Canada, The Environment and who Benefits from our Internal Struggle to get Oil to Tidewater
Randy Pompetti is the author of the note below. He lives in Hanna, Alberta.
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 t
o 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 who 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 and 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.