Out of gas

11 posts / 0 new

Sun, 2009-02-01 16:09

peskyfly1

Out of gas

Much as I would prefer not to start an unsourced topic...

A major pipeline project is underway in which Trans Canada pipelines is converting a 48 inch line from natural gas to oil. The line runs from Alberta to the U.S. One might think that the reason for the conversion is to increase export sales to the Americans. This is only partially true. The real kicker is that Trans Canada can't keep their line full of natural gas. There isn't any more...or at least, not enough to keep up with demand.

Consequently, one might think that we must re-open the 'free trade agreement.' The agreement gives the American government the 'right' to Canada's oil and gas. The energy portion of the FTA must be re-negotiated to ensure that Canada and Canadians have control over our own resources, not just for now, but into the future.

Sun, 2009-02-01 16:58

NorthReport

Maybe they should connect it to Fort Nelson.

Seriously though, exporting our valuable non-renewable resources from the tarsands, is just about the dumbest think we have ever done, and we can thank Mulroney for a large part of it with these insane FTAs.

Sun, 2009-02-01 17:06

peskyfly1

Right. But how can we convince Canadians that re opening the FTA is in our national interest? President Obama seems to think that it would be in the U.S.A's interest to do so. How do you think it would fly if the NDP were to support his position, while simultaneously arguing for regaining control of our energy resources?

Sun, 2009-02-01 18:01

NorthReport

These agreements are always going to be in the USA's interest, and never ours, apart from our elites who regularly benefit from screwing the masses.

What frightens me is that if the NDP were to ask for a reopening of the FTAs, Harper & Ignatieff, who are controlling power in Canada at the moment, would cut deals that would be worse for most Canadians than what we already have now.

Sun, 2009-02-01 18:12

Fidel

And Canada is a net exporter of massive amounts of hydroelectric power to the states, too.

What's our's is their's. They dont want fair trade with Canada. The USSA wants to dominate Canada. In fact, they have done for several decades. Our bought off stooges have been on the take for a long time.

Tommy Douglas said there would come a day when Canadians would turn on their taps to trickles of water. I can imagine it happening some day.

Sun, 2009-02-01 18:17

Frustrated Mess Frustrated Mess's picture

Here's a link for ya: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aBglTUV_G6.k&refer=c...

Mining the tar sands is just about the dumbest thing we have ever done, period.

The pipeline now on hold isn't about exporting the resource. We already do that. It is about exporting the processing and the environmental destruction. What is important to the tarsands operators is the bitumen. They can see, as can anyone else paying attention, that the Athabaska is a river in decline. They can also see that it isn't so much the strip mining of the boreal forest that has people upset, but the CO2 emitted from the processing. And they can see that the energy demands and costs for processing is only going to climb.

So up until the collapse of the dollar per barrel of oil, they were investigating a number of options to export and process tar sands bitumen including the recently scrapped plant in Sarnia.

But the best part is, from my warped perspective anyway, is that people are disappointed they're losing the opportunity to despoil their land, air, and water, with such a plant. I read something today that was a religious tract. It said something about you haven't lost everything until you've lost your soul.

I can't think of better evidence of having lost our collective soul than in our eager willingness to destroy our world we mourn the loss the of the opportunity to turn our communities into outposts of what Maude Barlow so aptly recognized as Mordor.

Mon, 2009-02-02 19:05

peskyfly1

Hey Fidel. I agree that we are being pillaged...but what I'm looking for are ideas. What can be said to the Canadian people to convince them that we need to retake control of our resources? Simply telling people that there isn't enough natural gas left to export at our current rate seems to be insuffucient.

Why is it so difficult to convince the public that the future is right now?

Tue, 2009-02-03 10:29

Fidel

Canadians will take notice when we have to import even more fuel, and the price of staying warm cuts into their beer and recreational budgets. There will come a time for socialism, when the cheapest to extract oil and gas run dry in about a dozen years or so, and when fossil fuel companies come caps in hand to taxpayers looking for exploration money and more handouts than before. Socialism for the rich works for only so long though before there's nothing left to give away.

Mon, 2009-02-09 14:46

mybabble

peskyfly1 wrote:

Much as I would prefer not to start an unsourced topic...

A major pipeline project is underway in which Trans Canada pipelines is converting a 48 inch line from natural gas to oil. The line runs from Alberta to the U.S. One might think that the reason for the conversion is to increase export sales to the Americans. This is only partially true. The real kicker is that Trans Canada can't keep their line full of natural gas. There isn't any more...or at least, not enough to keep up with demand.

Consequently, one might think that we must re-open the 'free trade agreement.' The agreement gives the American government the 'right' to Canada's oil and gas. The energy portion of the FTA must be re-negotiated to ensure that Canada and Canadians have control over our own resources, not just for now, but into the future.

Control over its own resources? Exactly what kind of control are you talking about as agreements such as TILMA leave British Columbians in a dammed if you do and dammed if you don't as Cambpell puts Greed first and later for the tax payer as ILMUD allows business to destroy the environment or demands tax payer pay the price in American Dollars of any losses business may experience because citizens demand clean air. So no control here and no control over any oil spills antiscipated for oil exploration on are shores as its profit, profit, profit for big business and how is that working for Canadians? http://www.fraserinstitute.org/newsandevents/news/5070.aspx

Mon, 2009-02-09 14:59

#10

mybabble

And no control over the price of gas as prices are going up, up and up and here in BC its a downer because we also have the highest taxes on gas and then add the carbon tax on that and you have a disaster as natural resource prices take the bang out of business competitiveness leaving many bankrupt during a receission. Oh and lets not forget all that land speculation as I'm thinking prices have went down say 33% instead of the 13% percent indicated by governments is more like it as BC residents play the high risk speculation game and come out losers as even the Olympics isn't enough of an attraction to bring on the immigrantion.

Wed, 2009-02-11 19:04

#11

peskyfly1

Hey my babble. You're rambling on a bit, but when I say Canada needs to get control over our resources I mean it in the context that the FTA gives the US the 'right' to Canada's energy. According to the FTA we have to sell to them if they want it...even if we are in danger of running out of supply for ourselves.