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LETTER: Lots of work cut out for us

To Ken Topolinsky,
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Morning Star reader Elaine Sharp initially wrote to say she’d be withholding $200 from her taxes to combat climate change. Since then, she has been in discussion with engineering and applied technologist Ken Topolinsky, former senior vice-president of Hunt Oil Company in Dallas, Texas. (Black Press file photo)

To Ken Topolinsky,

I fully agree with your “invitation to continue constructive discussion based on real science” “and on how to achieve desired change.” Marc Carney in “Value (s)” and Seth Klein in “A good war” in their books provide some serious methods of trying to reach these goals.

You make a valid point re: “consumption patterns,” however, I believe that these patterns can be readily influenced with the right incentives and choices. That is what I am imploring the federal government to do.

Provide the financial incentive to a green energy system, rather than to the oil industry.

See “Public Cash for Oil and Gas” article from the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

“Canada is still the largest provider to oil and gas production in the G7 per unit of GDP.” They provide a detailed description of how these subsidies occur. www.iisd.org

In relation to my comments about “jobs” see an article by Guy Dauncey, He compares 155,000 jobs in wind energy to 5,000 jobs in oil energy. www.irena.org/publications/2017/May/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2017

I am looking for a massive change in the education system to re-educating and retooling the workforce to begin the shift.

Re: electric cars, I realize that lithium has some problems, but there are alternate resources being developed, which you probably know more about than I do, given your speciality in engineering and applied technology.

I will not comment on the issues of overpopulation and the situations of the third world as these are issues in themselves. I can only deal with the subsidy in my little way.

As I write this letter in the thick smoke of Enderby, the continuing and increasing smoky summers, that burn my eyes this year and think of the children who are having their lungs affected, I cannot see why the urgency of dealing with this climate crisis can be ignored. I haven’t had to put up with evacuation (as yet) or loss of a home.

I appreciate your interest in discussing this topic.

One does not often get to discuss this with the Oil Co.

Elaine Sharp