Description

1. Students should by reading the following articles that discuss the current debate over whether Canada needs a new national energy plan. Students should play close attention to the references to the former National Energy Program, which was discussed in week one and consider how this new plan may or may not be reminiscent of the NEP. “Claws are out over national energy plan; How to proceed on a pan-Canada strategy divides parties, provinces” http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Claws+over+national+energy+plan/6082846/story.html “National Energy Strategy: Quebec And Alberta Discuss Partnership” http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01/11/national-energy-strategy-alberta-quebec_n_1200469.html “Canadian energy strategy would invite meddling” http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Navarro+Genie+Canadian+energy+strategy+would+invite+meddling/6143271/story.html
2. Next, students should read this recent opinion piece from the Winnipeg Free Press. While it does not focus on sustainable energy policy, it should draw students’ attention to the use of the term sustainable to describe the economic development that the Prime Minister wishes to see take place in this country. It is this economic sustainability that must be made compatible with environmental sustainability if the two sides of the energy debate are to ever come to some form of agreement. “Harper seeking a sustainable Canada” http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/harper-seeking-a-sustainable-canada-139202814.html
3. Students should then read the following article from the Montreal Gazette which looks at Canada’s quiet emergence as a renewable energy leader. Many of these renewable energy sources are labelled as “clean energy” sources. Students should investigate whether or not they believe this is a fair label. “Clean energy also needs political focus” http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Clean+energy+also+needs+political+focus/6130685/story.html
4. Next, have students read, “Sustainable energy: A driver for economic, environmental and social well-being,” an excellent article from the magazine Policy Options which really highlights the difficulty Canada faces in balancing the sustainability of the environment and the economy. This article challenges readers to look past the rhetoric hurled up by ideologues on the left and the right, to look forward to the future knowing that we need pragmatic solutions.

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   Task

   The class will be divided into two groups for a virtual debate using google docs. Skype will also be used during preparation for the debate. The debate will force students to argue in favour of either the environment or the economy of being paramount importance in the setting of an agenda for the use of energy resources in this country. On the side that is promoting environmental issues as being of paramount importance, students will read the following piece by David Suzuki found in the Huffington Post: "What’s so radical about caring for the earth?" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-suzuki/keystone-xl-pipeline_b_1211614.html This side will argue that the environment must be the first priority in setting Canada’s energy policy. On the other side, students will read a piece that talks about Minister of the Environment Peter Kent’s labelling of Alberta’s oil as an ethical resource and the intended implications of this label: “Alberta Oil ‘Legitimate’ Resource: Peter Kent” http://business.financialpost.com/2011/11/28/alberta-oil-legitimate-resource-peter-kent/?__lsa=c0d7933c This side will argue that the economy must be the first priority in setting Canada’s energy policy. As previously mentioned, students will be using google docs to facilitate this debate. In class, students should be taught how to set up a google doc, how to use skype (which will also be used to help facilitate planning for the debate), and how to set up and use a twitter account (which will be used to tweet things the students have learned from the debates). Directions

   1. Set a date to hold this virtual debate (a suggested outline is at the end of this activity description).
   2. Each side of the debate will be collaborating using a google doc. Each side will have a leader that will set up a google doc for their side.
   3. There will also be a separate google doc set up to act as the debate space.
   4. In class, each side will find three news sources in addition to the one provided above to support their side of the argument.
   5. Each side of the debate should split into three groups, each group focusing on one of the three news articles that their side has found.
   6. Each of these groups will have a short skype meeting to discuss how the article will support their position in the debate. All of these skype meetings should take place at the same time. One person in each group should be elected as the note-taker for the meeting, and can take notes on the article directly into the google doc for their side of the debate. (recommended time: 15 minutes)
   7. After the small group skype meeting is finished, the two sides of the debate will hold larger skype meetings with the members from the three smaller groups. In this meeting, a representative from each of the groups will share their team’s findings with the larger group. They should suggest how it will advance their side’s position, either in favour of the environment, or the economy. They should then move to construct an opening statement of +/- 150 words on their side’s google doc page. (recommended time: 30 minutes)
   8. After the two sides have concluded their meetings the virtual debate will begin. Each team will copy and paste their opening statement into the debate space google doc.
   9. Teams will then have 15 minutes to create a rebuttal to the other side’s points. They can use the google doc for their own team to develop a plan for this rebuttal.
   10. After the 15 minutes is up, teams will post their rebuttal.
   11. Both teams will then have another 15 minutes to come up with a counter-argument to the other team’s rebuttal. Again, they should use their own side’s google doc to develop this counter-argument.
   12. After the 15 minutes is up, teams will post their counter-arguments.
   13. After the counter-arguments have been submitted and read by the opposite side, each team will have 15 minutes to come up with a closing statement.
   14. After 15 minutes is up, teams will post a closing statement.
   Tips for making debate run smoothly:
   1. While planning must be done outside of class to allow students practice using skype, the actual google docs debate can be done in computer lab, if it is too complicated to schedule a debate outside of class time.
   2. Assign captains to each team and to each group within the team. These individuals will be responsible for the final product produced by their teams.
   3. So that things do not become chaotic when teams are planning on the google doc, students are recommended to use the chat function to interact with one another, rather than all typing text into the google doc. Team captains (and an additional person, if necessary) can be responsible for compiling all of the thoughts that come out of the chat function.
   4. Feel free to adapt this debate model if you feel that it is too complicated. The goal here is that students become familiar with the technologies of skype and google docs.
   Following the debate, all students will tweet a short statement citing what they have learned from the debate about setting a Canadian sustainable energy policy. They should use the hashtag #CANenergydebate so that their tweets can be followed by students from other schools.

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   Continue to Week #3: Canada on the Global Stage »