Japan Declares War on Canada

Cornwall ON – The attack at Pearl Harbor, in December 1941, was Japan’s Declaration of War. For them it was a resource war, as they needed oil to continue their war against China. Oil shortages were crippling the Japanese economy and war machine, just as they would Germany’s a few short years later.

On Monday, September 13, 2010, the Japanese launched an attack on North America’s Green Harbor,  Ontario’s Green Energy Act. This time, instead of unleashing their forces against a naval base they launched a suit against Canada and Ontario through the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The reason for the attack? To ensure Japanese industry doesn’t get competition from Ontario.

The Green Energy Act, passed in spring of 2009, is to make the province more energy self-sufficient, especially with the Peak Oil crisis approaching, to reduce greenhouse gasses and climate change, and to provide jobs in Ontario. Obviously these goals are succeeding, thus provoking Japan’s long-time jealousy.

Why do the Japanese want to destroy a new Ontario industry? Given the trade figures between the two countries (Japan sells roughly $4.4bn more to us than we do to them), the Japanese must have a good reason for attracting Canadian anger.

The short answer: Ontario’s, and therefore Canada’s, and by extension, NAFTA’s, green energy won’t be “Made in Japan”.

Once the peak oil crisis really hits, energy of all forms is going to astronomically expensive. Every country will need to produce its own energy, from renewable sources, if it is to have any hope of survival.

The real reason for the attack is that every wind turbine, biogas generator or solar panel not made in Japan is a threat to Japan’s survival in a post Peak Oil world. If Japan can set itself up as the major supplier for North America, it will have the technological and manufacturing capacity to survive, at our expense. (To say nothing of the profit).

Why not simply buy Japanese? After all, Japanese products offer good value for money. There is no stopping Toyota, already the world’s largest auto company. Does it really matter if a rooftop solar facility is made here or in Japan, as long as it works and is affordable? Maybe sacrificing some of the 50,000 new jobs would be worthwhile if importing alternative energy technology and equipment would make Ontario’s (and Canada’s) path to energy independence quicker and cheaper.

Depending on Japanese or European technology won’t help us when Peak Oil really hits. Ontario, and the continent, needs its own industry to survive. If everything becomes a Japanese import, Japan’s future is ensured. Our future will go down the drain of a bottomless depression as we won’t have the money to import what we need.

If the Japanese succeed in their attack on Green Harbor, Ontario’s green economy, 50,000 jobs, and its very future in a post peak oil world will face oblivion. Premier Dalton McGuinty has promised to fight this action by the Japanese, as has Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Will Harper live up to this promise? Unlikely.  Canada’s single largest export to Japan is Alberta oil. Enbridge is planning to build a pipeline across the Rockies to export Tar Sands crude to China (and presumably Japan). The key to Japan’s successful attack on Green Harbor lies not in Ottawa or Toronto, but in the Calgary boardrooms of the global oil companies.