Author Topic: Environment, Economy, Politics. (Read 104778 times)

Walleyes · « **Reply #220 on:** January 03, 2017, 10:41:28 AM »

Although this is from a mayor in BC it stands for all of our communities. A well written article indeed. We are currently quite active in NE BC in our operations and theses communities are seeing huge benifets from the activity.

The mayor of Fort St. John wrote this letter about pipelines to the citizens of British Columbia

I would like to talk to you about energy, pipelines and our natural resources.

I am a mum and a grandma and I have lived in the north all my life. I am also the Mayor of Fort St. John – right smack in the middle of one of the world’s largest supplies of oil and gas. I live in a region surrounded by pipelines, wells, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites and canola and wheat fields. I have eaten the food we grow here and I drink our water. I understand what it takes to extract our natural resources and what it takes to protect our environment. I live it.

I don’t want to try to convince you of anything but I would like to share with you what I know to be true. I strongly encourage you to do some of your own research.

Learn more than what you read in a tweet or a Facebook post. I have added some links to reliable resources below for you.

Where does the petroleum we all use every day come from? Canada has some of the largest petroleum resources in the world and yet Canada imports 634,000 barrels of crude oil from foreign countries every single day.

That is $26 billion of oil imports every year that we could have supplied to ourselves.

That product arrives in tankers and is transported to where it needs to go by truck and train right through our communities. And yet we don’t want our own product to flow in pipelines to our communities for our own use or to our ports so we can export it? That just makes no sense at all to me.

So let’s talk about pipelines. I know pipelines are a safe, cost-efficient means of oil and natural gas transportation and emit fewer greenhouse gases than alternate transportation methods.

Canada has 830,000 kilometers of pipelines. Three million barrels of crude oil is transported safely every single day. B.C. has over 43,000 kilometers of pipelines. If we took that oil out of the pipelines, we would need 4,200 rail cars to move it. How many of those cars would you like rolling through your community?

Between 2002 and 2015, 99.9995% of liquid was transported through our pipelines safely. You probably spill more when you fill up at the gas station.

I understand you don’t want tankers floating down our beautiful B.C. coast. But did you know the USA has been shipping up to 600,000 barrels a day of crude from Alaska to the Puget Sound through the Salish Sea for the last 20 years?

Did you know that B.C. has a Tanker Exclusion Zone that has been respected for years? That zone stipulates that full tankers must travel on the west side of the zone but those that are not transporting goods can stay inside the protective zone.

Other than one natural gas pipeline, Vancouver Island receives all of their petroleum by barge every day. I don’t remember ever hearing anyone complain about that. According to Transport Canada over 197,000 vessels arrived or departed from west coast ports in 2015--1,487 of them were tankers. 400,000 barrels of crude oil is safely transported off the B.C. coast every single day. Sooo…I think we are OK there.

Emissions? 80% of the emissions associated with fossil fuels are generated in their combustion – not their extraction and transportation. If you want to do something about our reliance on fossil fuels then address the demand for them not the transportation of them. Change starts with consumers not industry.

A large part of the demand for fossil fuels in B.C. is transportation. 33% of our fossil fuels are used to operate cars, trucks, planes, trains and ferries. If we switched all of that over to electricity we would need not just one Site C dam but 15 of them. Which communities do you want to flood to provide the energy for your electric cars?

Remember I live 7 km from Site C dam so I have a pretty good understanding of them.

I love this quote from Blair King, an environmental scientist and writer:

“We live in a world where all the work we do to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in B.C. can be undone with the flick of a pen in China or India. No matter what we do, those developing countries are going to get electrical power to their populations – if not with LNG, then with coal; and if not with B.C. LNG, then with lower-intensity LNG from one of our competitors. In both cases the end result is higher global GHG emissions than if B.C. LNG was used.”

He is telling us to look outside our province and see the impact we can have on GHGs on our planet. Our LNG is cleaner than the stuff already on the market because our regulations are tougher and we emit far less GHGs in our production than in other countries. Our natural gas industry is committed to continuous improvement.

I understand that you are concerned about safety. I am too. In Canada we have some of the strictest safety requirements in the world. Canada’s oil and gas producers are continuously improving the safety of their operations and transportation of their products.

Emergency Response Plans are customized for each community, covering key areas such as public safety, protection of community infrastructure, and a clear plan of action with local emergency responders. And we have the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission to oversee B.C. projects and the National Energy Board oversees the larger multi-jurisdictional projects.

