Energy Probe
Encyclopedia
Energy Probe is a non-governmental environmental policy organization based in Toronto
and best known for its role in opposing nuclear power
. It was founded in 1970 as a sister project of Pollution Probe and incorporated in 1980 as Energy Probe Research Foundation (EPRF), which describes itself as "one of Canada's largest independent think tanks, with 17 public policy researchers". It focuses on the economic, environmental and social impacts of the use and production of energy. Financial Post
columnist Lawrence Solomon
was one of the co-founders of EPRF in 1980. University of Toronto
Professor Clifford Orwin
was noted as being on the foundation's board in 2005, where he was joined by columnists Margaret Wente
and Andrew Coyne
.
Energy Probe led the opposition to Ontario Hydro
's nuclear expansion plans during the 1970s and 80s. Its plans to break up Ontario Hydro's monopoly and end support for nuclear power were endorsed in 1984 by the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party
and the Ontario New Democratic Party
, the two opposition parties at that time. Energy Probe argued that privatization of the nuclear power plants in Ontario would have forced them to buy insurance on the private market, making them economically unviable, inevitably leading to their shut down. (The same argument was subsequently adopted by Greenpeace
in the United Kingdom
when they supported Margaret Thatcher
's efforts to privatize government enterprises.) Political scientist Laurie Adkin described Energy Probe's approach as "ecocapitalist". Later, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
, led by Mike Harris
, formally adopted Energy Probe's positions in its Common Sense Revolution
. Under this model, the grid would be operated as a separate regulated entity while the generating units would operate in a competitive marketplace.
In 1978, before its incorporation, Energy Probe capitalized on the Three Mile Island accident
, and acquired notoriety by printing up brochures on the morning the accident occurred. By the afternoon, these brochures, entitled, "It's no longer just a movie," were being distributed to theater goers as they left the Jane Fonda
movie, The China Syndrome
.
Stephen Dale, in his book McLuhan's children: the Greenpeace message and the media, praised Energy Probe for its stance on utility regulation whilst criticizing it for having turned away from its democratic roots to "embrace the discipline of the marketplace". Keith Stewart, an environmental policy scientist affiliated with the Toronto Environmental Alliance
, described Energy Probe as the Canadian component of a "small but vocal neo-liberal wing of the environmental movement aggressively championing a pro-market, anti-state agenda", and likened it with US Natural Resources Defense Council
, which according to Keith champions "free-market environmentalism". The book Rescuing Canada's right: blueprint for a conservative revolution describes two divisions of EPRF—Energy Probe and Environment Probe—as among the few environmental advocacy organizations that "promote a vision for the environment that is more in line with Opportunity Conservative principles, although these groups would probably not call themselves conservative" and which "don't take knee-jerk leftist positions", but ascribes the two EPRF divisions as second place in this niche, overshadowed by Ducks Unlimited
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and best known for its role in opposing nuclear power
Anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Many direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, and international level...
. It was founded in 1970 as a sister project of Pollution Probe and incorporated in 1980 as Energy Probe Research Foundation (EPRF), which describes itself as "one of Canada's largest independent think tanks, with 17 public policy researchers". It focuses on the economic, environmental and social impacts of the use and production of energy. Financial Post
Financial Post
The Financial Post was an English Canadian business newspaper, which published from 1907 to 1998. In 1998, the publication was folded into the new National Post, although the name Financial Post has been retained as the banner for that paper's business section and also lives on in the Post’s...
columnist Lawrence Solomon
Lawrence Solomon
Lawrence Solomon is a Canadian writer on the environment and the founder and executive director of Energy Probe, a Canadian non-governmental environmental organization...
was one of the co-founders of EPRF in 1980. University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Professor Clifford Orwin
Clifford Orwin
Clifford Orwin is a Canadian professor of ancient, modern, contemporary and Jewish political thought. He is also a prominent controversial writer on contemporary politics and culture.-Academic career:...
was noted as being on the foundation's board in 2005, where he was joined by columnists Margaret Wente
Margaret Wente
Margaret Wente is a columnist for Canada's largest national daily newspaper, The Globe and Mail and a director of the Energy Probe Research Foundation. She has received the National Newspaper Award for column-writing twice....
and Andrew Coyne
Andrew Coyne
James Andrew Coyne is the national editor for Maclean's, a weekly national newsmagazine in Canada. Previously, he was a columnist with the National Post and an editor-in-chief of the University of Manitoba's newspaper, The Manitoban.-Background:Coyne was born in Ottawa, Ontario, the son of Hope...
.
Energy Probe led the opposition to Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
's nuclear expansion plans during the 1970s and 80s. Its plans to break up Ontario Hydro's monopoly and end support for nuclear power were endorsed in 1984 by the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
and the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, the two opposition parties at that time. Energy Probe argued that privatization of the nuclear power plants in Ontario would have forced them to buy insurance on the private market, making them economically unviable, inevitably leading to their shut down. (The same argument was subsequently adopted by Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when they supported Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's efforts to privatize government enterprises.) Political scientist Laurie Adkin described Energy Probe's approach as "ecocapitalist". Later, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
, led by Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, formally adopted Energy Probe's positions in its Common Sense Revolution
Common Sense Revolution
The phrase Common Sense Revolution has been used as a political slogan to describe common sense conservative platforms in Australia and the U.S. state of New Jersey in the 1990s. Based on the Singapore Model of economics, its main goal is to reduce taxes while balancing the budget by reducing the...
. Under this model, the grid would be operated as a separate regulated entity while the generating units would operate in a competitive marketplace.
In 1978, before its incorporation, Energy Probe capitalized on the Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, United States in 1979....
, and acquired notoriety by printing up brochures on the morning the accident occurred. By the afternoon, these brochures, entitled, "It's no longer just a movie," were being distributed to theater goers as they left the Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
movie, The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was...
.
Stephen Dale, in his book McLuhan's children: the Greenpeace message and the media, praised Energy Probe for its stance on utility regulation whilst criticizing it for having turned away from its democratic roots to "embrace the discipline of the marketplace". Keith Stewart, an environmental policy scientist affiliated with the Toronto Environmental Alliance
Toronto Environmental Alliance
The Toronto Environmental Alliance is a Canadian non-profit environmental organization. Formed in 1988, TEA provides an activist voice on environmental issues affecting Toronto.-Mandate:TEA's mandate is to promote a greener Toronto...
, described Energy Probe as the Canadian component of a "small but vocal neo-liberal wing of the environmental movement aggressively championing a pro-market, anti-state agenda", and likened it with US Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
, which according to Keith champions "free-market environmentalism". The book Rescuing Canada's right: blueprint for a conservative revolution describes two divisions of EPRF—Energy Probe and Environment Probe—as among the few environmental advocacy organizations that "promote a vision for the environment that is more in line with Opportunity Conservative principles, although these groups would probably not call themselves conservative" and which "don't take knee-jerk leftist positions", but ascribes the two EPRF divisions as second place in this niche, overshadowed by Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
.
External links
- Morgan Brown, Energy Probe on cdn-nucl-l; appendix A of that email contains an article on Energy Probe which appeared in Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, August 23 1997