While many are excited about the NASA Ares rockets and the future potential they hold for the agency, America won’t be sending any manned missions up anytime soon without having to contract out the Russian Federal Space Agency to do it. But as America’s legendary space agency takes a moment to reflect and plot a new course (likely relieved that it will receive increased federal funding in 2010) the private sector has been busier than ever. Lead by billionaires like Sir Richard Branson who aren’t afraid to invest in experimental technologies and by billionaires like Guy Laliberte who aren’t afraid to spend millions hitching a ride into space, it appears that the era of private space flight has really taken off; and the price is expected to plummet. Where Laliberte spent $35 million to spend 12 days in space earlier this year, Branson believes the the price can come down to $200,000 for a trip in the very near future.

And this should all come as no surprise really, after all, it was private exploration that lead to the discovery of the Americas in the 1400s. Christopher Columbus, though supported by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, was a private explorer who was almost unanimously expected to fail in his attempt to reach the Indies by traveling west. Rejected by Henry the 7th and numerous other would-be Royal patrons, Isabella and Ferdinand finally at the 11th hour took pity on him and gave their limited support.  It was not a concerted effort by the Spanish crown to get a leg up on the other European powers (as NASA had historically been used by the American political elite to leverage American culture and technological superiority against communist Russia) and there were no grand expectations of success or profound geopolitical impacts. There was a man with a determination to prove an idea right and scratch his name in the history books and really little else…oh and to get ridiculously rich. There are some who believe that Columbus was in fact a member of the legendary Knights Templar and was keen to build a new Jerusalem where a non-secular future of humanity could blossom in the new world. Hmmmmmmm…Sir Richard Branson is a knight and he’s an explorer looking to go beyond the reach of modern travel, so is Richard Branson looking for the New Jerusalem once again? Is he taking the torch from Columbus and reaching into outer space where the future of humanity awaits? Branson knows…he knows something. Or maybe he’s trying to get rich?

Or maybe like many early explorers in the time of Columbus, Branson today represents the new generation of explorers fueled by private enterprise. Though eventually receiving support from Kings and Queens many of the early explorers had to approach would-be investors with their grand aspirations. Often times this would be merchants or nobles who could stand to profit from the rich spoils of new realms, and it wasn’t until the new world was proven valuable that the royals of Europe really started commissioning explorers to do the bidding of crown and nation. Branson is taking a big risk with Virgin Galactic, because really, how valuable is space at this point? Branson must know something…he knows something. (Oh the agony of not knowing what it is that Branson knows!)

So how long until space becomes really valuable? Sure Laliberte spent $35 million for a trip, but when compared to the potential for economies of scale in space tourism that number may be a drop in the bucket 20 years from now. And what’s interesting to see is that 500 years after Columbus and other independent explorers begged and pleaded for funding to find new passages and new worlds a reversal of the pattern is taking place in modern time. Exploration has gone the other route, from purely state activity to increasingly private enterprise. Obviously this is due to the technological factor. NASA and the Russian Space Agency have poured billions and billions and billions of dollars into programs that have for all intents and purposes not benefited the economies of their respective countries directly, though several important inventions have made their way into our households, our clothing and workplaces. No private business owner would spend that kind of money without any kind of ROI on the horizon, so we will forever be indebted to our governments (literally) by early expenditures on space exploration that have made private space ventures possible.

So as NASA is forced to contract the Russians for a lift into space, the Canadian Space Agency forced to hitch a ride with the Americans, and the Chinese hoping to shuffle their way into the international space station all as Branson predicts a $200,000 space-vacation in the near future, perhaps the walls are coming down, or more aptly, perhaps the roof has been lifted off human space travel. Many in the space industry believe that the only way forward from here is through multi-national efforts and private industry, unlocking the potential of the free market to propel exploration forward.

Ironically enough, just as it did 400 years ago.

President Obama is quoted in this weekend’s Globe and Mail, stating with authority that “America must finish first in the global race to dominate new energy technologies”, and why? Because in Obama’s estimation “The nation that wins this competition will be the nation that leads the global economy”. Maybe he read my earlier post about how Angela Merkel said the exact same thing about Germany’s economic recovery over a month ago. He probably didn’t, but maybe one of his aides did! Or maybe he spent some time strolling through Washington’s National Mall where the recent international Solar Decathlon was held. Incidentally team Germany’s solar powered house (or haus) won the event for the second time in a row. Canada placed near the top (4th out of 20)  led by a joint effort between Simon Fraser University of Vancouver, and Ontario’s University of Waterloo and Ryerson University, whose project North House will be on display at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. It looks like they still fell short of convincing some in Washington that we’re doing enough up here to create green technology solutions. Canada has been criticized, even by Canadian party leaders like Michael Ignatieff for falling behind the U.S. and other countries in researching and developing sustainable green energy technology, but perhaps most poignantly by aides and advisors within or close to Obama’s administration; who are steering the economy and moral compass of our largest trading partner. This was the case with former Clinton Chief of Staff and co-chair of President Obama’s transition team, John Podesta. The current President and CEO of the Center for American Progress spoke recently in Ottawa. He makes some very important observations, but I think he ignores a major point in our energy dialogue. He and others, cite access to capital as a significant problem to greentech startups in Canada, as has been addressed in a previous Senses post. As the economic cleantech train leaves the station, Canada might be rushing with some heavy luggage-in-hand to catch up. 

