There is a paradigm shift between generations here. On one hand, industry has been good to us. I don’t antagonize anyone for making a living the way they thought best. It’s easy to see what the draw is: money. Hourly wage as an entry-level mill laborer is more or less equal for a Wildlife Biologist with a Master’s degree and a P. Bio designation. On the other hand, I’m a born tree hugger and think it necessary to progress and explore sustainable options. For myself, coming home after living for years on Vancouver Island where the growing season is longer, composting is a daily habit, and there’s a general attitude of pro-environmentalism, I couldn’t help but feel how behind Hinton was.
Geothermal has been on the podium for a long time here, due to oil and gas exploration, which in itself is a true irony, as it would reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The Town of Hinton’s website explains that this exploration has, “provided a sense of what lies beneath.” The plan for a 400, 000 sq ft. vertical farming system would use closed-loop geothermal technology, which estimations show will reduce 4.85 million tones of greenhouse gases in the next 50 years. It’s also proposed to have 200 temporary construction jobs and hire on 120 Renewable Resource recruitments.