BC and Alberta Premiers Christy Clark and Alison Redford (CP photo) Read this Nov. 5 story from The Globe and Mail on the deal reached today by BC Premier Christy Clark and her Alberta counterpart, Alison Redford, on moving Tar Sands bitumen by pipeline to BC’s coast. B.C. Premier Christy Clark
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The Common Sense Canadian: Nuclear plant spills chemicals into Bay of Fundy
New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau nuclear plant LEPREAU, N.B. – NB Power says the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant recently released water containing low levels of a chemical used in its steam generators into the Bay of Fundy. The provincial Crown utility says the release of hydrazine occurred Sunday from a
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Canadian communities to rally for climate as BC, Alberta pen pipeline deal
Last year’s “Defend Our Coast” rally in Victoria (photo: TJ Watt) Just this morning, BC Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Allison Redford have announced that they have penned a deal to ram a pipeline from Northern Alberta’s oil sands fields to the West Coast. And according to news reports, there is
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Encana laying off 20% of workforce, slashing dividend
Encana’s Calgary headquarters – The Bow building Read this Nov. 5 story from CBC.ca on Canadian natural gas titan Encana’s series of cutbacks. Canadian natural gas giant Encana says it will cut its workforce by 20 per cent and close its office in Plano, Texas. At the end of the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Port’s secret donation to coal conference raises questions of bias
Read this Oct. 31 story from 24 hrs revealing that Port Metro Vancouver donated $5,000 to a coal conference – then asked for its logo to be removed – while it reviews a proposal to expand the Surrey Fraser coal terminal. Newly released documents suggest Port Metro Vancouver, the federal regulator
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Scientists say fracking can’t fulfill America’s energy needs
A Pennsylvania fracking operation Read this Nov. 1 story from Energy Daily, featuring comments from two different energy experts who question claims that fracking can somehow make America energy self-sufficient. After 10 years of production, shale gas in the United States cannot be considered commercially viable, according to several scientists presenting at
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Newfoundland passes fracking moratorium
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador is shutting the door on applications for hydraulic fracturing or fracking for oil and gas while it reviews regulations and consults residents. Plans to frack wells near Gros Morne National Park pending government approvals had raised concerns about groundwater pollution and the impact
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Bird’s eye view of Texas fracking causes rumble
photo: Amy Youngs – click to enlarge An aerial photo taken on August 3rd of fracking operations in Texas has caused a rumble online, drawing 20,000 views on the photo sharing site, Flckr. The photo, posted by Amy Youngs, carries the inscription: Saw these strange new human-made landscapes on my
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Gordon Wilson finds religion on LNG…for $12,500 a month
A screen capture from Gordon Wilson’s youtube endorsement of Christy Clark Some years ago I got into hot water for calling a federal cabinet minister of the female persuasion a “political whore”, a phrase that has nothing to do with sexism and everything to do with having principles for sale.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Protestors stage mock fracking on premier’s lawn
photo courtesy of Maryam Adrangi’s facebook page VANCOUVER – Opponents of the British Columbia government’s liquefied natural gas plans set up a three-metre mock fracking rig on the premier’s front lawn on Sunday, as Premier Christy Clark prepares for a trade mission to Asia to sell the province’s LNG potential.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: More Oliver oil: Canada a “world leader” in energy efficiency?
The ever slippery Joe Oliver, Canada’s minister of natural resources – who never misses a chance to put a positive spin on Canada’s horrendous energy track record – is happily trumpeting the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) alleged recognition of Canada “as a world leader in energy efficiency”. Says Joe, “The IEA’s
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Japan to remove perilous Fukushima nuclear fuel rods
1,500 spent fuel rods remain precariously perched atop the badly damaged Fukushima Reactor 4 TOKYO – Japanese regulators on Wednesday gave final approval for removing fuel rods from an uncontained cooling pool at a damaged reactor building considered the highest risk at a crippled nuclear plant. Removal of fuel rods
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Ex-Japanese PM calls for end to nuclear power following Fukushima
Naoto Kan testifying at a Japanese hearing to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (2010-2011) addresses the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis which happened on his watch. While his decision to continue propping up the grossly negligent Tokyo Electric Power Company is disappointing, his bold vision for an
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Ontario skips provincial review of Enbridge Line 9
TORONTO – Ontario won’t conduct its own environmental assessment of a plan to reverse the flow of the Line 9 oil pipeline that runs through the province, Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli said Monday. Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) wants to reverse Line 9 and increase its capacity to move 300,000 barrels
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Pipeline incidents on the rise: Over 1,000 since year 2000
2011 Rainbow Pipeline leak in Alberta (Rogu Collecti/Greenpeace) Read this new report from CBC.ca based on Access to Information documents, detailing a sharp rise in pipeline incidents over the past decade. Pipelines regulated by the federal government — which include some of the longest lines in the country — have
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Burnaby residents complain of fumes from Kinder Morgan oil terminal
Some Burnaby residents are noticing intense fumes emanating from Kinder Morgan’s oil terminal Read this Oct. 22 story from the Burnaby Now, profiling several residents of the city’s Westridge neighbourhood who have been affected by intense fumes coming from the nearby Kinder Morgan oil terminal. Westridge residents are sounding the alarm after
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Will new Water Act rein in groundwater use for fracking, LNG?
Frack water pit in BC’s Horn River Basin (photo: Damien Gillis) By Anna Novacek – republished from Energy Law BC As the only province in Canada that does not regulate groundwater use, BC has been referred to as the “wild west” of groundwater. Groundwater has and will continue to be relied on
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Shell predicts end of oil in 2070
Read this Oct. 18 piece from MNN.com on an interesting new report from one of the world’s largest oil companies, envisioning the end of oil and future of renewable energy. Has Shell become a shill for Tesla Motors? That’s the shocking conclusion of the market analysts Motley Fool, looking at the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe Mair: Enbridge pipeline should face BC referendum
Thousands of citizens spoke out against Enbridge at last year’s “Defend Our Coast” rally” (TJ Watt photo) The cynicism of both our senior governments regarding tankers and pipelines is appalling. The pact between Premier Clark and Alberta Premier Redford – followed two days later by the Harper government’s Speech from the Throne
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Historic Haida Gwaii totem raising celebrates protection from logging
A new video from Parks Canada follows the carving and raising of a 42-foot totem pole on Haida Gwaii this past summer. The first pole raising there in 130 years, it commemorates the 20-year anniversary of the creation of Gwaii Haanas National Park. The Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole was raised
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