On the topic of energy in Canada, two SDA commenters offered some pretty profound common sense wisdom that you'll rarely see in the mainstream media:
Some myopic Canadians can't seem to grasp that oil, gas and potash provide most of the revenue that pays for all those government benefits they believe they're entitled to. We're fortunate to have a government run by a Conservative Party and a Prime Minister who puts Canadians first. If they don't like that then they can move to America, a socialist paradise with a failing economy. - - North of 60Posted by Robert at January 17, 2012 12:45 PMNorth of 60 - you make an excellent point. And, sadly, many (most?) Canadians think that money just appears out of the ground, and have little idea where Canada would be without fossil fuels and potash. Personally, I would like to pull up to those people's houses, disconnect the gas lines, and tell them to grow their own food. We are becoming a fundamentally unserious nation. People just don't "get it", and it worries me, a lot. - - Erik Larsen
Excellent postings....where the rubber meets the road.
I have yet to see a greenie take on the environmental impact of urban heat islands. The air over Vancouver is beige as garbanzo bean soup.
Posted by: chutzpahticular at January 17, 2012 2:57 PMAll true.
Posted by: Revnant Dream at January 17, 2012 3:11 PMJust explain it this way to a Lefty: "There'll be more money for you to steal."
Posted by: Mississauga Matt at January 17, 2012 3:31 PMProfound wisdom? Actually, these comments were cut and pasted from 30 year old bumper stickers.
Posted by: coach at January 17, 2012 3:32 PMI wonder if 'coach' can provide anything beyond meaningless criticism ?
Posted by: North of 60 at January 17, 2012 4:20 PMAs Harper stated "Canada is not a massive northern National Park" existing for the nature benefit of a few wealthy Europeans and American’s looking for some clean air and adventure.
People live here.
In fact the founders of this Nation originally came here for the resources. It was the resources and the working ethics to harness them that bettered our root European cultures and their failed freedoms.
Today they come in droves to mooch a meal from a prepared table now that the work is done and the food is on the plates.
Posted by: Knight 99 at January 17, 2012 4:28 PMThe people who challenge every aspect of our energy strategy and reality are of two types. Those who already have a lot and those who want a lot for free. The celebs and billionaires and trust fund based organizations that demonize the oil sands and the pipeline will never be affected by their actions regardless of outcome. The ones I don't
understand are the latter. Those 'myopic' people as North of 60 puts it. They will be the first to lament the reduction of services and handouts should they get their way.
I hope that the Harper government will stay true to the course on this one and keep moving forward, unlike the USA where Obama's administration and the left will do all they can to resist this type of progress no matter the cost.
It all has to end in tears at some point - sooner likelier than later - if we allow people and organizations from outside Canada (and many within) to influence the direction away from a logical, profitable, job-friendly outcome.
Posted by: Brian M. at January 17, 2012 5:23 PMAgreed, those were two excellent very true comments.
Generally, unless you are in the fruit business, money does not grow on trees.
Posted by: Ken (Kulak) at January 17, 2012 6:42 PMThat's a brilliant comment...douche
Posted by: mot at January 17, 2012 6:54 PMNot you ken...I was referring to "Coach"
Posted by: mot at January 17, 2012 6:56 PMDad used to call it the three generation rule.
"Three generations off the farm or out of the factory and people lose all their common sense"
Dad was right.
Posted by: f1guyus at January 17, 2012 6:58 PM30 year old bumper stickers ...that are still true, like:
Oil Feeds My Family and Pays My Taxes
Posted by: North of 60 at January 17, 2012 7:52 PMMore bumper stickers for coach:
Hug a logger, you'll never go back to trees.
Earth First! We'll log the other planets later.
My other SUV is even bigger.
Second-degree vegetarian.
I (heart) animals - they're so tasty.
Posted by: Doc at January 17, 2012 8:12 PMOne of the problems, that allows such anti-resource, pro "environment" attitudes is that possibly a majority of Canadians now live in three large suburban cities and think food comes from supermarkets. They have no contact with "nature" and are easy victims to the guilt-plyers.
These people do not know how easy their life is, even in "poverty"; they have never faced the existential choice between death and survival.
Posted by: Robert of Ottawa at January 17, 2012 8:22 PMTypical me me me attitude from the Right. Who cares if we screw everything up. We'll just pump more children into a finite world. One of them will surely fix the problems all of us are too lazy to consider.
Tom >
Comments like that are what keeps my personal arsenal the envy of right wing dreams, and left wing nightmares.
I am a relaxed & confident man, knowing where I am, and where I'll be in coming years.
Posted by: Knight 99 at January 17, 2012 10:51 PMTom >
Comments like that are what keeps my personal arsenal the envy of right wing dreams, and left wing nightmares.
I am a relaxed & confident man, knowing where I am, and where I'll be in coming years.
Posted by: Knight 99 at January 17, 2012 10:51 PMWe'll just pump more children into a finite world.
If Canadians don't increase their birth rate then we will soon be inundated by the Muslim children from the 3rd world countries where 'birth control' means birth more kids so we can control the world.
Posted by: North of 60 at January 17, 2012 11:05 PMP.E.T.A. - People Eating Tasty Animals
Posted by: North of 60 at January 17, 2012 11:06 PMBrian M.;
You mention Canada's energy strategy but might I suggest that said strategy does not exist. If it does exist then I must have missed it.
In the Mansbridge interview with PMSH I did not hear him quoting from an energy strategy. At no point during that interview did PMSH make a clear statement about how important western energy was to the finances of Canada. IMO this was a hugh lost opportunity and makes me question how the federal government views the subject.
If Canada had a national energy policy the key elements would be;
1) Completion of Keystone XL
2) Construction of Northern Gateway
3) Shipment of western crude to eastern Canada
Natural gas is at $2.50 a thousand and industry is wondering why more USA industry has not converted to gas. It is quite possible that the USA will be energy self-sufficient within 5 - 10 years. What impact does that have on Canada? Who but the federal government iniates public discussion of that sceanario?
You might detect my disapointment in our federal government's lack of activity in this issue. They appear to be doing the right thing in promoting these important energy projects but a piss poor job of informing the population why.
Posted by: ct at January 18, 2012 10:40 AMct: shipping crude east doesn't make sense. its still cheaper to import. Unless of course eastern Canadains wish to pay a premium for their crude? But lets not get carried away, eastern Canadians don't want to pay for the crude at all...
You're list shows your unaware of projects like KM-LNG which plans to export 5 MMTPA of LNG per train with plans for 2-4+ trains. Plus there is the Douglas Channel LNG in the same Kitimat harbor that plans on doing 800,000 TPA. Both these plants could be running in 2015.
KMLNG will export ~240 billion cu ft (1mmtpa = 48.7Bcf) of gas per year per train. To give you an idea of how much that is, that equates to close to 6% of all of Alberta's production in 2010. Build 4 of those trains and BC's horn-river gas is all flowing east to asia. At prices a multiple of what we see now at
Gateway is important for the oilsands, but LNG is far more important to BC. Both are keys to diversifying Canada's markets.
Well, hopefully, when it comes to the XL Pipeline, Romney, Newt or Paul are reassuring Canadian PMSH that we will start this Shovel Ready Project in November.