Any socially transformative movement gets to a point where it needs to be fully embraced by the people it impacts. The green power movement within Canada is at just such a point. The past decade has seen an increase in the number of options available to Canadians to support renewable energy -- often associated with a premium cost to the consumer.

The T'Sou-ke First Nation developed a community plan that led them to build the largest solar photovoltaic project in B.C. and cut their energy use by 75 per cent. With this vision in place the T'Sou-ke tackled the challenge of energy self-sufficiency with gusto. A few years ago they installed 75-kilowatts of solar PV on several buildings.

A confidential memo proposing a massive fossil-fuel corporation funded campaign to build opposition against wind power was uncovered this week. As our transition to using windmills, solar panels and electric vehicles gains momentum, it's easy to see how peddlers of oil and coal might be freaked out. What if we don't want to buy what they are selling anymore?

For decades, people have argued that we must choose between good work and a clean environment. But that argument just doesn't hold up anymore. We need a functioning economy with good jobs, and a clean environment, which is what is meant by the term green economy.

The McGuinty version of fiscal austerity includes green-jobs boondoggles. Ontarians must overpay twice for energy: once in the form of huge overpayments to uncompetitive solar and wind producers, and then again in the form of subsidies to companies that manufacture the components for solar and wind.