Beth's Ponderings
My favourite time of
year recently occurred - the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede. A time when all things western are showcased,
and relics of our early cultural history are revived.
As our province has
a very long history of ranching, it should come as no surprise that at one
time, almost every community had their own blacksmith and livery stable. The blacksmith was one of the most important
individuals in a community, probably even more important than any law, in all
honesty. As horses were a mode of
transportation, a form of farm machinery, and so much more, whomever helped you
keep yours shod and in good condition was pretty vital to your livelihood. But, blacksmiths were necessary for more than
just their ability to make horseshoes, as they kept wagons in good repair and
made a number of household items.
And yet, despite
their high esteem, our communities no longer have a local blacksmith. Why?
Because they were
replaced by a viable alternative.
Now, we could argue
whether that alternative was better, or more advantageous, but there is no
denying that what we know today as gas-powered vehicles and farm machinery, and
their associated businesses, have changed the way we travel, work, farm/ranch,
and play.
And now the oil and
gas sector is in jeopardy of going the way of the blacksmiths and livery
stables. Or is it?
Shutting down the
Canadian oil and gas sector will not eliminate the use of oil and gas in this
country, nor in the rest of the world, it will just raise the price of
everything because oil and gas is so pervasive in our culture - it’s not just
the gas we use to drive around - EVERYTHING around us either uses oil and gas,
is made from a by-product of oil and gas, or is brought to us via oil and gas. And, quite truthfully, while there are
greener alternatives, at this time, there is no VIABLE alternative to oil and
gas that is affordable, and available to everyone.
Eliminating a whole
sector isn’t the answer to living greener, the answer is to reduce your
individual usage till a viable alternative appears.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua26/home/July%2019%2C%202019%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
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