A company called Iron & Earth is asking the provincial government to help support its Solar Skills campaign, a project that aims to train 1,000 electricians from the oilsands sector to install solar panels on 100 public buildings, making their skills marketable across the energy sector.
“Now is definitely the time to be launching this organization,” said Iron & Earth founder Lliam Hildebrand,
Who is “oilsands worker” Lliam Hildebrand?
Here’s his Youtube channel.
Big tip of the hat to Dan.
Ah yes, another rabid radical leftist earth muffin with his head up the Luddite ideology.
Solar is a lost cause. As we have seen in the many subsidized and collapsing solar companies in the U.S. and around the world has clearly shown. It is a fraud.
Solar is stupid, but electricians don’t need to be retrained to do solar installations. Give us blueprints and we’re good, thank you very much.
“Solar is a lost cause.”
Perfect! Where better to sink millions of tax dollars in government largesse?
1,000 electricians to install solar panels of 100 buildings? What do they do the next day?
While electricians might very well wire solar panels, I’m not sure what skills they have installing them on big buildings.
Electricians do this type of construction all the time. We install generators and switch gear, and monstrous electric motors, and transformers and build cable trays and underground bus ducts. Electricians do all the construction work involved with the installation of electrical hardware of every description. Next time you drive past a hydro substation, take a look. Electricians built that.
“1,000 electricians to install solar panels of 100 buildings? What do they do the next day?”
Since this will be a government-funded programme, doubtless it’ll be stretched out for a couple of years
I wrote this letter to the journalist who is credited on the story:
Dear Mr. Lazzarino,
I think you were punked when you wrote the story headlined “Oilsands workers call on Alberta government to retrain electricians as solar installation specialists”.
It struck me as odd that oil sands workers, who tend to be both knowledgeable and pragmatic, would be demanding that the government set up a program to “retrain” them for solar installations.
An electrician is an accredited tradesman. You don’t get to be one without passing a series of exams and getting thousands of hours of experience. They don’t need training to install solar panels: they would work from blueprints in the same way as they do when installing Motor Control Consoles, substations, control systems, or any other industrial electrical facility.
Also, Mr. Lliam Hildebrand is unlikely to have fellow oil-field workers, since he’s an environmental activist listed as a cast member in Naomi Klein’s film “This Changes Everything”. Here’s his YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/user/integreenvictoria
Do you plan on updating your story to reflect this?
Yours truly,
Chris Ivey
I believe Mao did the same thing. He retrained Doctors, Lawyers, and Engineers to be field-workers. Re-educated them in the rice fields. Taught them how to plant, and weed the rice paddies. Same thing.
Counting on the presstitutes to actually research a story, sources, or their agendas is just SO time consuming.
The poor repeaters, er, reporters……….
The skills within the press is in the tank, there are no more investigations of stories or issues, unless its those knuckle dragging rightwingers
Cambodian Khmer Rouge Leader Pol Pot retrained Doctors, Lawyers, Government employees, and School Teachers also.
2 million of them never came back to work…
I think the main idea is to make the electricians spend thousands of dollars and several years of there own money and time trying to take Oil Workers jobs.
An electrician friend worked for a couple of years installing windmills at Tumbler Ridge. He needed NO extra training, as “minuteman” said.
And if we’re ever insane enough to install masses of solar panels,he won’t need any extra training for that either. Wtf do these people think tradesmen learn?
Trades people are totally misunderstood by the “chattering classes”, who think you have to call a plumber to unclog your toilet.
Excellent! Who do these people think they are kidding?
Chris – I think it worked; I just got a 404 error on the link.
Remember just a few months ago Tesla’s “award winning” battery technology was going to change everything:
Tesla Discontinues 10-Kilowatt-Hour Powerwall Home Battery
Tesla has quietly removed all references to its 10-kilowatt-hour residential battery from the Powerwall website, as well as the company’s press kit. The company’s smaller battery designed for daily cycling is all that remains.
The change was initially made without explanation, which prompted industry insiders to speculate. Today, a Tesla representative confirmed the 10-kilowatt-hour option has been discontinued.
Can you smell emanating through your screen?
It’s the smell of scam.
