Big oil, pipelines, Trudeau, and energy security for Canada

Why does the Canadian government continue to subsidize the oil industry with billions of dollars a year when the environmental crisis demands the opposite, and when investment in energy efficiency, conservation and green energy create many more jobs? Why does Canada import 40% of the oil we consume when we produce enough to meet all our needs? Why has the Canadian government agreed to ensuring US energy security, under both Liberal and Conservative governments, but not Canadian energy security? Why is our per capita energy consumption far higher than other northern, sparsely populated nations, like Finland, Sweden and Norway? Why have we done essentially nothing to reduce our dependency on oil as our reserves dwindle, and very nearly nothing to reduce our carbon footprint and halt climate change? Because big oil and foreign powers rule Canada, is the short answer. But it does not have to be this way.

As to the Liberal Party win in this fall’s 2015 federal election, progressives across Canada are happy to see Harper go, but fully aware that the Liberals are only slightly better, and will require massive popular pressure if any real positive change is to come about. The worst have been defeated. The second worst have come to power. That requires action, not complacency.

Trudeau is still profoundly disappointing, and profoundly failing, with regards to energy policy, pipelines, tar sands, big oil and the environment – exactly as expected. We have to put sustained, massive pressure on him to make a shift. So far, he has behaved exactly like the “twerp” David Suzuki said he is. He has said that he is “disappointed” in Obama’s rejection of the Keystone pipeline, and has made no commitment to close the tar sands, or reject the Energy East pipeline, or to shift from oil dependency to a clean, renewable energy infrastructure. This is not remotely good enough.

Getting rid of Harper and the Canadian neocons was step one. Step two is to deliver real change – and that will not come from the Liberal party or Justin Trudeau: that will come only from the Canadian people. Stand up, people. The time is now.

J. Todd Ring,

November 12, 2015

Will Trudeau’s Pipeline Policy Change After Keystone?

As protestors staged sit-ins at Canada’s Prime Minister’s residence, Keystone XL Campaign Organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network’s Dallas Goldtooth and environmental activist Dimitri Lascaris discuss the grassroots strategies needed to keep the pressure on politicians

– November 9, 2015 The Real News Network

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=15061

Gordon Laxer on Canada’s Energy Security. – Novus TV, November 6, 2015