Recently a 2015 post penned by Hanna, AB resident Randy Pompetti came to my attention. The piece, The Truth About Alberta’s Energy Industry, is full of information that is more important to reflect on now than ever.
The Truth About Alberta’s Energy Industry
My fellow Canadians, you are buying into a lie regarding our energy industry and the global environment. We are a mere 35 million people, just 0.5% of this planet’s 7.3 billion population. Our country covers roughly 10 million square kilometres of which probably 90% is realistically uninhabitable (explaining why over 80% of our population live in urban centres within 200 kms of the U.S. border)
We endure temperature extremes ranging from -40C or colder to 35C or warmer. Out of necessity we need to heat our homes for 6+ months the year. We face major transportation challenges simply because of the geography of our country. Yet, through all this we are responsible for less than 0.5% of the pollution generated globally.
We ARE NOT the problem! If every one of us here in Canada chose to sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of mother earth and self-terminated, the positive effect on the global environment would be…..drum roll please……zero!
The global effect would actually be negative because we are one of the most ethical, environmentally responsible producers of energy in the world! If we were out of the picture the U.S. would be mining our oil sands before our corpses had even started giving off methane gas. They would then proceed to build the biggest pipeline imaginable, from Fort Mac to Texas.
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some facts. The U.S. has no problem with pipelines; U.S. pipelines that is. They actually have over 3.2 ‘million’ kilometres of liquid petroleum and natural gas pipelines already. There’s also the 1300 kilometre, 122cm (48 inch) line running from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal (yes, big bad oil tankers). You are aware, aren’t you, of the Trans Alaskan pipeline running directly through the pristine heart of that beautiful state?
As of 2010 16 ‘BILLION’ Barrels of oil had been transported through this U.S. pipeline and terminal. The U.S. also has no problem drilling for oil in the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, the Arctic ocean or the Gulf of Mexico yet they have the audacity to condemn Canada for mining our oil sands in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan?
The opposition to our Canadian energy development is a well-organized attempt to keep our Canadian oil land locked so that we are forced to sell to the U.S. and to the U.S. only and then at a very discounted price. The U.S. is attempting and succeeding in preventing us from marketing our own natural resources globally to the highest bidder. U.S. foundations (HP, Tides – THE ROCKEFELLERS – et al) are funding the opposition to our oil sands and contrary to popular belief it has absolutely nothing to do with threats to the environment.
If they really were that concerned about our planet why are they not protesting the real polluters, the real threats to our environment? China, the world’s worst polluter (besides having a tragic human rights record)? No protests.
Why isn’t David Suzuki over in Beijing chastising Jinping? What about the other major polluters? Russia? The U.S. themselves? India? I can understand a Canadian that is benefiting financially, who is receiving grants to oppose or protest or hamstring our own resource development. What I can’t understand is the rest of my fellow Canadians buying into their bovine excrement.
In the oil sands, our very own Canadian oil sands, we have the 3rd largest proven crude oil reserve in the world, behind only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela – again, both with ‘stellar’ human and women’s rights track records. EVERY person in Canada, and EVERY province and territory in Canada has benefited tremendously, whether directly, indirectly or both from our oil sands development.
Over the next 25 years the oil sands has the potential to generate over $1.5 TRILLION in federal and provincial taxes and royalties. Of course Quebec will need their share – but, oh yeah, they don’t want a pipeline either! There is the potential for well over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.
So here’s the deal my fellow Canadians. I fear our Canadian ‘goose that lays the golden egg’ is suffering the death by a thousand cuts. Alas, it may already be too late. Maybe it’s already on life support. If you share the views of the Gore’s, the Suzuki’s, and the Obama’s of the world, that our Canadian energy producers and those that work in this industry are bad and evil and a scourge on the Earth, a blight on Canada’s reputation in the global community then fine, stick your fork into the goose as well but please do not whine and complain 10 or 15 years down the road when the wait time for your hip replacement is 3-5 years because our health care system is underfunded and there’s a severe shortage of doctors and nurses in the system. Meanwhile, the Suzukis and their ilk will be flying down to the Mayo clinic in a big bad fossil fuel burning jet for their medical needs.
Don’t whine and complain when your grandchild’s class has a 50:1 student to teacher ratio because our education system is underfunded and the government coffers are bare. Of course the Suzuki grandchildren will be in private schools so no problem there.
Don’t whine and complain when your city’s infrastructure is decaying and falling apart and there’s no money to repair it. Instead of whining and complaining make sure you look into the mirror and realize you believed a lie that has cost this incredible country and our future generations an amazing opportunity to prosper and succeed globally. If the arguments here ring true for you as well, then please consider circulating this to others.
We need to stand together as Canadians and defend our world-leading environmental record, as well as continuing to advocate for market access in order to stop the export of Canadian opportunity.
Onward!
Cody
Canada Action
http://www.canadaaction.ca/
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