I Love Crowsnest’s Energy.

 

 I Love Crowsnest’s Energy.

It’s morning and I am in the shower. (Don’t try to imagine.) I am done washing but the warm water feels so good, so I stay a little longer. On the other side of the bathroom wall, I hear the hot water tank, high efficiency, and all, keeping the shower warm. If I listen carefully, I can hear the hiss of natural gas. I know that the world is in danger from CO2 in the air, but I just want another minute. I am addicted to using energy and I can’t stop.

If an addict is seeking treatment, the experts tell them that the first step in quitting an addiction is admitting that they have a problem. Alberta has huge amounts of natural gas and the infrastructure to deliver it to me. I am not worried about shortages, only about the price that I may soon not be able to pay. The same is true about heating my home, using my gas-guzzling vehicle, and discarding things (scrap) made of metal that are smelted using coal. I care, but not enough to change my ways. All addicts are the same about their addictions. The dealers who sell what we are addicted to need to make a living as well.

I went to an open house by Montem Resources. The place was so full of locals that there was standing room only. The free pizza may have helped, but I stood in a lineup to talk to the man who is changing the Pass. He is here from Australia and came for our coal deposits. Not hiding his true mission, to make money, he told me about his project. We have here clean renewable energy at full capacity but we don’t have storage. He found a place where he was going to mine coal, where he can create a hydro battery. The historical Tent Mountain Mine space is ideal for the project.

Water could be pumped up using wind energy and released downwards to produce energy again when needed. The process is working in Germany and proved beneficial. The estimated energy can power about half of the homes in Alberta. We have most of what is needed and need the political support to make it work. It would more than pay for itself. There is one other aspect we must have. That is a person who is able to pull it off. They are rare. Peter Doyle, with his Australian accent, is such a man. He knows energy, is well-versed in extensive projects, and has the right connections. If any of our politicians don’t see the potential of having him here, they should think again.

Here comes the part in which all of us play. Since I first discovered the Crowsnest Pass over 20 years ago, I have been hearing one story. The towns we live in were starving for means to build up the economy. For some reason, people’s imagination could not go beyond coal. Perhaps since in their youth, coal mining was the engine that drove the local economy forward. However, the glorious days of coal were behind us and the mines were closed off. As water for agriculture dwindled, political pressure against mining our eastern slopes mounted and they left our towns for dead. What helped was the spirit of the local people who refused to give up on the place they call home. New people discovered the beauty of the area and dreamed up a future without coal. The area remained viable but didn’t have the kickstart of heavy industry. Slowly, people realized that crying over spilled milk doesn’t work and began to make do with what we have. The towns were cleaned up some, new businesses came and went and we are still on the map.

Some fresh interest in meteorological coal revived hopes, but reopening the mines is a long-term project and we needed immediate first aid. What the world needs now is energy storage, and that is what Montem Resources is offering. Will we receive the government’s help to build it and will the builders be able to make some money on doing it? Yes, if we all do our part. Yes, our future will depend on what we do.

We live in a democratic system, more or less. So far, both provincial and federal governments are paying attention to what the voting public supports. If we wish for a brighter future, we need to make some noise. You know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We know how to do it, but we must support what other Canadians will go for. Just “fighting Trudeau” is a useless waste of our political energy.

We need to change all the signs, from “I love Crowsnest Coal” to I love Crowsnest Clean Energy. When we talk to outsiders or the media, we must remember that every one of us is an ambassador for the place we love and live in. Mr. Doyle is doing the hard, highly skilled work, but he can’t do it alone. The politicians must know what our position is on the subject. If I was advising our Municipal Council, I would suggest some professional marketing campaign by us to support the venture that will feed clean energy to the grid of Alberta. It is more meaningful for the future of our world than all the temporary pipelines that we are currently fighting for.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/  Feel free to check other articles and comment.