The socialists/fascists know where to go for free money.
Your basic socialist aristocrats getting on a taxpayer funded gravy train.
What a low life.
One thing the hype artists at TESLA, and the rest of the ‘smart’ energy industry cannot escape, fool, or change, despite their wild and hyped, grandiose pronouncements.
The Law of Entropy cannot be fooled, it must be respected and understood.
Despite the wishes, hopes, and imaginations of the loopy left, ENERGY does not, and will not, have a “magical new source” of infinite storage capabilities, despite their wild wishes.
TESLA has been one of the biggest hype artists out there. Despite a sky high stock price, it has NEVER turned a profit. Doesn’t stop the huge gubmint subsidies from flowing,though.
It just someones way of getting on the investor or government dole, PT Barnum style. How much government seed money have they already received? Notice the Donate button or sometimes a link to the companies stock value. In a nutshell, “I don’t need the job, just the pay”
They wont quit until the public says enough already.
How about these:
Electrician Reprogramming and Smart Tech Consultations Inc.
“We can put the spark back in the economy”
And a few more licences to print money after the last federal budget
Aboriginal Water Treatment Consulting and Treatment Systems Inc.
“Water treatment doesn’t cost, it PAYS”
Aboriginal School Development Consulting Ltd.
“You too can be richer than you think”
Canadian Bridge Builders
“We will make them stronger this time around”
“No job is too small. No fee is too small”
Exactly! Ivanpah, a $2.2-billion project in the California desert, isn’t generating enough power to meet it’s contract obligations and may have to close if it doesn’t get a break from state regulators. If solar can’t work in the California desert, it sure isn’t going to work in Alberta.
The story is still there, just the link from this page is broken. You can see it here: http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/03/21/oilsands-workers-call-on-alberta-government-to-retrain-electricians-as-solar-installation-specialists
The author was kind enough to send me a very polite and thorough reply to my letter, explaining his thinking. I explained why government training for electricians wouldn’t result in more electricians having jobs, and why I thought he had been punked, and left it at that.
Chris
A certified electrician certainly doesn’t need $80,000 wort of training to install solar panels. That is a company trying to get more milk from the government teat which since Notley was elected is more accessible than mammaries on a beach in southern France. Not that I’m against mammaries that I am not funding.
Sailing and cruising enthusiasts have been using solar for years as there is no electrical recharging post at sea. And it certainly isn’t as complicated as alleged by Iron and (public) Trough.
The proposed “training” programs have NOTHING (or very little) to do with the Trainees … but are ALL ABOUT the Trainers. The Trainers are looking for a BIG GOVERNMENT payday that’s all. Yes. It is a scam. Yes. The VAST MAJORITY of Electricians already know how to install an inverter and all the other simple switchgear. And what they don’t understand in detail, is already (most likely) published by the local Utilities … yep … the Utilities already GOT $$$$$ Millions to provide the Solar documentation. Well that’s true for PG+E anyway.
The guys who make the blueprints have all been outsourced to China, where the solar panels are made.
Crap , I installed them myself on my off the grid retreat, neither an electrician nor a high wire artist. Just a screw gun and 20 ft ladder. Btw they only charge enough from June to September to make it through the night .
Would it be cool to store a thousand years of sunshine into a nice compact organic storage container that was easily transportable and multiuser.
We call it coal
OMG ! So frigggggin TRUE !
And I attended college in the mid 1970’s … when ALL this “new” solar and wind and battery technology was … er … really new … well, not really new … but in vogue because of Jimmy Carter and the Saudi Oil embargo (aka energy “crisis”). Nothing has changed. Why ? Duh ! Because the Science is settled !! ie Entropy. ie Basic Chemical reactions.
The vast majority of the population are well-meaning but horribly IGNORANT about the most basic math and science. They are so easily fooled when promised a NEW future of CLEAN energy, GREEN energy !! Yeayyyy !! Don’t you want to DREAM about HOPE and CHANGE ! … or do you want to listen to some old, ugly, science professor telling you what molecules WON’T do. How NEGATIVE of that old fart.
