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We need leadership on renewable energy

We need leadership on renewable energy Open letter to Resources Minister Scott Kent: I am very discouraged to hear that you are now going ahead with fracking in the southeast Yukon. I sincerely hope that you will change your mind and put a stop to this m

Open letter to Resources Minister Scott Kent:

I am very discouraged to hear that you are now going ahead with fracking in the southeast Yukon. I sincerely hope that you will change your mind and put a stop to this madness.

You have to realize that the world will have to leave most of the fossil fuel in the ground, and that includes the natural gas in the Yukon.

We are now finding that it is not our grandchildren’s future that is at stake but it is now our own children and maybe even us. We must act this year to start turning that ship around.

I read your latest budget last week and it looks like your government will again spend well over $3 million this year on subsidizing oil-and-gas exploration and development.

I understand that you’re doing this in the hope that you will eventually make us a quick return on our taxpayer dollar investment. This is a delusion because the long-term cost of climate change, polluted water and our well-being is not worth the quick return or the risk. Renewable energy will always be there for us, while fossil fuel will deplete and simply leave a mess behind.

Renewable energy is at our fingertips and ready to be deployed in the Yukon. It requires a tipping point.

That tipping point could be you making the decision to divest that budget money away from fossil fuel exploration and re-invest it into renewable energy. This divestment will remove the unfair advantage that fossil fuel has enjoyed for far too long and it will help accelerate renewable energy deployment in the Yukon.

When we build these wind, hydro, and solar projects this will generate endless revenue for our businesses because the fuel is renewable and free. This will create jobs in construction, operation and maintenance, and in innovation, and it will help circulate local dollars into our local economy. Money we now spend on fossil fuel, to heat our homes and fuel our vehicles, will come from renewable energy and stay in the community, enhancing our health and culture.

The scientists are telling us that we are facing a climate crisis of unimaginable proportions; but, we still have a window of opportunity to turn the ship around. 2015 is the year to make this happen.

The renewable energy technology to replace our fossil fuel dependency is ready to be deployed, we just need leaders to make it happen. Can you please lead us in the right direction?

JP Pinard, PhD, PEng.

Whitehorse