According to Gerald Butts CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, we’re at the bottom of the list out of all the G-8 countries for our efforts to develop new technologies and become a serious player in the emerging greentech economy. Just this month, perhaps inspired by the Decathlon, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill H.R.3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap. The bill designates $2.25 billion for solar research over the next five years. America clearly wants to develop and rely on sustainable and clean energy, but the elephant in the room right now is the growing importance of Canada’s oil sands and the continuing environmental challenges they pose. The oil sands (located almost entirely in Alberta) and their labour intensive bitumen extraction are a key pillar in American energy security. And a key pillar standing in the way of recent environmental treaties that Canada is hoped to be part of.  So while close aides to Obama can criticize us for falling behind, they’re glossing over the reality that it’s largely because of their own industrial-economic needs. However, there are two new developments are aimed at making the process far less environmentally damaging.

New technology and methods to quicken reclamation of tailing ponds, coined Tailings Reduction Operations (TRO), will dramatically increase the speed at which tailing ponds can be cleaned up from years to weeks. This according to Suncor Energy who recently submitted a regulatory application for changes to the company’s oil sands mining and extraction operations dealing specifically with these tailing ponds. The several energy companies who operate tailing ponds in the province have come under fire repeatedly from environmental and native groups as well as scores of scientists and angry self righteous college students. Recently 1,606 ducks died in a tailing pond owned by Syncrude Energy causing international outrage; the energy company pleaded innocent in court to charges laid against it in those deaths. After that incident the Federal Government implored the industry to create new measures to deal with the tailing ponds. This announcement by Suncor is in response to that pressure. It will no doubt come under fire from some environmentalists regardless of how progressive and successful it may be, but I hope it’s a sign that things are rounding the bend in Alberta.

The second development involves a proposed $800 million dollars of Federal funding for carbon capture and sequestering in the province. The process of burying greenhouse gasses underground however is expensive, and some have been vocal about the economic realities and political trivialities preventing the CCS initiative from really catching on in Alberta. I think most of those voices might reside within the province itself, which has been historically cautious about federal involvement in its energy industry.

Politics and economics aside, it appears the will is there to develop the technology and practices to better the environmental record of Canada in relation to our role as an energy producing state. Until we deal with the Alberta issue though, we will continue to trail- if not fall behind- the United States, Germany and numerous other countries when it comes to the greentech economy that we’re told is unveiling itself around us. In markets around the world greentech IPOs are leading the economic recovery, but some worry we may be witnessing the birth of a greentech investment bubble. Caution aside, we know one thing is for sure. When the U.S. makes big changes to its economy it has a big impact on Canada. So maybe by proxy Obama will steer both his and our country to this promised land of unlimited clean energy and high paying jobs despite what actions political parties here might take.  Or maybe his aides will simply continue to criticize us while their economy continues to gorge itself on our exported energy, including the oil sands, Quebec Hydro, BC Hydro etc. etc. Maybe some of their cleantech funding could’ve found its way north of the border being that they’re our largest customer.

Despite what America does, Canada doesn’t owe it to them to be a greentech leader. We owe it to ourselves. Whether Canada’s greentech economy will be developed on our own terms and of our own free will and accord, or if  by the gravity of our neighbour we’re to be dragged into Obama’s new energy policy, remains to be seen. As of now though, it seems that the greatest challenge to becoming a clean energy leader are the oil sands; the largest source of oil outside of a politically volatile middle east. That puts us between a rock and a hard place and consumes a considerable amount of funding that could otherwise go to other greentech projects struggling for capital. Unless US energy policy is open and clear about elephant in the room, it falls short of addressing its full energy and environmental realities. And unless Canada can shift focus from cleaning the oil sands to utilizing and developing our clean alternatives we’ll continue to fall short of our friends hopes and expectations; but telling us to clean up our act when they’ve had the keys to the candy shop for years, piping oil from Alberta to their own refineries, is hypocricy. Now that this new and different kind of American self righteousness (which franklyI prefer) has taken hold of Washington, let’s hope that they’ll realize that in order to be the global greentech leader Obama wants them to be they should look to Canada as both a prime place to invest in and an ally to cooperate with, not just a country to criticize for not keeping up with them. John Podesta, if you want Canada to “keep up with you”, how about a little quid pro quo. We gave you Alberta, and now we’re trying to clean it up. Why not invest in our clean energy now too?