Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Carbon capture and storage — a method for capturing emissions created during industrial processes and transporting them to store deep underground — is having another moment in the sunshine in Canada.  Both federally and provincially, in Alberta, governments have pointed to it as a solution for how to balance oil and gas development with climate targets ... ... carbon is an essential ingredient in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat close to the earth. Decreasing carbon is key to mitigating the impacts of climate change. And from forests to peatlands to the kelp forests that line the coast, Canada’s western ecosystems are in a much better position to absorb greenhouse gases ... CLICK HERE for the fuel story

  As I continue to offer comment on the whole Net Zero by 2050 discussion, I am starting with a series of pieces to lay some groundwork. My recent blog, Net Zero Part One: Defining the Term , explained the challenges with the language used by the “Net Zero” lobby.   Today’s blog digs a bit further on the problematic language behind the Net Zero by 2050 agenda.   The advocates of Net Zero by 2050 talk in very rosy terms about how they want to eliminate the bad practices. In particular, they say their plan is to de-carbonize society and thereby eliminate carbon dioxide pollution. Trudeau’s carbon taxes are all about achieving these ends. You have to pay more, but that’s necessary because Trudeau says we need to de-carbonize and eliminate carbon dioxide pollution. But stop and think about that.    Trudeau and his ideological allies are twisting language here to advance their agenda. This is part of a trend of course – remember the Liberals don’t use...

Just imagine . . .   that the enormous power that “student strikes” have to offer the world was redirected to improving our understanding of climate change. The concept that world nations will unite to combat climate change is delusional. Over the 70-years from 1946 to 2016, our world suffered 6,466 incidents of violent conflict , an average of 32.6 incidents per year: 1,743      Civil conflicts 293         Civil conflicts with foreign state intervention 117         Colonial or imperial conflicts 126         Conflicts between states 1,001      Non-state conflicts 907         Incidents of one-sided violence ...

Conservative Party MP Dan Albas I am already hearing outrage that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would approve this oil pipeline project the day after declaring a national climate emergency in Canada. This week the Prime Minister made what many view as a difficult political decision; to once again approve the construction of the Trans-Mountain pipeline expansion project.   The total expected cost of the expansion and acquisition is now estimated to be around $14 billion. The Prime Minister indicated that construction would begin during this year’s summer construction schedule, and has not announced how the $14 billion will be repaid. The day before this announcement was made the Liberals also tabled a motion to “ declare that Canada is in a national climate emergency ”. For the record, a resolution of the House is defined as a “ declaration of opinion or purpose; it does not require that any action be taken, nor is it binding .” The Conservatives proposed amendment...

Science is a plodding, evolving discipline that thrives on critical examination and questioning of discoveries and theories. The most arrogant and inane statement the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has ever uttered is that “the (climate) science is settled”. Science is never ‘settled’. It sits awaiting the next discovery and incremental improvement. The theory that variations in the minuscule amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere drives climate change is the equivalent of accepting that a vial of iodine can contaminate an entire lake. Electrical vehicles cannot exist without hydrocarbons used in lubricants, fashioning the framework and cladding, glass, batteries, computer controls, and on endlessly. Then there is the problem of recycling the whole mess at the end of its life cycle. Technology for solar and wind power is still in infancy; that is the beauty of science. The underlying science is incrementally improving and moving towards an elusive goal ...