The Oil and Gas Commission is our provincial agency responsible for regulating oil and gas activities in British Columbia including exploration, development, pipeline transportation and reclamation.

Core responsibilities include reviewing and assessing applications for proposed industry activities, engaging with First Nations, cooperating with partner agencies, and ensuring industry complies with provincial legislation and all regulatory requirements.

International delegations come to B.C., as world leaders, to learn how we have partnered environmental protection with resource extraction. I think the Oil and Gas Commission does a good job of protecting the interests of citizens.

Many of you have concerns about the rights of our Indigenous Peoples. I will not speak for them but I will provide you with a quote from Stephen Buffalo, president and CEO of the Indian Resource Council:

“I think industry is now willing to be a partner (with First Nations). They want to come with the First Nations together. We are depending on these pipelines for the success of the Canadian economy.”

So let’s talk about the economy. B.C.’s energy sector offers some of the largest provincial economic opportunities in a generation. It is estimated that, in 2010, 11.2% of the provincial exports came from the natural resource sector. That was over $21 billion worth.

Canada’s oil and natural gas sector contributes $1.5 billion to the provincial government but it is estimated that it could go as high as $2.4 billion per year. This is money for health care, education and infrastructure. The resource sector is the foundational stone upon which the B.C. economy was built, and it is as important today as ever.

440,000 Canadians are employed because of the oil and gas sector. A recent study by Philip Cross, former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada, shows the huge economic value of the natural resource industry in B.C., and in particular the Lower Mainland. The report demonstrates that over 55 percent of resource-related jobs and income (direct, indirect and induced) flow to the Lower Mainland.

This means those workers contribute to our economy by renting or buying homes, buying groceries, enjoying a quality life and shopping their local businesses.

Let’s lead the world in resource extraction, continuous improvements and long term planning.

Let’s be leaders in reliable and renewable energy development.

Let’s support Canadian industry and stop buying foreign oil.

Let’s grow our economy by meeting our domestic needs and exporting our abundant resources.

Let’s live well now and in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to be an informed citizen.

Sincerely,

Lori Ackerman

Mayor of the City of Fort St. John

LeverAction · « **Reply #221 on:** January 04, 2017, 06:36:11 AM »

A elected politician that gets it. Very refreshing. A lot of sound minded points in her letter.

unclebuck · « **Reply #222 on:** January 04, 2017, 12:30:20 PM »

An extremely well thought out platform for an elected politician, whether it be municipal, provincial or federal. I just wish our federal & provincial idiots could find the brains to think along similarly. If only they could find it in themselves to think along rational lines, rather than spout their flawed Buzuki science. Science is never settled, as it comprises a lot of theories and assumptions, where, depending on the particular scientist, different conclusions can and will be drawn from the same relevant information. It is called interpretation. Ideology be damned!!!!

OL_JR · « **Reply #223 on:** January 07, 2017, 09:08:20 PM »

Good read hopefully it gets some traction. My sister lives on the coast out there and the last conversation we had turned to oil and pipelines while she was having coffee at little shop. She is about as extroverted as they come and doesn't make an effort to control the volume at any time. "Holy cow you should see the glares I'm getting right now." Hehe

Walleyes · « **Reply #224 on:** January 09, 2017, 04:07:16 PM »

Good article from Gwyn Morgan. Not sure if any on here know or remember who Gwyn is but he was for years the CEO of AEC and then Encana he saw the joining of AEC and Pan Canadian He was the master mind behind Encana when they were THE Canadian energy company, something they have never been since he left. But that's a story for another day. He was at one time favoured to lead the federal or provincial PC's but declined.

http://boereport.com/2017/01/09/living-in-the-post-truth-world-energy-style/

unclebuck · « **Reply #225 on:** January 11, 2017, 08:24:01 AM »

What a pack of beauties!!!! The NDP are having budget input meetings in 9 centers(Ft. Mac excluded), with their hand selected participants. Obviously these meetings will be in constituencies that elected these fools. The optics seem quite clear, pick your audience, and get the input that you want to hear, from your choir. A real sham. I guess that the input of regular Albertans is not part of this government's agenda.

