Canada Declares War On Green Radicals

The Canadian government lashed out on Monday at what it said were foreign-funded radical groups opposing the pipeline.

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On the eve of public hearings into a proposed oil pipeline from Alberta?s tar sands to the Pacific Coast, the Canadian government lashed out on Monday at what it said were foreign-funded radical groups opposing the project. Canada?s right-leaning Conservative government, which says the pipeline would help diversify energy exports away from the United States and more towards Asia, says activists are clogging up the regulatory process.?David Ljunggren, Reuters, 9 January 2012

It is a clich? in journalism to declare metaphorical wars at the drop of a news release. In this case, it looks like war is exactly what Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver launched Monday in an unprecedented open letter warning that Canada will not allow ?environmental and other radical groups? to ?hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.? What a welcome war this is. Never before has a Canadian politician challenged the hitherto saintly protectors of the environment in such direct language.?Terence Corcoran, Financial Post, 10 January 2012

Stephen Harper may not be ready to lace up the blades for a mano-a-mano puck tilt with Vladimir Putin, but he?s sure ready to drop the gloves and rumble with ?radicals? opposed to the Northern Gateway pipeline. The brawl over the proposed pipeline is guaranteed to provide enough political thrills and spills to satisfy any fan. Harper proved that Monday by sending his environmental enforcer over the boards to slash uppity greens across the ankles. It?s clear this is going to be an environmental fight for the ages. It?s even clearer that the Harper government wants the project to go through and will fight to make it happen.?Michael Smyth, The Province, 10 January 2012

Unfortunately, there are environmental and other radical groups that would seek to block this opportunity to diversify our trade. Their goal is to stop any major project, no matter what the cost to Canadian families in lost jobs and economic growth. No forestry. No mining. No oil. No gas. No more hydroelectric dams. These groups threaten to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.?Joe Oliver, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, 9 January 2012

Canada?s oil sands hold some of the world?s biggest oil deposits and logically should be America?s best guarantor for energy security. Their development though is increasingly facing strong headwind from both US and European regulators worried about environmental impact. At the heart of the issue though is not diplomacy or lobbying, but hard numbers. Canada is looking to increase output from oil sands regardless of what the US and Europe want or say because China is not only one of the biggest investors in oil sands, it?s also a happy customer for all the planned increased output.?Andr?s Cala, Energy Tribune, 4 January 2012
While President Obama wants to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline until after the 2012 election, Canada?s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is stepping up efforts to explore an alternative pipeline that would allow Canada to ship their tar sands oil to China.?USA Today, 9 January 2012

Oil and politics are a volatile mix for President Barack Obama, as he weighs whether to approve a pipeline to bring crude oil from Canada to Texas. On the merits, Obama should greenlight construction of the Keystone Pipeline. Our economy runs on oil. Given the political volatility in some oil-rich regions of the world, it?s just common sense to help maximize the oil-producing capacity of our friend to the north. But Obama tried to put off the issue until after the election. That?s because to decide is to antagonize either labor unions, who want pipeline jobs, or environmentalists, who fear pollution and climate change. Republicans, happy to see Obama caught between two Democratic interest groups, required a decision by Feb. 21 as part of the agreement that temporarily extended the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits.?Newsday Editorial, 8 January 2012

Source: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/43801

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