Another day, another moon shot

Larry Hughes
allnovascotia.com
20 June 2025

On 25 May 1961, President Kennedy gave a speech to the U.S. Congress, calling on the United States to "... commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project... will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important... and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish...".

The speech gave prominence to the term "moon shot", a synonym for an extremely challenging or ambitious goal. Moon shots are typically considered highly improbable or impossible to achieve. The term is often used to describe a project or undertaking that involves a high degree of risk and uncertainty, as well as a large investment of resources.

Nova Scotia has seen more than its fair share of politicians making moon shots, especially in the energy sector:

- In October 1971, Premier Regan was shown holding a tiny vial of crude oil taken from the offshore, with the headline in the Chronical Herald declaring "IT'S OIL".

- Premier MacLellan declaring at the 1999 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, "This is the start of a new era... Sable is just the beginning of Nova Scotia's vast oil and gas potential".

- After Sempra Energy was awarded the contract to distribute natural gas across the province in 1999, Premier Hamm said, "Our role as government in this project, and in the development of all our offshore resources, is to ensure Nova Scotians derive every possible benefit from this new energy source and the opportunities it brings".

- The prospect of Keltic Securities developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Goldboro was greeted by Premier Hamm in 2005 stating that the agreement, "... shows that the province has the right mix of market accessibility, infrastructure and people to help us attract new investment."

- Energy Minister, Andrew Younger, greeted the proposal to develop an LNG export terminal in Bear Head by Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. In 2014 saying, "This is a great step toward making Nova Scotia an LNG export destination and represents a tremendous opportunity for rural economic development".

- At the opening of the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering wind-turbine construction facility at the former Trenton railcar works in 2011, Premier Dexter noted that "This investment is already creating the good jobs the province needs while showcasing Nova Scotia as a leader in renewable energy."

- Premier MacDonald in 2008 on tidal energy, "These companies know what we know --the Bay of Fundy is one of the world's best sites for tidal development"; followed by Premier Dexter in 2008 "We are establishing ourselves as a leader in tidal energy"; and "Tidal energy is a priority for us. We see it as a key to clean, secure energy and also for economic development" in 2012 by Energy Minister Charlie Parker.

- And, of course, Premier Houston in 2023 on green hydrogen, ""Nova Scotia is poised to be a world leader in the production of green hydrogen, which will help us... develop our green economies and fight climate change".

Nova Scotia's politicians should take a closer look at President Kennedy's moon shot. When Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the lunar surface on 20 July 1969, it was the result of a multi-step process consisting of three interlocking projects overseen by NASA: Mercury (1958-1963), Gemini (1964-1966), and Apollo (1962-1972).

Had the province started with small tidal turbines or local hydrogen production facilities, Nova Scotians would have gained the knowledge and skills to apply the technology in our environment. With this, the province and industry could have embarked on larger, more complex projects.

Rather than more moon shots, we need a few realistic, down-to-earth projects.