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Obviously, Quebecers’ opinions are very different from what is often heard from certain interest groups and from a portion of the political elite. Moreover, when Quebecers are polled on these matters year after year, the results remain pretty similar.

Not only are they open to hydrocarbon development in Canada but we learned a few days ago, in a report published by the Chair in Energy Sector Management at HEC Montréal, that Quebecers are among the biggest consumers of energy in the world.

Indeed, between 1990 and 2017, sales of SUVs and light trucks increased by 246 per cent in Quebec, and sales of gasoline jumped by 33 per cent. This trend has continued, as each year since 2015, these types of vehicles are the champs in terms of sales. In other words, Quebecers continue to consume a lot of oil.

Nevertheless, because Quebec benefits from having access to hydro power for electricity, it remains the province with the lowest emissions per capita in the country. Even with all the additional gas guzzling in recent years, Quebec reduced its emissions by 11 per cent between 1990 and 2016.

Obviously, there is a considerable gap between the typical political discourse and the behaviour of the people. This is undoubtedly because Quebecers are pragmatic and more interested in paying the bills at the end of the month than in the prophesied end of the world. But ecological activists are well organized and have the support of many well-known celebrities. Their voices are dominant in the public space. Politicians, who understand the unpopularity of carbon taxes, are left with gestures that don’t affect most people in their everyday lives, such as prohibiting hydraulic fracturing (fracking) or opposing pipelines and “dirty” oil, to build up their ecological cred.