Yeah !! We BELIEVE you Al Gore !! Wow ! what a powerful, emotional filmstrip you created !! Count me IN … I want a NEW FUTURISTIC SCIENCI-FICTIONARY FUTURE with CLEAN FREE ENERGY !!!
Yeah … those OLD mean OIL Corporations already KNOW how to make our cars run on water … but they are withholding the technology … and spraying the planet with chemtrails that can only be counteracted by smoking a whole bongfull of medical marijuana.
I’m afraid Entropy is way over their heads.
But he’s a popular guy on YouTube. 2 subscribers after 4 years. Christopher Ivey, you’re right in suggesting the teporter was ‘punked’, but they’re all so lazy and unskilled these days, it’s not a hard task.
you don’t need to be an electrician to install solar panels, only need to have one certify the final hook up if hook to the “public” grid.
Fine scam, after “training” journeymen electricians to install solar panels, I am sure they can move up to teaching my grandmother to suck eggs.
Hopefully this idiot will come within arms length of a fellow tradesman soon.
A light swat with an extension ladder should help.
” making their skills marketable across the energy sector.”
Time for compulsory training as Telephone sanitizers as well?
A long time ago I was told all advertising was geared to appeal to a grade 3 level. I didn’t really believe it . The Liberals and actvists understand this. The election of the Liberals proved it.
Thanks, LOL.
Really, the saddest commentary on this, is the lack of science taught in high schools. It used to be, back when the dinosaurs walked the earth, and I went to high school, that you had to take Grade 10 science. I followed up with with Chem and Phys 11 and 12, as, it was fascinating, and of course, I was a math nerd, so they both played to my strengths and interests.
Today, Grade 8 is the max for required science, and let’s face it, 13 year olds have the attention span of a gnat. Social justice studies are SO much more important, after all. (Basic economics are also sadly lacking in school, for the yutes, but I digress). The majority of today’s population is scientifically illiterate, and, of those that have had science, unfortunately, much of it now is badly tainted with enviro-activism.
So, all it takes today, is for a huckster, like Tesla, to work the green/social justice angle on proposals, and he sounds like a ufcking genius, cuz, like, he sounds so smart, ya know?
And activist gubmints, and slimy two-faced self-centered narcissist potus’, are just all too eager to throw millions at such hucksters. Its a dysfunctional, co-dependent relationship. There are no miracles coming for the Tesla, its just a BIG battery in its most expensive model, that gives it 300k range. Its no breakthru in science whatsoever.
At this point in time, for those with thick, thick skin, shorting Tesla stock might be a very good play!
This has boondoggle written all over it.
Creating a Canadian $30B deficit in one year of boosted productive spending short
of a crash rearmament program to prepare for an imminent war is not even possible.
The only rational explanation is the Shiny Pony brigade intends to waste $20B as a
distraction and steal the rest outright.
PV solar is as dirty or perhaps even dirtier than the oil sands. It’s not economically feasible to produce PV solar components in North America. The labor costs in North America are prohibitively expensive and North American environmental regulations which keep our air, water and land from being heavily polluted don’t exist in Asia, so nearly all of the PV production is over there where they can pollute and keep their production costs low. The electricity to run their PV solar factories comes from dirty coal burned without stack scrubbing and the factories dump pollution into the environment. The same goes for their wind turbines. The amount of environmental destruction and toxic pollution from PV solar and wind turbine production in China far exceeds the damage caused by the oil sands operations.
Some people seem to believe toxic pollution is OK as long as it happens somewhere else.
Gawwwd … “energy justice” … “social justice”. Talk about your lame “justifications”.
Hey eco-FRAUDS !! You wanna know what is really “just” … what’s real “justice” ? Heating and cooling POOR peoples homes for less than 1/3 of their yearly incomes ! THAT’S “justice” ! That’s “compassion”. Let’s all drop the charade, please. You eco-dolts HATE people … except for yourselves, and echo-chamber “friends”.
Yep. If you truly c-a-r-e … you would lift people out of poverty by delivering the cheapest, most available, energy possible … and continue to do everything possible to keep delivering it.
JJM you are absolutely right this job could be strung out for years. Why would our LIE..BRAL or the Albertan….NDP give Lliam Hildebrand any money to go ahead with such foolishness. They need to talk to California with solar panel all over growing dust most of them now. Another cash cow!!
