Citizens have a duty to truly understand Canadian energy issues

Canada, the 'consultation nation,' needs a mindful dialogue on energy civics, as Canadians must become more involved in the way energy policy is both grounded and shaped into our way of daily life.

Generally speaking, civics is the study of what it means to be a citizen in a particular nation, aspects of citizenship, its duties and rights. The study of civics is important because it helps people to understand how government works, and it provides people with knowledge about how to influence government as a citizen. 

This would ring true for Canadians who take it as their civic duty to embrace more than a passing interest in politics and government affairs. The two key words here are: ‘rights’ and ‘duties’.

Today, it seems that too many Canadians are susceptible to chirping up loudly about the first, and then curiously remain silent about the second. However, 'rights' and 'duties' each requires each’s functions, and they are inescapably bound together.

Canadians appear to be energy entitled. The energy paradox that follow citizens will argue they have a ‘right’ to low-cost, clean and abundant energy, but rarely do these Canadians display curiosity about the ‘duties’ required to support that right.  Perplexing yes, and it has landed our nation in uncivil energy debate.

In our civil society, Canadians are bound and function together based on common interests. Shouldn’t energy be identified as one of our collective interests? Yet, it is not. Do Canadians not realize their duty to be informed about energy dynamics?

When one rounds up the cast of characters in our energy soap opera – print and digital media, industry, politicians, NGOs, eNGOs – the script that plays out seems to have consequences of not making citizens more energy literate resulting in Canadians not being more legitimately involved in the process.

Enter polarization. A polarization in critical dialogue that should in fact be binding us together, not tearing the country apart.

An example is the opportunities and challenges with creating a sustainable low-carbon economic model. This in of itself is a conversation that citizens should have based on sound thought and knowledge. Many across Canada think we have a ‘right’ to a healthy environment, yet when one turns to talk about the ‘duties’ required to make things happen, and move towards change, the water seems gets a little murky.

As many of us out there have experienced, there is no one-size-fits all model for Canadians (and First Nations/Métis) and the dynamics of 'duties' is complex. That said, the one common foundational denominator at the basic level is the base line duty to be informed- informed above what most of the population could now legitimately claim to be with regards to ‘energy.’

Enter a ‘sigh.’ Yet today, we are involved in carbon conflicts, and as experience and research shows us, the conflict is with a significant portion of the nation's population whom are functionally illiterate on the topic. Political polarization is the end result alongside an under-informed populace whose views should be shaping the dialogue.

What flows from a general failure of citizens doing their ‘duty’ to be informed and participate is a civic vacuum. We have activists and print and digital media acting in a manner of what citizens ought to want in the energy post-truth world. Politicians whom act on assumptions of what their voter base ought to want.

Add into the mix, that we have an industry whom is perhaps not so timely and proactively recognizing the vacuum, and typically opts to lecture on how the energy industry enables and supports an improved standard of living in Canada. To date, frankly this approach has not been very effective at sparking mindful dialogue on energy civics, which is desperately needed in our consultation nation.