It is impossible to scan morning headlines without being faced with an opinion comment that ‘Society is unequivocally decoupling from the deathly embrace of fossil fuel.’
The big question is: “Are we really that naïve?” If so, examine China’s behaviour, for example. Their high dependence on coal is misrepresented. We continuously hear that they have an interest in net zero. And, to project his image, they install record amounts of solar and wind energy generators as part of the myth. China doesn’t care much about little fantasies and has large fleets of driverless mining trucks to fast-track their efficiencies. Despite the fact that both they and India are investing huge sums of money in turbines and solar panels, don’t mistake this for repudiation of fossil fuels, a stance we also hear from some European countries. They are hoarding every energy source they can while quietly constructing new coal-fired plants and importing more fuel for them. Meanwhile, climate doomsayers, including Canada, keep the ‘green’ agenda alive with their never-ending virtue signalling.
India’s target for net zero is set for 2070 – 100 years after the first designated Earth Day – along with others, while Canada, still moving the green myth forward, has backed off, saying: “Maybe 2030 is not realistic, but let’s target 2035 and achieve certainty by 2050.” All the while, some 120 oil and gas discoveries were made globally in 2024, with significant drilling continuing in Cyprus, Libya and South Africa to name a few, as well as an increase in offshore regions. Even Norway, the envy by many for their ‘very large resource savings fund’ are now back to conducting deepwater drilling.
However, federal Canada, posing as a poster child of climate repentance, has left our Premier Smith fighting for our rightfully entitled economy and the need for another pipeline to tidewater through B.C. to expand our customer base. We aren’t alone in this fight, with support coming from other provinces and territories.
Under consistent pressure, PM Carney finally signed an MOU with Premier Smith, which resulted in ‘pouting’ and ‘discord’ by one or two in the minority Liberals, and from expected opposition from the Bloc and Quebec. Not surprisingly, our Alberta NDP loudly stated there would be ‘no more wells drilled in Alberta’ if they were in charge. Luckily, they aren’t! Most of the rest of the country recognize the Canadian economy cannot survive without this MOU, resulting in what it was intended, another pipeline to the West Coast!
We simply need the larger world market that Premier Smith has recruited as customers. And, as Financial Post’s Terence Corcoran wrote, we still have to survive the disinformation and deliberate misleading information that will emulate academics, media and activists. This situation, compounded by delays resulting from pressure by the media and others on PM Carney to clarify whether the memorandum actually meant he would approve a pipeline despite objections by the B.C. NDP and some First Nations activists. PM Carney simply replied: “Let’s be clear, this agreement… is a first step!” End of comment!
So, Alberta and the rest of Canada sit and wait!