Dear Editor,
Humanity found oil in the ground and transitioned off of whale oil and coal…that was an essential move that enabled most of us to prosper. We now have burned so much fossil fuel that we have changed the climate for everyone including our non-human relatives. We desperately need to acknowledge that fact and change what we are doing in order to change our very environment.
There is no doubt that we have a climate crisis building around the world but we can reduce the consequences of what we are currently doing. We need to look to the future. We know that we have to get off of fossil fuels because humanity cannot continue to survive with the continuing rise of CO2. This is not fiction…It is fact. You may not like it but that is what we are facing.
Yes, we as citizens have the opportunity to change our collective future. We have the vote in every level of elections. We know what is best for all of humanity. We know how to collaborate with each other to make a difference that is in everyone’s best interests. We know capitalism is a huge part of the issue but we need to think long and hard about what we can do as individuals to change our collective futures for the better. We have the knowledge, but have to exercise wisdom.
Our greatest energy source is the sun. It is passive but powerful. Solar panels are also passive with no moving parts. It is by far the cleanest source of energy. The issue of battery storage continues to improve which makes it even more attractive.
Across Nova Scotia, solar adoption has risen sharply, with total installations jumping from 200 in 2018 to around 8,000 in 2023.
While a precise, total number of individual homes with solar panels on Cape Breton Island is not explicitly tracked in a single public database, recent developments indicate growing adoption. For example:
– Pine Tree Park Community Solar Garden: In October 2024, Canada’s first subscription-based community solar garden was launched in Sydney, Cape Breton. This project features 1,800 panels and provides solar energy for 29 residential and commercial subscribers at Pine Tree Park.
– Future Growth: A second community solar garden is already planned for Sydney. Additionally, proposed projects in the CBRM (Cape Breton Regional Municipality) are anticipated to have the capacity to power hundreds to thousands more homes in the near future.
The Nova Scotia government is actively pushing for more renewable energy, with a target to have 80 per cent of electricity from renewables by 2030.
Global solar power capacity experienced a massive surge in 2025, with 380 GW of new capacity installed in just the first six months. This represented a 64 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
By the end of 2025, solar power was on track to remain the fastest-growing source of new electricity generation. This is very hopeful news but we, the public need to get on board and support the transition to clean energy technology. It is our future, our planet.
Paul Strome
Antigonish