Stephane Dion and Andrew Nikiforuk speak up.
On Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., a panel discussion and climate change forum took place at Lakeside Hope House in downtown Guelph. The event was co-hosted by The Bookshelf, the Council of Canadians, and a group called For Our Grandchildren. The panel discussion consisted of speeches about various issues related to environmental damage, and focused specifically on two major issues: global warming and oil extraction in Alberta’s tar sands.
Stéphane Dion, current MP and the former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and Andrew Nikiforuk, an award winning Canadian journalist and author, presented speeches.
Nikiforuk’s new book, The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude, was released in August 2012. It is an analysis of the world’s dependence on oil, and is sure to intrigue anyone with an interest in environmental issues.
Over 100 people packed into the venue on Friday evening to hear Dion and Nikiforuk discuss and answer questions about the world’s increasingly tenuous position in regards to increasing temperatures and oil extraction.
Nikiforuk focused on problems inherent in Canadian oil development. He spoke passionately and at length about the extent to which Canada is becoming a “petro state,” via the continued exploitation of the tar sands in Alberta, coupled with the development of new oil projects (such as the Keystone XL pipeline) and the Gateway Project. He argued that a nation’s reliance on oil invariably increases political corruption. “Oil is changing the character of this country,” stated Nikiforuk.
While he stated that increased extraction of our oil resources in Canada would lead to increased profits, he questioned the use of this money, calling for changes to governmental policy and, ultimately, a regime change in the Canadian government.
“There has been no discussion in this country about this [oil] money. What is it being used for?” asked Nikiforuk.
He also explained the problems inherent in the continued extraction of oil in Alberta. While oil is present in great quantities in the tar sands, extraction has proven to be a remarkably problematic and costly process, as the area’s bitumen and crude oil are of very poor quality.
Dion, who served as Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2006, discussed global warming and the ways in which humans are contributing to increased global temperatures via increased emissions – drawing attention to the corresponding increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. “Our [carbon] footprint is recent and out of control,” said Dion, who called for an increased focus on development of global clean energy solutions, stating that approximately 80 per cent of the world’s energy currently comes from fossil fuels.
Dion has a significant background in environmentalism. During his time as Minister of the Environment, he was a noted proponent of clean energy and sustainable development, and an avid supporter of the Kyoto Protocol. He also chaired the 2005 U.N. Climate Change Summit in Montreal.
Following the panel discussion was a forum during which Guelph’s representatives for Ontario’s provincial parties answered questions about their environmental platforms. Representatives for the Liberal, NDP and Green parties were present, while the Progressive Conservative Party declined the invite.