Man-eating, Brazilian Giant Millipede vs. Kamikaze Camel Spider of Afghanistan

Some time ago, Witty Professor posed this question to us:

“Is Alberta doing enough to create a vital and dynamic economy to maintain the kind of standard of living for a similar population when oil starts to become less of a factor?”

I think a better, surely a simpler question, would be- is Alberta doing anything to create a vital and dynamic economy? 

Any economy for Alberta is vital. In the 2006 census by Stats Canada we boasted a population of 3.2 million people- that’s approximately 5 people per square kilometer of this beautiful and relatively flat province. Lots of people means lots of jobs, lots of money, lots of energy, and lots of resources are needed to keep them happy and keep them here. But how were we able to attract and maintain such an impressive population living with such a splendid standard of living in the middle of the bald-ass prairie? 

Oil, and tons of it.

This begins to address the second part of the question: dynamic. Does Alberta have a dynamic economy? Well, it’s certainly not our strong suit. We’ve got two main commodities in Alberta: beef and oil- dead cows and dead dinos power our economy. And although everyone sees the potential problems this will impose when the one resource runs out (as it inevitably will), no one within the system seems to give two decayed, superheated, compacted and human-refined dino shits about it; so long as they make money, there’s no need to worry. Thus, it is no surprise that there is hardly any investment in non-oil related industries within the province. 

I understand that no one wants to invest in something they will never get any returns on, but in Alberta’s case, procrastination to do so will result in the ruin of our economy. All of our money is tied up in oil and natural gas production, but this is not a renewable resource and some day it is going to run out. For years industry ‘experts’ have been forecasting doom and gloom for the oil sands of Alberta and for years we’ve kept pumping it out- but this can’t go on forever. It is practically guaranteed, at the rate we burn the stuff, that within 50 years the Earth’s oil and gas will be gone. It is even more likely that within 20 years oil and gas will become almost obsolete as the rest of the world proactively gravitates toward new technologies and becomes less dependent on fossil fuels.

So where should people be investing their money to ensure Alberta’s future?

I believe that Alberta’s future lies in its past- in agriculture. For all intents and purposes Alberta is Saskatchewan’s twin because, although slightly bigger and much better looking, we are perfectly equipped to have an agriculture focused economy. Alberta has well established markets for pork, dairy, poultry, eggs, and grains. The beef industry in Alberta is particularly well established, but the problem facing cattle farmers in Alberta is that there is no money in it. It is expensive, both in time and money, to ranch- most ranchers are forced to have a second career so that they can afford to keep even a small herd. It is sad to see their lifestyle reduced to little more than a hobby. More money in this market would not only mean better returns for Albertan ranchers, but it would encourage other smaller, niche markets (such as those for sheep, goats, elk, bison, and deer) to grow and become profitable as well.  

Of course even more concerning than what we are going to do without oil, is what we are going to do with what the big oil companies leave behind once they ditch. The most prevalent concern of environmental groups is the tailing ponds of the oil refineries. They are great vats into which the byproducts from the processing of oil sands are poured. It would be foolish of us to think that these corporations were going to stick around until the very end and clean up every last trace of their work. These biohazardous soup pots, would pose a significant threat to the environment if the containment system were to fail. Not only would the health of wildlife and our own population be at serious risk, but the future of our province’s economy. Alberta would not be able to fall back on agriculture as its main economy if the land were polluted by the leaking toxins of the previous market. 

Now I imagine that when the economy shifts from oil and gas to [insert awesome, new, sustainable, profitable, well-invested economy focus here] there will also be significant changes in the overall lifestyle for Albertans. Without oil there is no way that Alberta could support its current population with the same standard of living as we are all accustomed to. Although I have always imagined myself to be on par with my parents when I reach their age, I realize that is unrealistic for the times in which I will be living my mid-life. But, fear not, for as usual, I thought this one through:

Presenting, Plan A:

I will get an agriculture degree in animal science so as to meet some basic credentials, pair that with my cooking skills, ability to clean a house, and *cough* charm, I will marry a farmer. Or a rancher depending on who is available and dumb...I mean, willing enough to take on a city slicker as a wife. And I get a pony. 

Of course, if this doesn’t pan out there’s is always Plan B in which I take off to India and become a dedicated yogi. I’ll keep you posted on how this goes.  

(assigned blog entry #3: ‘A future for Alberta’)