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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- This is the problem with the current debate around fossil fuels in our country. It's been politicized to the point that there is little honesty left in it






It’s mind-numbing to try to keep up with all the decisions politicians in Ottawa made about the British Columbia coastline last week.

First, on Monday the Members in the House of Commons voted 186 to 63 to support a motion from Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and Climate Change) declaring a national climate emergency and recommitting Canada to the targets set in the Paris agreement.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government is approving the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, again. If you had concerns of the obvious inconsistencies in these two announcements, fear not. The support of the pipeline comes with a caveat that his government will invest all profits, "every dollar" is the quote, on green energy projects.

Last Thursday, the Canadian Senate's approval of Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, adds to the confusion of the national news cycle. On one hand there is a national climate change crisis ... and on another hand we will make the problem better by making it worse through an approval of fossil fuel infrastructure ... and on the third hand, (if you don't have three hands don't worry about it, suspend reality to help you make it through this anyway) they are banning oil tankers over 12,500 metric tonnes from transiting Canadian waters north of Vancouver Island.

Guaranteed safety?
NDP MP Nathan Cullen tweeted that the decision was a "guarantee that our coastline, communities and sealife will be safe from a devastating oil spill." Except for the fact that in 2013 the Nathan E. Stewart, an articulated tug and barge ran aground in Seaforth Channel spilling approximately 100,000 litres of petroleum products into the ocean.

These articulated tug and barge operations would not be affected by this new ban. Just as they were allowed to continue under the previous moratorium.

This is the problem with the current debate around fossil fuels in our country. It's been politicized to the point that there is little honesty left in it. Follow the storyline.

Climate change is real, we are fighting it, look at our motion!

We are funding the fight with ramping up fossil fuel production and when the
This is your brain when trying to understand politics
Prime Minister says we need to transition away, he's forced to scramble back to safety, else the oil lobby's grip tighten.

And now with an oil tanker ban in place, politicians are promoting a false sense of security.

If you don't have three hands don't worry about it, suspend reality to help you make it through this anyway


Don't get me wrong. The Oil Tanker Moratorium Act is important. However, are oil tanker transports more dangerous to the pristine coastline of central and northern British Columbia than they are in the Salish Sea?

Calling a national climate emergency is important. Although, haven't we lost all credibility by piggy-backing that announcement with a massive public subsidy of oil corporations?

Like I said, trying to understand the logic from the decisions in Ottawa is enough to make your mind numb.
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