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Joe Shlabotnik

(5,604 posts)
Sun Nov 25, 2012, 07:29 PM Nov 2012

How Canada can create 18,000 more jobs

"The oil sands are an economically risky endeavor and, in addition to the environmental impacts, there are a number of downsides to relying so heavily on a volatile commodity. Moreover, investing our money in renewable energy and energy efficiency would create many more jobs, and reduce pollution."

"We looked at the $1.3 billion in taxpayer money our federal government currently hands to the oil industry in the form of subsidies. We asked: What if, instead of subsidizing polluters, the money was invested in industries that cut pollution?
We crunched the numbers and found that $1.3 billion invested in renewable energy or energy efficiency could create between 18,000-20,000 jobs. In comparison, that same amount of money invested in oil and gas would yield less than 3,000 jobs."

"These numbers are in keeping with international trends, as countries around the world are weaning themselves off fossil fuels and moving towards clean, renewable energy. In 2011, $280 billion was invested in renewables around the world. Globally, over a trillion dollars have been invested in green energy since 2004. Last year also marked a major milestone as investments in electricity from renewable sources topped similar investments in coal, oil and natural gas for the first time."

"Canada can and should work to capture a larger share of this market. The National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy estimates Canada could have a $60 billion domestic market in low-carbon goods and services, which would create 400,000 jobs. But that’s not where we’re headed at present."


http://www.bluegreencanada.ca/blog/more-bang-our-buck-how-canada-can-create-18000-more-jobs
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