. It was pure hubris for provincial and local governments to push forward with continued dependence on single resource economies.
I agree that we’ll never entirely end fossil fuel use because plastics are an amazing material, but I absolutely do not agree that we need to continue fossil fuel extraction for the sake of the “economy.” This is shortsighted thinking: the “economy” will be destroyed in the longterm by climate change. Natural disasters, human displacement, crop failures, water shortages, wildfires, the list goes on and on.