Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan is taking a tough stand against Kinder Morgan (Photo: Vimeo) A pair of skirmishes over access for pipeline companies to landowners’ properties in the Lower Mainland suggests the debate over Canada’s energy future is washing up on local streets. Today, we learned that Burnaby Council – long
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The Common Sense Canadian: 300 scholars to Harper: Enbridge recommendation based on junk science
In an open letter, 300 scholars poke holes in the Joint Review Panel’s recommendation of the proposed Enbridge pipeline, urging PM Stephen Harper to reject its final report. May 26, 2014 Dear Prime Minister Harper: Based on the evidence presented below, we, the undersigned scholars, have concluded that the Joint Review Panel’s
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Quebec won’t see job benefits from Line 9, Energy East: report
TransCanada CEO Russ Girling promoting Energy East (Canadian Press) MONTREAL – A new report says proposals to pipe oilsands crude to Quebec refineries would only deliver negligible economic benefits to the province. An economist who co-authored the study says job creation and spinoffs from several active pipeline-and-processing proposals would be
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Texas family awarded $3 million for fracking damages
Lisa and Bob Parr (Photo: Wise County Messenger / Joe Duty) Read this April 23 story from the LA Times on the groundbreaking award of nearly $3 million in damages to a Texas family from fracking activity near their home. In a landmark legal victory that centered on fracking, a middle-class north
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kinder Morgan faces 10,000 questions on Vancouver pipeline
By The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – Kinder Morgan is asking for more time to respond to over 10,000 questions submitted to the National Energy Board about the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. The company has until June 4 to respond to information requests from 117 of the 398
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Russia-China gas deal: The elephant in the room at BC LNG conference
BC Minister of Natural Gas Rich Coleman open his government’s LNG conference (BC govt flickr photo) Last week week, the BC Government held its second annual LNG In BC Conference, with over 1,400 delegates representing some of the world’s top players in the natural gas industry. The province’s Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: LNG Pipedreams: Feat. Liz Logan, Damien Gillis – May 21
Are you concerned about the impacts of fracking and liquified fracked gas (also know as liquefied natural gas or LNG) export? Join us for a night of powerful speakers from the frontlines of the communities facing the true impacts of LNG development.From May 21-23rd, the BC government and big oil will
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Spill liability changes could be paving way for Enbridge approval
An oil pipeline crossing the Tanana River in Alaska By Dene Moore, The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – The federal government announced new measures Wednesday to ensure pipeline companies pick up the tab for any spills, as cabinet prepares to announce its decision on the contentious Northern Gateway pipeline project. Natural
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Woodfibre LNG to be powered by hydroelectricity
Artist’s rendering of proposed Woodfibre LNG terminal in Howe Sound, BC Read this May 13 story by the Squamish Chief on today’s announcement by the proponents of the local Woodfibre LNG plant in Howe Sound that the project intends to use hydroelectricity to power the enormously energy-intensive gas cooling process, rather than
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Tougher Canadian oil tanker rules leave liability cap in place
SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The federal government says it is aiming to make polluters pay as it makes changes to legislation and regulations on oil tanker safety. But under proposed changes announced today by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt in Saint John, N.B., Ottawa stops short of following a recommendation from
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: First Nation’s legal challenge could delay Kinder Morgan pipeline
Sundance Chief Rueben George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (Damien Gillis) Read this May 2 story from the Georgia Straight on the legal action launched by the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation regarding the National Energy Board’s review of the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, which would terminate in the Aboriginal community’s territory along
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC gas regulator ignoring public’s LNG concerns
BC Oil and Gas Commission Chief Operating Officer Ken Paulson (Damien Gillis) The BC Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) is not obligated to address stakeholder concerns with LNG facilities, despite its responsibility to oversee oil and gas operations in the province. According to its 2014 Service Plan, the OGC is
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Halliburton refuses to disclose fracking chemicals
By Kevin Begos And Matthew Daly, The Associated Press PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Department of Energy said Friday that it welcomes the decision by oil and gas industry supplier Baker Hughes to disclose all chemicals in hydraulic fracturing fluid. But Halliburton, a major competitor in the field, isn’t committing to such
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: National Post: How Keystone XL spoiled Canada-US ‘special relationship’
Photo: Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press Read this April 24 story from The National Post and Bloomberg News on the effect of US President Barack Obama’s waffling on the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline – and how it has clashed with Stephen Harper’s rigid insistence on the project. On Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, Canadian Prime
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kitimat rejects Enbridge in pipeline plebiscite
Former Haisla councilor Gerald Amos celebrates the ‘No’ vote (photo: Douglas Channel Watch) By The Canadian Press KITIMAT, B.C. – The residents of Kitimat, B.C. have voted against the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project in a non-binding plebiscite. The ballot count from Saturday’s vote was 1,793 opposed versus 1,278
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: 4 years after BP oil spill, health impacts linger
Health concerns continue to do many who worked to clean up the BP oil spill (photo: Wikimedia Commons) By Stacey Plaisance And Kevin McGill, The Associated Press CHALMETTE, La. – When a BP oil well began gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico four years ago, fisherman George Barisich used his
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: NDP leadership candidate Horgan would reverse Parks Act changes
Read this April 11 story by Stephen Hui in The Georgia Straight about BC NDP leadership candidate John Horgan’s vow to repeal the controversial Bill 4, which opened BC’s parks to pipelines and industrial activity. Sole B.C. NDP leadership candidate John Horgan says he’s received more mail about the Park Amendment Act
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kitimat Enbridge vote: Grassroots campaign poised to win unfair fight
Signs of the times in Kitimat, BC (Photo: Kathy Ouwehand) By the Canadian Press KITIMAT, B.C. – Residents of Kitimat will cast votes in a local plebiscite Saturday for or against the multibillion-dollar Northern Gateway pipeline. The District of Kitimat has remained neutral on the $6-billion project, but the vote
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Andrew Nikiforuk on the end of cheap fossil fuels
John Twigg interviews award-winning energy journalist and author Andrew Nikiforuk on his latest book, The Energy of Slaves. “The era of cheap hydrocarbons is gone,” says Nikiforuk. We’re now into the difficult and ugly stuff – and it’s expensive. It’s going to affect the siz e of the middle class, which is
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BP spills oil into Lake Michigan
BP’s Whiting Refinery on Lake Michigan by The Associated Press WHITING, Ind. – BP says it is assessing how much crude oil entered Lake Michigan following a malfunction at its northwestern Indiana refinery. BP spokesman Scott Dean says crews have placed booms across a cove at the company’s Whiting refinery where
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