At the turn of the 19th century, the Wild West still existed in North America as developments and settlements expanded with little to no regulation, planning, or guidance. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the risk in allowing unfettered development expansion across pristine lands as it would rob future generations of the ability to enjoy them. During his term in office between 1901 and 1909 he established five new National Parks, 18 new U.S. National Monuments, 51 bird reserves, four game preserves, and 150 National Forests.
In total, Roosevelt put an astonishing 230 million acres of land under public protection.
Roosevelt was a Republican and faced heavy opposition from lobbyists, business interests, and factions within his own party as he established order on Western development. He used executive orders without apology to get the job done quickly. Were it not for Roosevelt’s vision, the United States would look much different today, and not for the better. Thanks to him, one can travel throughout a developed nation with a population of hundreds of millions yet never be far away from protected lands that can be visited and responsibly enjoyed.
A more contemporary form of the Wild West has emerged in North America in the last couple of decades in the guise of renewable energy developments. As subsidies poured in and demands for renewable forms of energy grew, wind and solar farms have been springing across the Canadian Prairies. Approvals for new projects were swift and with little governance as zealous bureaucrats were convinced of the environmental merit of these projects.
Rural citizens began expressing concern as they witnessed productive land being lost to solar farms and a visual blight on the landscape as massive wind turbines sprouted up like daisies. The citizens were ignored for years as the fervour for renewable energy sources continued to rise.
Finally, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tapped the regulatory brakes on renewable energy development approvals and imposed a six-month moratorium. Environmentalists and renewable energy advocates were apoplectic, as were opposition party members. A valid case could be made that Smith was soiling her free-market credentials with such a bold intervention. Despite the outcry, Smith held her ground and no new approvals were granted for six months.
Alberta fumbled during past oil and gas booms by not ensuring companies post reclamation bonds when they operated. Now, there are thousands of orphaned wells and facilities that need to be reclaimed at taxpayers’ expense. Premier Smith’s regulations will require renewable projects to have plans and bonds to reclaim sites when they have reached the end of their cycles. The projects will not be approved on prime farmland or zones with pristine landscapes.
Smith is facing criticism, but like Roosevelt she will be thanked down the road. Future citizens and visitors will be able to enjoy the landscapes and agricultural benefits of the province thanks to her foresight. Responsible power development will also continue.
Ironically, it is self-styled environmentalists who have the harshest words for Smith’s policies, yet those policies will ensure more environment is protected than has been by any previous premier. It exposes the partisan and almost religious nature of today’s environmental movement.
Premier Smith is a true environmentalist—even if her contemporaries will never credit her with that.
