The Council of Canadians South Shore chapter hosted Gordon Laxer for a public forum on his book After the Sands: Energy and Ecological Security for Canadians.
Chapter activist Charlene Morton tells us, “Almost 60 people came out to the chapter event October 28, 2016 with Gordon Laxer, pouring rain and wind notwithstanding. Laxer combined a sense of humour with some disconcerting facts to lead us to his ideas to transition from fossil fuel dependency (and insecurity) to energy/ecological security. He underlined the importance of supporting the fossil fuel work force now to secure new skills and jobs.”
In After the Sands, Laxer argues, a “first step is to cap and then phase out the Sands over fifteen years [meaning by 2030], starting with the oldest projects.” And he highlights, “Canada can meet its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent if it phases out Sands oil and relies instead on our slowly falling output of conventional oil and natural gas as transition carbon fuels to get Canadians to a low-carbon future run on renewables.” Many argue this could be achieved by 2050.
Morton adds, “Several audience members expressed concern about engaging the very young in this new mindset, echoed by questions about the slow if negligible shift toward a better appreciation of and respect for Mother Earth based on Indigenous beliefs. Laxer emphasized that we in the room and others beyond represent many talents that we can bring to the many facts of the transition.”
And she notes, “We thanked him for his research on strategies to secure local oil for the Maritimes during the transition and the positive outlook for reducing energy consumption and for putting our energy alternatives in place.”
Council of Canadians chapters organized a speaking tour for Laxer which brought him to:
Charlottetown – October 24
Fredericton – October 25
Saint John – October 26
Mahone Bay – October 28
The Council of Canadians also co-sponsored Laxer’s talk at Dalhousie University in Halifax on October 27.
The Guelph, Centre Wellington, Thunder Bay, Hamilton, and Toronto chapters organized After the Sands book tour stops in Ontario this past spring.
To order After the Sands online, please click here.
