Oil and gas development is an opportunity for Canada’s First Nations that rivals the traplines of yesterday. Jobs and prosperity derived from energy development and other resource development represent the best chance for Canada’s First Nations to make a life for themselves on their traditional lands.
174 First Nations across Canada are interested in oil and gas development.
For too long the detriments of hydrocarbons have been measured against the so-called benefits of green energy. It is time for an honest discussion on Canada’s energy balance.
When used responsibly, hydrocarbons have the potential to eliminate more pollution-intensive forms of energy, such as the burning of dung or wood in developing areas of the globe.
Without hydrocarbons, life would be nasty, brutish and short.
Counter-Point
The world needs more Canada. Contrary to what many ‘green’ groups would have you believe, Canada is not an island, and we cannot act on our own to reduce global emissions.
If we try to act alone, and introduce new taxes and new regulations, businesses will move to jurisdictions with lower costs, hurting the Canadian economy. This may even result in higher emissions, as Canadian companies are already world leaders in the use of clean tech.
Failing to develop our natural resources will mean that it’s Canadian jobs and Canadian prosperity that will decrease, not global emissions!
Counter-Point
Canada’s oil sands contribute less than 0.14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, oil sands oil is produced under the most stringent regulatory regime in the world for oil development. In fact, according to the Government of Canada, between 2005 and 2015, emission per barrel of oil from Canada’s oil sands decreased by 12%. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, the largest source – by far – comes from coal-burning electricity plants.
The oil and gas industry is already at the forefront of climate action by investing billions into the environment and even more into the development of technologies to produce reliable energy.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/181214/dq181214d-eng.htm
Title: Safety First: Intermodal Safety for Oil and Gas Transportation Author: Kenneth P. Green & Taylor Jackson Publisher: Fraser Institute Date: 2017 Full Text Article Summary: A contentious road lies ahead for the construction of three recently approved oil pipelines (Trans Mountain, Line 3, and Keystone XL). Given continued opposition to oil and gas
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Title: Gas Opportunities for Atlantic Canada Author: Andrew Pickford Publisher: Atlantic Institute for Market Studies Date: February 2016 Full Text Article Summary: The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) has produced a report on the potential for Atlantic Canada to capitalize on the golden age of gas. The report, authored by Andrew Pickford, examines
Title: How Alberta’s Carbon Emission Cap Will Reduce Oil Sands Growth Author: Kenneth P. Green and Taylor Jackson Publisher: Fraser Institute Date: August 2016 Full Text Article Summary: The Alberta government has proposed implementing a 100 megatonne (Mt) cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result from oil sands operations. This paper estimated future
Title: The Relative GHG Emissions of Conventional and Shale Gas Production Author: Trevor Stephenson, Jose Eduardo Valle, & Xavier Riera-Palou (2011). Publisher: Environmental Science & Technology Date: 2011 Full Text Article Summary: Recent reports show growing reserves of unconventional gas are available and that there is an appetite from policy makers, industry, and others to better
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Title: Evaluating Energy in the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Initiative: The “De Facto” Ban on Natural Gas Author: Karen Graham Publisher: Resource Works Date: September 2017 Full Text Article Summary: The author finds that there is a “de facto” ban on natural gas being imposed under the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Initiative.
Title: IHS Markit: The Green House Gas Intensity of Oil Sands Production Author: Kevin Birn Publisher: IHS Markit Date: 2018 Full Article Here Summary: Numerous policies have advanced in recent years to try to limit and reverse oil sands emission growthwhile minimizing the economic impacts
Title: Assessing Canada’s Energy Sector Competitiveness Author: Elmira Aliakbari Associate Director, Natural Resource Studies Publisher: Fraser Institute Date: July 18th, 2019 Full Study Here Summary: In addition to pipeline constraints, increased taxation and regulatory requirements in recent years have exacerbated the issues facing the oil and gas industry. Canada’s recent policy
Title: Western Canadian Crude Oil Supply, Markets and Pipeline Capacity Author: National Energy Board Publisher: National Energy Board Date: December 2018 Full Text Article Summary: The National Energy Board’s report on crude oil statistics for December 2018 Produced 4.5 million bp/d Exported 3.2 million bp/d, 99% to the US. 88 million barrels worth of
Title: LNG and Coal Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Author: Pace Global Date: October 2015 Full Text Article Summary: This report highlight important differences between the emissions generated from LNG and coal for power generation, namely that: Existing coal technology for the five LNG export markets analyzed in this study was found
Title: A Review of Cogeneration in Alberta Author: EDC Associates Publisher: EDC Associates Date: September 29th, 2015 Full Report Here Summary: Cogeneration (cogen) technology is well established and has been deployed in the industrial sector of North America in its current forms for over 30 years. Efficiency gains in the technology have greatly
Title: Clearing the Air: How Canadian LNG Exports Could Help Meet World Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals Author: James W. Coleman and Sarah Marie Jordaan Publisher: C.D. Howe Institute Date: August 24, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: With a glut of natural gas in North America, Canada’s natural gas sector is looking to reach new
Title: An International Comparison of Leading Oil and Gas Producing Regions Author: WorleyParsons Date: January 2014 Full Text Article Summary: The purpose of this study was to compare Alberta, Canada with other locations around the world in terms of their environmental policies, laws and regulatory systems. Other locations that were compared with Alberta
Title: SAGD COGENERATION: REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF OILSANDS PRODUCTION AND THE ALBERTA GRID Author: David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Madhav Narendran, BSc, BA , Eric Shewchuk, BSc, P.Eng. Song P. Sit, PhD, P.Eng. Publisher: University of Calgary Date: October 2016 Full Study Here Summary: Reducing the GHG intensity associated with producing a
Title: Clearing the Air: How Canadian LNG Exports Could Help Meet World Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals Author: James W. Coleman and Sarah Marie Jordaan Publisher: C.D. Howe Institute Date: August 24, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: With a glut of natural gas in North America, Canada’s natural gas sector is looking to reach new
Title: Has Alberta Oil Sands Development Altered Delivery of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds to the Peace-Athabasca Delta? Author: Roland I. Hall, Brent B. Wolfe, Johan A. Wiklund, Thomas W. D. Edwards, Andrea J. Farwell, D. George Dixon Publisher: PLOS Date: Sept. 26 2012 Full Text Article Summary: Topic: Study undertaken in response to concerns that the
Title: A Changing Tide: British Columbia’s Emerging Liquefied Natural Gas Industry Author: Len Coad, Daniel Munro, Prince Owusu, & Allison Robins Publisher: The Conference Board of Canada. Date: February 29, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: A Changing Tide: British Columbia’s Emerging Liquefied Natural Gas Industry quantifies the potential economic and labour market impacts associated with