Well said, as was your other comment so funny, but sadly true.
But they do not want to provide affordable energy for people, especially the poorer ones. Don’t forget they believe that there are 6 billion too many people on earth and if you make food and energy very expensive some people will die, as has happened in England during the recent cold winters.
Good job Chris Ivey for pointing out the shortfalls in that article.
The crony shaft the consumer and taxpayers frauds just keep coming.
These guys are definitely “B ark” materail.
These guys are definitely “B ark” material.
Pol Pot did him one better. He killed them. Showing the world what a ‘piker’ Mao was.
If you truly c-a-r-e … you would lift people out of poverty by delivering the cheapest, most available, energy possible … and continue to do everything possible to keep delivering it.
That’s what China, India and most of Asia is doing. So what about the toxic pollution from burning dirty coal without stack scrubbers that the cheapest energy entails? Are you aware of the pollution levels in all Asian cities? More than half of the world’s population and about 90% of the poor live in urban mega slums powered by coal.
Beijing’s red alert for air pollution likely to become regular occurrence
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/beijings-red-alert-for-air-pollution-likely-to-become-regular-occurrence/article27652211/
Do you realize that nearly all the mercury contamination in North America now comes from Asia? There is no ‘peeing end’ in the atmosphere pool.
As usual, all talk and ‘consultations’. This bozo Lliam posted a video on Oct. 14, 2015, proudly announcing the formation of “Iron and Earth”.
So far he’s had 54 views (including mine). Don’t give him anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irMurFGwyTg
Of course, you are right in correcting my simplistic statement which bears much more elaboration than can be tolerated in a forum such as this. No. The cheapest energy possible does NOT mean the foulest, dirtiest possible transformation of fuel into energy. There is NO EXCUSE for a country as RICH as China to NOT have better environmental regulations. NO EXCUSE. There is EXCELLENT coal smokestack scrubbing technology that reduces the pollution to acceptable levels. China CHOOSES to be a filthy, dirty, environmentally-backward cesspool. It’s good for business. It’s good for profits. Oh, you thought China was a benevolent Communist government that is all peaceful and groovy. Wrong. They are a corrupt nation of politbureau elites who grab as much money for themselves as they can. China needs to CLEAN itself up. And BTW … “signing-on” to some “eco-treaty” that John F. Kerry and/or the UN claim as some “victory” is utter rubbish. Yeah, so China is going to build a few windmills ? Now do the math and calculate how MANY windmills it will take for them to even make a dent in their energy needs. Nope. If they want to clean up … they need to clean up the energy technology that they have NOW.
Also, please note that most poor people in China and India burn WOOD and/or DUNG for cooking and heating in their HUTS. THAT inefficient, foul practice is what produces the vast majority of the particulate matter that is (visibly) fouling the air in the Far East. THAT practice needs to be replaced with centralized, controlled, power and home fuel generation
And, you are being just slightly naive in saying that there is no “peeing” end in the atmospheric pool. That is an ignorant … yet really “catchy” phrase. The atmosphere, like the oceans are VAST. Enormous. Massive magnitudes that are beyond most peoples comprehension. Dilution of contaminants DO take place to massive effect in the atmosphere. Can we detect contaminants, sure. But give me some numbers … how many parts per BILLION ? And what is the average background of the materials you are measuring ? China’s pollution is simply NOT “contaminating” our atmosphere. Does some of their junk arrive here ? Of course … but you need to do some math and look at the REAL numbers. BTW orders of magnitude is one of the issues completely misunderstood by the Global Warmists. Utterly misunderstood. It is kind of like the “illustration” that always turns up showing ALL the space JUNK that is cluttering earths orbit. Everytime I see this RIDICULOUS misrepresentation it makes me LOL. The SCALE is so far off … that IF the “artist” really wanted to illustrate all the space junk … it would be INVISIBLE in the scale depiction of the earth that he uses. It’s a total JOKE … but the masses lap it up … because it “sounds” good. Ohhhhhh mamma … we are filling space with too much JUNK … just like the plastic trash pile that DOESN’T exist out in the middle of the Pacific.
still don’t really know who he is.
