THE POWER IS IN THE MIX

There’s never just one way down the mountain, and the same goes for solving the climate crisis. But these days, people tend to pick a single solution—nuclear, carbon capture, geoengineering, carbon pricing—and dig in their poles, fighting from their corner. The truth is, we need to zoom out and look at the whole picture. Upgrading towards renewables means our grid will be powered from multiple sources, and we will need to find smart ways to store that energy. It won’t happen overnight, we can’t just shut off the fossil fuel tap, and that’s understood.

We’ve all heard the tough questions, what about the mining for battery materials like cobalt? Isn’t that just as bad? The reality is, yes, a clean energy future still requires extracting materials. But here’s the key difference: you use that material for decades in things like wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries. Compare that to the fossil fuel system we rely on now, where resources like oil and coal are constantly extracted, burned, and then extracted all over again. One analysis found that switching to renewables would require way less mining of the material that the current fossil fuel economy requires. Imagine 535 truckloads of material for fossil fuels - renewables could get the job done with just one. 

That’s not just cleaner energy, it’s way less waste, too.

So what does upgrading to clean energy mean exactly for Canadians? When you look at the latest analysis from Corporate Knights' Climate Dollars, the shift needs to focus on 3 key sectors:

1. Power sector: Supercharging the Grid

To meet our climate goals, Canada needs to double the size of its electricity grid by 2050 - which means expanding clean energy capacity by about 4% every year. How? By building out wind, solar, hydro and other clean sources, while making the grid smarter and more flexible. Think of it like any other progress humans have made in the energy sector since we discovered fire. Investing in the grid creates jobs, cuts pollution, and helps us prepare where more of our lives, like heating and driving, run on electricity.

2. Transportation: End dependency

All aboard the electric train! How nice would that be though? We need to expand charging infrastructure, invest in public transit, and electrify how we move both people and goods. With gas prices bouncing unpredictably and battery costs dropping fast, switching to electric just makes sense. It's more efficient, cheaper over time, and way better for the air you, myself and our families breathe.

3. *On chauffe pas l’dehors! Actually we are…

(*That’s french for your mom telling you to close the door to not let the heat out)

Right now, our homes and buildings waste a ton of energy through outdated heating systems and poor insulation. Upgrading buildings, through things like heat pumps, better insulation, and energy-efficient appliances, is one of the smartest moves we can make. Not only does it cut carbon pollution, it also lowers utility bills and makes homes more comfortable. Like Bill McKibben said:  “Isn’t having extra money in your pocket without having to compromise lifestyle the dream for both liberals and conservatives alike? Maybe that’s something we can all agree on?”

The good news? The path forward is clear. The solutions exist. We’ve got the tech, we just need to put it to work.

Upgrading our energy grid is as fundamental to our future as the Trans-Canada Railway and Highway were to our past. It connects us, strengthens us, and moves us forward, leaving no one behind.

Wind and solar are free and clean. Fossil fuels are expensive and dirty. It’s common sense to make our next POWer Move.

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