The next decade promises to be the most disruptive one ever and Canada appears to be suffering a major lack of creativity. One major party thinks we can build our future on 20th century energy and the other would like to take us back to 19th century labor conditions. Meanwhile, there are a number of mega-trends that will be painful for some of our core industries.
Paris Agreement or not, the fossil fuel industry is a dead man walking. In the US, wind energy has recently dropped to $.02/KwH and solar is reportedly heading toward $.01 within the next few years. Wind and solar isn't just the cleanest new energy, it's now the cheapest as well. Yes, there is the intermittency problem but as battery and other grid storage technologies improve, this will be overcome. As batteries improve, the electric car will kill off the internal combustion engine (price parity for electric cars is expected before 2025). If all of that isn't enough new IMO sulfur content regulations slated for 2020 will lower demand for high sulfur fuel (like tar sands sludge). Kind of makes you wonder why Albertans are getting their shorts in a knot over a pipeline. There will be no market.
The auto industry (and related industries such as insurance, auto dealerships, retail mechanics body shops, etc) is in for a massive shakeup. EV's have vastly fewer moving parts than ICE vehicles and so will ultimately be more more reliable, last longer and require fewer repairs. But the auto industry pain only starts there. The real challenge will be from transportation-as-a-service (TAAS) companies using electric self driving vehicles. With no driver to pay for and operating costs a fraction of ICE vehicles, costs per Km will plummet and this model will challenge the model of private vehicle ownership. With drunk and distracted drivers removed from the equation, accident rates will plummet and with them, industries that depend on accidents (auto insurance, body shops) will be crushed. As families give up first their second vehicle and then abandon vehicle ownership entirely, the auto manufacturing industry will contract to a fraction of its former size.
The meat industry is also going to go through major changes. Due to a variety of concerns (including health, global warming and ethical treatment of animals), consumers are increasingly looking for alternatives. At the same time, an alternative is emerging. Lab grown meat is still in its infancy and far too expensive to be a threat to the meat industry today. But as the technology progresses, it's just a matter of time before prices drop and it will become cheaper than conventional meat. This will free up millions of acres around the world currently dedicated to range land. It will also prevent a massive amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas from being released into the air.
These are only a few examples - there are lots of others. Fishing will be threatened due to warming and acidifying oceans. Forestry could be hit hard due to climate-related droughts (and accompanying massive forest fires). Employment will become increasingly precarious due to self driving vehicles and other types of artificial intelligence.
As these and other disruptive changes will challenge Canada over the next 20-30 years, what are our two major parties obsessing over? Twentieth century fossil fuels and and trade agreements. And, in BC's case, a 20th century technology dam.
We need better leadership.