When is enough going to be enough?

Like the recent spill of Alberta tar sands oil from the Keystone pipeline into precious wetlands in North Dakota, how much more damage to our planet are we going to do until we finally say enough is enough? It is clear: at some point in the near future, we must wean ourselves off of oil. Even if you don’t accept that consuming oil is destroying the planet, we do know that we will run out of it one day. So, wouldn’t it be smart to make sure we are properly prepared for either of these scenarios?

It doesn’t have to mean shutting off the taps right now. But it does mean the end of production growth in the oil industry. It does mean making it more efficient and better for the planet to produce the oil we will need in the foreseeable future. It means not relying on the growth of a finite non-renewable resource for our economic success.

It also means job re-training for workers effected by automation, globalization and changing demands. It means investing in green tech (wind, solar, energy storage, etc.), high tech (AI, cybersecurity, data-analysis, etc.) and other industries that are growing elsewhere in Canada and the world. It means getting better at what we know best here in Saskatchewan - agriculture. It means ensuring all of our children are getting the best education we can offer to prepare them for the society of tomorrow.

The fact is, our world is changing with our without us. Instead of being reactive to inevitable change, let's be proactive and set the agenda ourselves. Instead of following from behind, let’s be the leaders that we always have been. This all can be done - but only if we have the courage to do so.