Young people, we need you! The world needs you.
Not to protest, but to build. Not to complain, but to solve. Not to panic, but to overcome.
A movement has swept the world, stating that the future of humanity is threatened by climate change. You’ve seen it on the news, students have taken to the streets to protest environmental inaction. Greta Thunberg, the fearless 16-year old Swedish leader, has challenged the world’s elite to stop stalling, to “feel panic like I do.” What’s that about? Should you be out there too? Should you feel the same way?
Hey, you can if you want, but think about this – you, Canada’s young and interested energy citizens, have a HUGE advantage Ms. Thunberg and the student protesters do not – you are at the #futureofenergy and you’ll get to see a world they never will, a world that is the most important part of transitioning to a greener world.
The world is going to be mostly renewable energy, some day. Today however, oil and natural gas completely dominate our world, and in developing countries coal is still a way of life. There’s no getting around that! Sadly, that view isn’t obvious to 16-year-olds from Sweden.
What makes #futureofenergy so exciting then is that this transition rests with people who see and understand the WHOLE chain – where it is now, where it has been and where it is going, and what it will take to get there. We can’t wish problems away. Wishing doesn’t get you a XR iPhone, and it doesn’t get us a green-energy world either.Just as importantly, panic doesn’t help one little bit, as you no doubt learned long ago. Panic is not a strategy for any situation, but education and calmly understanding the situation is a productive one.
Think of this opportunity then. The world does not understand at all how much we rely on fossil fuels, and you will get a reminder of that at “Young GPS” at the Global Petroleum Show in June. Only by understanding that reality can provide a foundation for the future to be mapped out in an intelligent way, and not a panicked one.
So welcome to the new world, where your generation owns and will spearhead the transition. You, the leaders of tomorrow who understand the world we live in, who understand where we want to go, and who can fully utilize the latest technology to get us there. Congratulations, you are on the cutting edge of Canada’s and the world’s future of energy!
For further information about Young GPS, please click here.
By: Damarys Zampini and TerryEtam