LeverAction · « **Reply #226 on:** January 11, 2017, 07:20:57 PM »

It's called Socialism, include only the party faithfuls, have your own agenda and keep the people out. Until one day you have complete power. It was very popular in a certain part of Europe in the late 30's and early 40's.The only problem they will have is in 2 years we are going to kick their a$$ so far down the road the NDP will fall off the end of the earth.

Walleyes · « **Reply #227 on:** January 12, 2017, 05:02:42 PM »

Just thought I would throw this up in case it interests anybody. I have thrown my name in. Could you imagine the North American economies with Trump in in the U.S. and O'Leary in up here,, wowzers.

https://olearyforcanada.ca

LeverAction · « **Reply #228 on:** January 13, 2017, 06:43:05 AM »

I have heard good and of course bad. I think it's what this country needs right now. Time to do like the states and turn this country upside down and see if we can shake out the crap. I'd vote for him.

AxeMan · « **Reply #229 on:** January 13, 2017, 07:33:21 AM »

So what are the other choices for PC Leadership really? Maxime Bernier or Kellie Leitch, Is Rona even running?
Kevin O'Leary would be Canada's Trump for sure. It is really what this country needs.
Crappy part is that they will have to appeal to the friggin east again to beat the Selfie Clown.

Walleyes · « **Reply #230 on:** January 13, 2017, 03:18:44 PM »

If O'Leary doesn't make it in or decides not to run I think I will throw my support mehind Maxime Bernier. From what I have read on what he wants to do he is certainly saying all the right things, he is a staunch conservative that's for sure.

greylynx · « **Reply #231 on:** January 13, 2017, 03:34:28 PM »

Axeman

I think you just coined a new name. "Selfie the Clown".

BruceW · « **Reply #232 on:** January 13, 2017, 03:53:25 PM »

O'Leary for finance minister? Definitely. PM, I'm not so sure, from what I've read it sounds to me like he's much more liberal than conservative on everything but finance.

Maxime Bernier? Ya, so far so good IMO. Looking fwd to the coming debates. I'm hoping O'Leary's actual entrance to the race will Force one or two existing candidate's to step up to the plate (and about 5 to quit, there's Way too many right now).

Took the time to watch PE Trump's first press conference, definitely worth the watch, it's on youtube. The Fox one has No, "commentary" or, "opinions", just the event. Suffice to say things are looking great for our cousins to the south, not so good for us. If any candidate's want to see what a leader looks like they should watch it.

BTW today little justin said he wants to shut down the oilsands in their entirety. We have the village idiot as our PM.

AxeMan · « **Reply #233 on:** January 13, 2017, 05:32:28 PM »

Ya, I heard it right out of the yap of Selfie the Clown. He definitely clearly said Canada needs to phase out the oilsands entirely.
Brian Jean immediately stood up to him and Notley was crickets.

It is about time in Alberta that we face reality. Separation or civil war against Trudeau may be our only option. It is turning out to be that bad. The time is near.
I am waiting for the fireworks after we punt Notley and elect a provincial leader who will partner with Brad Wall and start the shit storm.
I so hate that f'n prick Trudeau. Sorry for language but........

sonny · « **Reply #234 on:** January 13, 2017, 07:17:54 PM »

greylynx · « **Reply #235 on:** January 13, 2017, 09:58:15 PM »

Welcome to NEP 2.

I think it is going to be worse than NEP 1

Just my opinion.

BruceW · « **Reply #236 on:** January 14, 2017, 08:09:02 AM »

Fear you're right greylynx, after watching Trump's first press conference it's clear that the US is about to turn around on every front, which means Canada will be left far in the dust trying to hold onto and push the leftist agenda that only destroys everything good.

Which means: the economy is going to truly tank, as in early 80's tank; the Cdn dollar is going to tank, which means inflation and raised interest rates

I'd be all for seperation but keep in mind the cities in AB are still polling 30% in favor of the ndp.

Now if a current year tax return was necessary to vote.......well the problem would be solved and the left would never get elected, ever.

sonny · « **Reply #237 on:** January 15, 2017, 07:04:14 PM »

Strong language but the young feller nailed it.

LeverAction · « **Reply #238 on:** January 15, 2017, 07:38:31 PM »

Good to hear not all young people are brain wasted. Maybe there is hope.

Walleyes · « **Reply #239 on:** January 20, 2017, 04:17:23 PM »

Me like

http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/01/19/kevin-oleary-vows-hell-do-everything-he-can-to-topple-the-nightmare-of-notley