1. Energy Issues in Canada
Grade 9 Canadian Geography

2. RECAP: What are our energy sources?
Hydroelectricity, coal (fossil fuels), Nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass

3. Recap: how do we use energy?

4. conventional energy
Conventional energy: sources of energy that are not renewable and ecologically hazardous
Coal
Petroleum
Nitrogen
Natural gas
Mainly Fossil Fuels (except hydropower)

5. Canada’s energy consumption and production
Canada is the 5th largest producer in the world
Russia
China
U.S.
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Canada is the 8th largest consumer in the world (depends on who you ask and statistics you use)

6. What does non-renewable mean?
What is the problem?
What does non-renewable mean?

7. Canada’s Habits
How does canada contribute?

8. What do you notice?

10. What is Canada’s overall TREND?
Oil usage is decreasing domestically (here in Canada)
Much oil is being exported (still part of the problem)
Hydroelectricity is our greatest energy producer but we are STILL using oil the most

11. Canada and our issues
Canada is the source of a lot of different energy forms due to the vast land and the northern territories
Makes a lot of profit from exporting energy sources
Energy sectors account for 6.8% of Canada’s GDP in 2002
All of Canada contributes to the production of energy
Ontario produces mostly Nuclear energy
We are the third most important resource base for oil behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela
The energy sector provided direct employment for people in 2010, or 1.8 percent of employment in Canada

12. Nuclear power
Nuclear technology can provide energy without the air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions produced by fossil fuels. The largest and currently unresolved environmental problem concerns nuclear waste
Radioactive waste
There is currently no safe way to dispose of it
Could last for up to 250, 000 years
Pickering reactor #4 had a heavy water leak in April 1996 that released radioactive tritium into Lake Ontario, contaminating drinking water supplies
Extremely expensive
The last plant constructed in Ontario, Darlington, was budgeted at $3.4 billion but ended up costing $15 billion when it was finally completed in the mid-1980s

13. Hydroelectricity
Alberta oil sands uses 3 barrels of water for every barrel of bitumen mined
Energy is used to purify and transport water, while water is used to create energy
“We’ve had five or six generations of the national myth of a limitless supply. We’re considered around the world as one of the most egregious water wasters, because we have it.”
Hydro dams may not be able to always depend on upstream glaciers to fill their reservoirs due to climate change (melting of the glaciers)
“Water and energy are interlinked and they depend on each other.”
From Global News Article: Canada must start linking water, energy issues: scientist
energy-issues-scientist/

14. Oil- Pipelines
Trudeau has approved for 2 major pipelines from Alberta to Pacific coast
Easier for exporting
Increase the amount of oil transportation significantly
Opposition from indigenous peoples
“Justin Trudeau has broken his promises for real climate leadership, and broken his promise to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
He has put a ban on oil tanking off the coast of B.C.

15. Oil Sands- Alberta
The Athabasca oil sands in Alberta, Canada, are a very large source of bitumen, which can be upgraded to synthetic crude oil
Many environmental issues linked to it- Video

16. … So what happens if we keep using these resources in the way that we are?

17. What can we do? Use cleaner, renewable resources
“Canada, the second largest country in the world by area, is richly endowed with renewable energy, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal and marine (e.g. tidal, wave energy) sources. With the right policies, Canada can use renewable energy to satisfy its energy needs and become a world leader in sustainable technologies.”- David Suzuki
Some countries have learned how to treat waste water in ways that generate energy to offset that used in the treatment
This solution saves money by making more efficient use of both water and power

18. What Is Canada doing? From the Canadian Energy Strategy (2015)
Commits the provinces and territories to help get oil pipelines built – but contains little concrete action on climate change
A promise for all provinces and territories to set absolute targets for cutting greenhouse gases
Ontario closed its coal-fired power plants
Quebec implemented a cap-and-trade system on carbon emissions
British Columbia has brought in a carbon tax
Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have all managed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, but Alberta and Saskatchewan have seen major increases