Recently, our President and CEO received a series of letters from some Grade Six students in Ontario. The pupils evidently had a persuasive writing exercise to do; the results were some well-articulated arguments (albeit based on some common misperceptions and misinformation) about why oil sands development should be stopped.
Frankly, we think it’s great that the students are engaging in a discussion on energy. That’s because we continue to see evidence that many Canadians aren’t aware of where the energy to heat their homes, fuel their vehicles, and deliver consumer products comes from. We need to understand where energy comes from before we can start to develop plans that outline what kind of energy we want to have.
And beyond the simple use of energy, they may not be aware of its connection with job creation, economic development, government revenue contributions, and personal savings (for example, these students’ teacher likely has a stake in the oil sands through the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan).
What this student exercise showed us is that it’s never too early to sit down with kids and have “the talk.”
It’s a confusing world out there. And teens and pre-teens need to be equipped with details to make informed choices – now and later in life. So before any of us get the uncomfortable “where does energy come from?” question when standing in a supermarket line, it might be in our best interest to start the conversation.
“Well, son… when supply and demand “get together”, wonderful things like a good standard of living and economic opportunity can happen. But, sometimes, demand can be… er…. demanding… and we may regret choices we make later. So… we need to… mmm… understand consequences and…uh… be responsible.”
So what would there be to talk about in an energy birds and bees dialogue?
Well, first – that our kids’ friends, television and the internet provide information that’s sometimes not true or exaggerated. In an internet world where the bar for facts and truth is low to non-existent, some parental guidance in finding information from a variety of sources will help them sort out what’s credible and what’s not.
Second – using energy has its environmental, economic and social consequences. To get our kids’ nervous responses moving from “I know, Mom/Dad!” to “Really?,” we might want to ask them about energy in the context of environmental, economic and social spheres. Together, you’ll probably find that making “either/or” choices in the face of growing energy demand isn’t always possible and that safe, responsible energy development is what really counts.
Helping youngsters understand “the mechanics” of energy may seem daunting. The fact is, though, that you can’t put it off, because sooner or later, they’ll need to know. To get you started, we’ve put together a brief list of resources:
Energy Information Administration: Energy Info for Kids
Inside Education: Inside Education
Pollution Probe: Energy primer and workshops
Innuendo aside, energy literacy is important – it’s what will help the next generation understand and make informed choices about their energy future.
