But a recent report by Clean Energy Canada analyzing the actual jobs provided by the oil sands industry is starting to cast serious doubt on the whole concept of fossil fuels as a necessary economic evil.

It seems that jobs in renewable energy, defined as hydro, wind, solar and biomass, have now exceeded the number currently provided by the oil sands and is consistently growing. It is estimated that jobs in the green sector have increased more than 93 per cent since 2009 and are likely to continue to grow. This contrasts sharply to the current situation in Alberta where rigs are being shut down and concern is growing as gas prices plummet. The problem of course is that other countries also produce oil and with our limited capacity to refine our own fuels, we are a slave to worldwide markets that are still heavily influenced by other nations.

In comparison, green energy projects can be seen as being somewhat recession proof since a desire for cheaper alternative energy sources tends to increase when fossil fuel prices rise. Since alternative energy projects do not face supply issues based on commodity values (the wind and the sun are free) then the cost doesn’t vary that much once the infrastructure is in place.

It is important to note that the green energy sector has been growing despite the fact that it receives little in the way of government subsidies and promotion especially when compared to Alberta oil sands.

Critics of green energy love to point out current limitations in storage and capacity as significant obstacles to moving to this kind of energy production. Yet if half as much money and expertise were to be invested in green energy, any barriers to development could be easily overcome and even if we continued with oil expansion, it will require investment in incredibly complicated and risky projects such as the Keystone pipeline

When doing an economic comparison between green energy and fossil fuels, detractors of green energy like to ignore the huge costs associated with the clean-up of exploited mining sites or the added costs of digging, refining and transporting fossil fuels. If the true cost of finding, producing and transporting oil was taken into account, it would become a completely untenable option. While it is completely true to say that a wind farms, hydro dams and solar instillations will result in some bird strikes, resource exploitation and environmental damage, these can be minimized through proper site selection use of recycled materials. But, compared to the immense environmental damage of open pit mining, tailing ponds and pipelines, green energy is a far better choice for the environment. This assessment doesn’t even take into account the enormous impact of climate change and the detrimental outcomes of planetary warming.

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