The biggest difference between impoverished nations and wealthy ones is access to inexpensive energy. Rich nations have become that way by using fossil fuels, hydro power and nuclear plants. People in the poorest countries burn dung for heat and to cook food. The people in these poorest countries have no means of freezing food to preserve it; they rely on spices to both preserve meats and to hide the taste of pre-rotting flesh.
Inexpensive, reliable energy - provided mostly (and realistically ONLY) by fossil fuels - allow factories to be built, which provide jobs for ordinary people and create wealth in a town or country. (Note: Hydro and Nuke are reliable and cheap over time, but with huge initial costs.) With this wealth schools, universities and hospitals can be built and entire societies changed from hand-to-mouth existence to generative ones that allow for invention and artistic, leisure and cultural pursuits.
The reason I write this is because our power bill this month was $500, in a small house with 2 people. Last year for this month it was about $250. Why? Because the provincial government, the licensor of the energy monopoly in Ontario, made a multi-billion commitment to windmills that are incredibly unproductive and more incredibly expensive. Companies that make these contraptions or try and sell energy produced by them only exist because of the government subsidy. Our extra $3000 / year (times 4 million households) allows these companies to, among other things, support some politicians and campaign against others.
Those people who protest use of fossil fuels are either disingenuous, in someone's pocket, Bolsheviks who despise anyone but themselves having wealth, uneducated or unable to understand science and economics, or refugees from the 60s looking for meaning.
They need to be ignored or they will be creating a destiny of impoverishment for our (and their) society's future generations.
Canadian, Conservative and Sour. Satire, Cynicism, Snark and Sarcasm is Often the Best Medicine............... Stephen Harper's Favorite Blog
6 comments:
"The reason I write this is because our power bill this month was $500, in a small house with 2 people. Last year for this month it was about $250. Why? Because the provincial government, the licensor of the energy monopoly in Ontario, made a multi-billion commitment to windmills that are incredibly unproductive and more incredibly expensive."
A 100% increase over one year sounds pretty steep. Did anything else change (e.g., electricity use, or any contract stuff?)
Nothing - last year we even had a teenager in the house.
Hm. One would expect the teenager to drastically increase electricity usage (given how many devices they seem to be plugged into all the time these days).
I know that electricity prices in Ontario have increased significantly in recent years. Nearly doubling over the last 10 years or so.*
But that kind of jump over one year seems particularly crazy. It might be worth it to take your bills and ask the power company some questions. Maybe something else is going on.
I don't know who provides your power, but Hydro One's website** says that over the last year rates for electricity during peak periods have increased from 12.9 to 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour. (Which is a 4.7% increase according to my calculations… but my calculations should always be double checked).
*http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/oeb/Consumers/Electricity/Electricity%20Prices/Historical%20Electricity%20Prices
**http://www.hydroone.com/RegulatoryAffairs/RatesPrices/Pages/ElectricityPrices.aspx
Not gonna do a lot of digging for an anonymous commenter. Not salient to the story anyway.
My apologies. Not asking you to dig on my account. Just thinking aloud. So to speak.
No prob - it's fair comment - and I posted something from memory - but it's an op piece not a news one.
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