Creating green jobs just puts us further in the red
Dalton McGuinty claims that his Green
Energy Act will produce 50,000 jobs for
Ontarians. Although it sounds like an
untapped source for energy and jobs, the
Green Energy Act isn't being embraced with
open arms. The provincial government subsidizes
the production of green energy to make
it cost-effective for Ontarians, despite the
fact that home energy costs went up since the
act was declared. The subsidizing of green
energy is something to be extremely concerned
about.
The larger cost of subsidization is not limited to jobs and money, but it can be measured in other ways. Dozens of rural municipalities have complained about not wanting wind turbines and have been completely ignored, contributing to the loss of established Liberal seats in rural areas. The health risks associated with living too close to a turbine have already led to multiple lawsuits. A family in nearby Thamesville is asking for $1.5 million in reparations due to the onset of depression and vertigo after the installation of a turbine near their home. These are not small structures. The diameter of the blades can be as wide as 300 feet. These enormous creations were manufactured and built here in Ontario, which is where the next problem lies.
Labour in Canada, compared to overseas, is extremely costly. Manufacturing the parts for both turbines and solar panels is enormously expensive compared to the cost of buying the equipment from international suppliers. By subsidizing green energy, the idea is that we're able to create cleaner power for effectively the same cost to the consumer. The reality is that our HST tax is paying for this subsidy. It's estimated that the number of jobs created by green energy is a third of what could have been created if the stimulus were used elsewhere. This means that 50,000 green jobs will be created at the cost of 150,000 other potential jobs.
The catch to the green energy subsidy is that, in the case of wind power, 25 per cent of the manufacturing must have been completed in Canada. Solar power is even harder to get subsidized as a whopping 40 per cent of materials must have been manufactured in Canada. These are requirements to get the subsidy for building these installments.
So to put this in perspective, the Green Energy Act affects the current model in a number of ways. Clean energy is being sold for more than it is actually worth to help fund the production of the equipment and create production related jobs. Not only is green energy more expensive to produce in the first place, but the government is also forcing Ontarians to foot the bill for manufacturing that could be outsourced to other countries for a fraction of the cost. Need more proof that this is a public approval pitch? When touring before the election, McGuinty asked workers at a solar panel manufacturing plant to turn on all the machines for a photo shoot.
Creating new jobs is fantastic, but let's focus on what we do well in Canada instead of artificially creating an industry for appearance's sake.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The larger cost of subsidization is not limited to jobs and money, but it can be measured in other ways. Dozens of rural municipalities have complained about not wanting wind turbines and have been completely ignored, contributing to the loss of established Liberal seats in rural areas. The health risks associated with living too close to a turbine have already led to multiple lawsuits. A family in nearby Thamesville is asking for $1.5 million in reparations due to the onset of depression and vertigo after the installation of a turbine near their home. These are not small structures. The diameter of the blades can be as wide as 300 feet. These enormous creations were manufactured and built here in Ontario, which is where the next problem lies.
Labour in Canada, compared to overseas, is extremely costly. Manufacturing the parts for both turbines and solar panels is enormously expensive compared to the cost of buying the equipment from international suppliers. By subsidizing green energy, the idea is that we're able to create cleaner power for effectively the same cost to the consumer. The reality is that our HST tax is paying for this subsidy. It's estimated that the number of jobs created by green energy is a third of what could have been created if the stimulus were used elsewhere. This means that 50,000 green jobs will be created at the cost of 150,000 other potential jobs.
The catch to the green energy subsidy is that, in the case of wind power, 25 per cent of the manufacturing must have been completed in Canada. Solar power is even harder to get subsidized as a whopping 40 per cent of materials must have been manufactured in Canada. These are requirements to get the subsidy for building these installments.
So to put this in perspective, the Green Energy Act affects the current model in a number of ways. Clean energy is being sold for more than it is actually worth to help fund the production of the equipment and create production related jobs. Not only is green energy more expensive to produce in the first place, but the government is also forcing Ontarians to foot the bill for manufacturing that could be outsourced to other countries for a fraction of the cost. Need more proof that this is a public approval pitch? When touring before the election, McGuinty asked workers at a solar panel manufacturing plant to turn on all the machines for a photo shoot.
Creating new jobs is fantastic, but let's focus on what we do well in Canada instead of artificially creating an industry for appearance's sake.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
