Power, Climate Change, and Political and Economic Power
Power, climate change, and political and economic power are firmly connected. Many countries that have large reserves of energy such as oil are politically stable and lead the world economy. However, the energy production and supply may be related to certain sustainability concerns. Opponents and supporters of energy projects could exist. The side that always scores, though, is the side with political influence. A new link between energy, climate change, and politics in Canada is introduced to readers in the work of Antony and Samuelson.
Tar Sands: The Stakeholders and Government
Tar Sands was both favorably and negatively criticized according to these writers. The primary proponents of this world's second-largest project are the stakeholders of Tar Sands and the government of Alberta. The opponents are civic groups and non-governmental organizations. These authors acknowledge that the extraction of tar comes with different environmental issues. The North American Free Trade Agreement obliges Canada to only proceed with exports if they are the same quantity of oil and gas as in the previous three years. However, the Alberta Tar has several political, ethical, and ecological contradictions. Antony and Samuelson also state that climate warming may star innovation and creativity. Therefore, the stakeholders of this project will devise new methodology to tackle the environmental implications of Alberta Tar Sands.
The Relevance of the Project to the Community
This reading also addressed the relevance of this project to the community under the topics of flow of petrochemicals, flow of power, spaces between the flows, guided by voices, voices of the converted, counter of resistance, citizens in the tar sands, original inhabitants, and the conflict intensifies. State corporate entities and the government maintain that the project is sustainable. Consequently, the government has pumped $2 million to further research. However, the original inhabitants who are the Aboriginal people say that their culture dictates them to protect their future generations from harm. Tar sands may affect these generations. The authors conclude by stating that the government and other proponents are likely to maneuver through the negative criticism and the project will continue.
The Canadian Government and Sustainability
The political administrations of different countries play crucial roles in ensuring sustainability. However, the Canadian government has no strategic plan for sustaining the destructive impacts that Tar Sands project may come with. Giving in to the demands of the proponents of shutting down this institution might be very unreasonable as many individuals will lose their jobs and the Canadian economy may subside. The unseen harm that this project is capable of is the reason for the intense criticism. The government and stakeholders have held that they are striving to find measures of reducing the deadly impact that tar sand may have on the environment and the residents of Alberta.
The Reasoning of Opponents and Proponents
The reasoning of both the opponents and proponents of this project has some logic. The government aims at improving the image of this project and enhancing the economy while ensuring that more individuals are employed. The critics, on the other hand, want some explanation on how this project can be sustained.
Summary and Questions from the Reading
In summary, the relationship between energy, climate change, and political and economic power is unyielding. The main ideas obtained in this reading are that petroleum products have various environmental and economic impacts on the nations that produce them, and the proponents of projects such as Tar Sands will always be the government since they are sources of income. However, the Canadian government has not done its part in coming up with countermeasures to the issue of global warming caused by this project. Therefore, the three questions from this reading include:
- What is the fate of the Aboriginal people who are the original inhabitants of Alberta?
- What measures is the government taking to quell the current heat over Tar Sands?
- How will the government convince the critics of this project that the country is safe despite the security implications of this project?
