Some years ago, I bought my first house, a townhouse. It was one of those three story open-plan 1970s things with a west-facing back wall mostly of glass and a theoretical mountain view if you stood on a 12-foot ladder in the middle of the living room and twisted your head just right. The back yard was my oasis, a nicely-shaded high-walled 12 foot by 12 foot pen, which with youthful enthusiasm I imagined was actually nice. I bought the place in May and enjoyed a great summer hanging out there, … [Read more...]
Canada picks an international role model but does it have to be Venezuela?
Two countries in the modern age seem to despise their resource sector, or their elite leadership does anyway. Most, if not all, other countries are proud of theirs. It is not hard to see why most nations cherish their natural bounty of resources. There is something elementally important about a nation having more of any given raw material than they actually need at present. Ones that lack sufficient natural resources are often skittish and paranoid, roughly speaking, because they are beholden … [Read more...]
“Hey, that’s not right…” – an (inter)national movement for energy truth gains momentum
The news stream has changed a lot over the past few decades, obviously. We used to have a very finite number of news sources; either a handful of newspapers or a few evening TV news shows. From these, the general population could then take relatively bland narratives and bash them into whatever twisted shape their minds wished to interpret them as, running them through political/ethical/moral/cultural/philosophical filters and shouting the results to whomever might listen. Which was often almost … [Read more...]
Canadian energy truck convoy: Ottawa, get ready to meet some strapping, hard-working, long-lost cousins for the first time
So you think you know trucks, most people think they do… but unless you are involved with operating one, you probably don’t know them very well at all. Trucks are often nothing more than obstacles, big bloated things that annoy you on the freeway, block the view, and accelerate like they are loaded with three planets. On the other hand, for people that build stuff, and move stuff, and make the world go ‘round, trucks are the silent (OK, nearly silent) heroes of the world. Industrial trucks … [Read more...]
Terry Etam’s Open Letter to the Law Foundation of British Columbia regarding selective group funding
Dear Law Foundation, In chasing down the funding trail for the recent demand by Whistler's mayor for Canadian Natural Resources to compensate the resort for climate change, I came across a pronounced pattern in funding that is a bit odd. Your stated mission is "To advance and promote a just society governed by the rule of law, through leadership, innovation and collaboration." You support many worthwhile programs, particularly for groups that may not otherwise have access to legal aid, advice, … [Read more...]
Paris on fire and Donald Trump – both orange on top and both brought to you by environmental extremism
Let’s take a step back from the minutiae of the daily grind, and a step above what’s trending. Here in a nutshell is where the world is today. Record low interest rates have led to a debt binge. Industrialized nations are eyeball deep in debt. Some of the borrowing was to claw out of the financial crisis of 2008, but there are other reasons too. One of the other major contributors to this wealthy-country debt load is the push, through subsidies and direct payments, to hasten the ascendancy of … [Read more...]
Terry Etam’s letter to Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton
Mr. Crompton, It was with extreme incredulity that I read a copy of the letter that you sent to Canadian Natural Resources. I am an energy writer seeking to find and promote balanced discussions with respect to energy issues. I just wanted to warn you against the downside of putting such bizarre accusations out into the public realm. There is a huge downside to your reputation as a thoughtful person and also to the whole debate about climate change. I won't waste much of your time, this … [Read more...]
Canada’s ultimate melting pot is boiling over – Alberta peers into the abyss of separation
When I was a kid growing up in another province, at a time before farmers became rich land barons, it was always easy to spot an oil patch worker coming back home from Alberta for a few days. Invariably they had a fancy new truck, and could be spotted at watering holes regaling old friends with tales of exciting jobs, big money, and a dynamic new life. While leaving home wasn’t always fun, it was a wonderful example of a path that was always open to Canadians living in economically challenged … [Read more...]
“Don’t hate us Bono, look what we did!’ Trudeau’s inner circle wants the UN’s respect far more than yours
Oh, Canada. A wildly blessed nation, with resources most countries can only dream about, and we have been thoroughly outwitted and outplayed by global economic forces and unelected rulers. How did we get here? How can our resources be landlocked when we have, by far, the most coastline of any nation? Regarding a lack of market access, the problem did develop a while ago, when historically anomalous commodity prices drove extremely rapid development. The price of oil shot up faster than anyone … [Read more...]
Seven Marcellus natural gas myths, or, you’re playing with fire, America
Sometimes a phenomenon comes along that captures the public’s attention in near totality, and we find ourselves losing our minds and joining the parade. The dot com boom was one example, a time when random new websites became worth billions despite the presence of any revenue. The US housing boom was another example. When people with no income, no jobs, and no assets suddenly started buying homes, a few fringe weirdos thought that that wasn’t right, but the mainstream line of thought was so … [Read more...]
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