That headline is not click-bait, nor is it wishful thinking. In late May, Steve Williams, CEO of Suncor penned an editorial for the Calgary Herald (along with Justin Smith of the Calgary Chamber and Chris Ragan, an Economics professor at McGill University). In this editorial, Williams highlighted the importance of having the right climate policy, especially with the upcoming expiration of the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER), the internaitonal climate negotiations in Paris later this fall and public opinion in light of the new (left-wing) majority government in Alberta, Canada’s oil bastion.
Alberta’s Inefficiency Highlighted by Unproductivity
A new study was recently released which showed that Alberta had the highest unproductivity rates compared to other North American jurisdictions. Although the province’s growth is high, it has been driven by increases in labour, rather than improvements in productivity of individual workers. The study (see below for the article) goes into other aspects of productivity, but the industrial numbers are of concern here.
‘Job machine’ Alberta dead last in labour productivity among oil regions: report
The numbers are not a surprise to people involved in Alberta’s (mostly) extractive industries. Alberta suffers from more inclement weather, and crucially weather swings, that most of the jurisdictions surveyed. Productivity at most Oilsands facilities averages 3 hours for every 10 hours paid, in the estimation of this blogger (based on direct knowledge of the system). In addition, the increase in labour demand has led to the hiring of inexperienced workers, who typically take a few months to come up to speed but are charged with producing at full capacity right away. Finally, most industrial sites in Alberta are in fairly remote locations. The supply chain issues around construction materials in particular, result in further unproductivity per dollar spent.
Keystone XL to have “no impact” on GHGs
According to a study by IHS, a global consulting group, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would have “no material impact” on greenhouse gas emissions or on the overall American carbon footprint. The study goes on to suggest that if the pipeline was not approved, the absence of oilsands crude in the Gulf of Mexico would be made up by an increase in heavy crude imported from Venezuela, which has a similar footprint to oilsands crude.
Energy Efficiency: The Key to Stalling Adverse Climate Change
A recent study commissioned by 20 governments through the Climate Vulnerable Forum has identified climate change as one of the major causes of death for the foreseeable future. According to the report, by 2030 more than 100 million people will die and global economic growth will be cut by 3.2% if the world fails to tackle climate change due to greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Usually with reports like this, the accusing eyes of the world turn to the oil industry and in particular the Oilsands, but this is hardly drilling deep – pardon the pun – to the heart of the real issue.
Are Renewables & Conventional Oil more ethical than Oilsands?
This is a piece that I posted to my personal blog over eighteen months ago. My perspective here was to promote discussion (and there was a heated twitter debate between myself and two friends) and ultimately make people think about the impact of their personal choices first and foremost. This debate/discussion is still relevant.
Culled from www.blackpolitico.blogspot.ca
While we wait for the hydrogen-powered cars of the future, does no one think of the socio-political issues around drilling in the Middle East? Sure, you can suck up oil from the ground using a straw in those places, but at what cost to the people there? At what cost to generation X of the United States and its allies, who aren’t fighting a war for world peace or to bring down a tyrant – as was the case in the first two world wars, respectively – but who are fighting instead so that the West can have oil at $70 per barrel?