Some ‘positives’ in the climate crisis

All of this comes down to that 1980s oil filter commercial that concluded with ‘you can pay me now or pay me later.’ That same logic applies to mitigation of climate change to protect future generations. After all, the future belongs to younger Canadians who need to be considered as our nation is rebuilt.

In the midst of all the bad news on most fronts today, it’s sometimes beneficial to sit back and consider some positives in the climate crisis. Admittedly few, but there are some signs lately that are worth pursuing. First, the latest news:

• We found a disconnect between how Carney promised to fight the climate crisis prior to the election, and the emphasis that the federal government is now putting on fossil fuels and the economy with their five major projects. None of these projects even mentions the environment or renewable energy. However, two of these involve mining for copper, an essential component of the proposed west-east electric grid, so we consider that as positive.
• Also, a hint of good news federally, for in the midst of Carney’s announcements above, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson attended an event in Winnipeg where he spoke about clean energy. Well, that’s something.

The development of clean renewable energy needs to start at small (local or municipal) scales for two reasons: first, municipalities and small groups can get into the game with minimal costs; second, there is little purpose in direct confrontation with fossil fuels—they are too big, have plenty of money to fight, and can garner far more political support.

Staying out of the national limelight allows renewable developments to compete at that local scale, and to demonstrate that it is not only cleaner energy, but also cheaper, so that small businesses and industry can switch their energy sources when it comes time for major upgrades. Likewise, it allows the public to contribute through assisting small government or industry to build a facility quickly, thus carrying the banner to convince other locals. Continued support for EVs and helping to add charging stations would reduce impacts of vehicles on the environment and our health. It is now known that air pollution from fossil fuel exhausts and wildfires is a risk factor in the onset of dementia, a growing health burden.

Thankfully, renewable methodology is now gaining ground all over the world, and some of the biggest leaders on this are rather unexpected. For example: green energy has passed the positive tipping point with implementation costs coming down dramatically. Global solar installations surged 64 per cent in the first six months of 2025. China is constructing the world’s largest solar farm to meet their emission targets, and that country’s carbon emissions fell in early 2025, suggesting that China may have peaked ahead of its 2030 target.