The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a report by yours truly on the economic costs and benefits of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline. In particular, I take aim at the outrageous claims about jobs made by the feds and Enbridge as part of their sales pitch. The report takes a closer look at the input-output modelling of job impacts, and considers alternative investments of $5 billion in the green economy. On the cost side of the ledger, I look at existing employment in the region that could be affected, and environmental costs associated with oil spills and GHG emissions.

I just returned from a lunch hosted by Environmental Defence featuring several speakers at a public eventbeing held tonight in Ottawa

The event, Northern Gateway: From Tar Sands to Tankers - In Whose Interest? sponsored by Environmental Defence and the West Coast Environmental Law, features Chief Jackie Thomas, Saik'uz First Nation, Yinka Dene Alliance, Gerland Amos, former elected chief councillor, Kitamaat Village, Haisla Nation, Arnie Nagy, United Fisherman's and Allied Workers' Union Michael Uehara, President, King Pacific Lodge and Josh Paterson, Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law.

With the spotlight on the federal government's aggressive push to export tar sands bitumen via the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, and from there by tanker on to China, the B.C. government reclaimed some attention on the energy file when it released its Natural Gas Strategy last week. With lots of glossy pages, but little detailed content, it is reflective of Premier Clark's signature style. The short of it is that shale gas from B.C.'s Northeast is to be pipelined to Kitimat and loaded onto tankers in liquid form (LNG) to be exported to China.