” but you need to do some math and look at the REAL numbers. BTW orders of magnitude is one of the issues completely misunderstood by the Global Warmists. Utterly misunderstood.”
yup, that says it all. when some idiots spouts off about 90 million tons of “carbon”, just ask them to convert that # to percentage of atmosphere, they shut right up, and you then ask them what % of .oo4% of the existing CO2 that would be, they will just stand there and stare, or walk away. Context is not a lefty strong point, and that is why the so called scientists and LMSM use the terminology they do, it’s called psychological manipulation, which is a close cousin of “subliminal” effect.
mercury levels in fish that are caught off the coast of Hawaii are high due to toxins released from Asian countries.
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/3656/20130826/pollution-asia-linked-high-mercury-levels-pacific-fish.htm
Mercury can stay in the atmosphere for up to a year. The type of mercury found in the nine fish species analysed is capable of travelling globally before entering the ocean through rainfall. It then builds up — or bioaccumulates — in the tissues of larger marine fish when they consume smaller fish containing mercury, in a process known as biomagnification.
http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/fisheries/news/asian-power-stations-blamed-for-mercury-toxicity-in-fish.html
More can be easily found, educate yourself. Try to provide some references for your opinions.
Do refrain from the immature name calling, your personal opinion of someone adds no useful information to the discussion.
I’m not a ‘global warmist’ far from it in fact, and I do fully understand the numbers and orders of magnitude.
Dude. They really don’t have a clue. Its not like they have any experience either. To them….Albertan = drooling untrained moron.
Wise up people of Alberta! Knotley and Co. are poisonous! This is the biggest scam since Sponsorgate! Nuclear reactors are the only reliable source of clean electrical energy. This video simplifies the reactor and does do a good job of explaining the facility.
https://youtu.be/_AdA5d_8Hm0
The only training required will be for fire fighters and that can be summed up on a leaflet stating “Watch that sucker burn”. If I were a fire fighter I certainly wouldn’t be standing on or beating with a pick axe, a roof mounted array of panels juiced up with 600 volts of direct current. The power company can shut off the main feed from the grid, but that solar system is still live and all too willing to fry any firefighter looking to save Mittens the kitten by going through the attic. Not to mention the thousands of gallons of water already showered upon the roof. (While the furnishings of Mr. & Mrs. Greentard, made from petroleum products (ironic, eh?) stokes the flames good and hot) Of course your insurance will be null and void if there is no attempt to fight the fire. (check the fine print of your policy, it’s there).
But let those foolish grasshoppers dance to the sweet tones of eco-enlightenment. Let them shovel thousands of dollars into a system that will not have any appreciable pay back period. Want to save money? Stick to an off the shelf gas furnace and hot water tank. Swap out the twisty lead bulbs and replace them with LED’s when their on sale at Costco and go about your lives. Throw a pellet stove or wood heater in your basement if you’re so inclined and tell those pesky teenagers to turn the goddamn lights off when they leave the room. And maybe get rid of that 25 year old fridge you kept in the basement as a “beer fridge” but sits empty. And those flat screen TV’s we insist on having in every room are also juice pigs too.
I was in Maui a few years back and commented to one of the locals about all of the windmills polluting the view of the lush, green covered lava mountains. Power was 28 cents a kw/h compared to the 6 cents I shell out for coal fired Alberta juice. I asked him how they were working. He said they have been abandoned. About one third of them were idly spinning in the warm Pacific wind. It cost them too much money to operate and maintain so they went back to the reliable diesel generators to power the island. So a place where the wind is always blowing (Hawaii) and where the sun mostly shine (US desert-solar panels) they can’t make these things work even under so-called optimal conditions. But Rachel and Justine will make them work. Looking forward to NDP and Liberal friendly companies and especially the consultants who will be awarded the pork laden contracts. And how many of them will miraculously be seeking bankruptcy protection from creditors when the last of the gray train government grants expire.
The script writes itself.
A commie, in a commie film, insisting that “not commies” do commie stupid shit.
How far does Lliam Hildebrand have is hand up Dave Lazzarino’s ass?
Can’t he feel it?