by Stephanie Ho Lem, CHCA Director of Living Green
Canada ranks fourth in the world for oil and gas production. Canada is grouped with other developed countries labelled Global North, characterized by democratic systems, a high level of industrialization, technological advancement, political stability, and ageing population. Global South consists of the world’s developing countries and least developed countries, largely Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In my January 2024 View article, I touched on COP 28 that was held at the end of 2023. COP, or Conference of Parties, is an international climate meeting that is held each year by the United Nations. It was the 28th time countries have gathered under the convention, hence COP28. The COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber, also head of the UAE national oil company, said about oil, “phase down is inevitable, it can only happen when the world has added a sufficient amount of renewable energy capacity.”
There are individuals who want fossil fuel production to immediately shut down. Realistically, we depend on oil and gas. Living in Crescent Heights, a number of us are or were employed directly or indirectly in the oil and gas industry. It’s given us a level of wealth, comfort, necessities, and material goods. Over time, we need to displace fossil fuels with low carbon renewable energy sources.
There are so many products made from oil and natural gas that we use daily and take for granted. Our clothes, sports equipment, personal care and health products to name a few. How about our money? Did you know since 2011, our former “paper and cotton” money is now made from a synthetic polymer called polyethylene terephthalate or PET, a petrochemical derived from oil and natural gas. These banknotes last up to four times longer and it’s possible to embed more security features than in paper notes to prevent counterfeiting.
The Bank of Canada has advised that over their entire life cycle, polymer bills are responsible for 32% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and a 30% reduction in energy compared to making paper notes.
Remember we can all reduce our carbon footprint: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
For my past View articles, visit the CHCA website.
• Sources: CAPP, New York Times, Quora
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