Posted on 02/18/2009 11:39:01 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
CALGARY - U.S. President Barack Obama says Alberta's oilsands industry "creates a big carbon footprint" that leaves Canada and America facing an environmental dilemma about how to curb greenhouse-gas emissions from energy development. He also says he's eyeing carbon capture and storage as a possible solution.
As the public-relations war between industry and environmental groups heats up over the oilsands - the second-largest oil reserves on the planet next to Saudi Arabia - the massive development in northern Alberta has clearly caught the eye of the 44th U.S. president.
Obama has previously vowed to end America's addiction to "dirty, dwindling and dangerously expensive" oil, and on Tuesday he offered more insight into how he plans to do just that.
On the eve of his Thursday trip to Ottawa for a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama said Canada must partner with the U.S. to find ways to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from petroleum extraction if both countries' economies are to grow in the future.
"What we know is that oilsands creates a big carbon footprint. So the dilemma that Canada faces, the United States faces, and China and the entire world faces is, how do we obtain the energy that we need to grow our economies in a way that is not rapidly accelerating climate change?" Obama told CBC News on Tuesday.
"To the extent that Canada and the United States can collaborate on ways that we can sequester carbon, capture greenhouse gases before they're emitted into the atmosphere, that's going to be good for everybody," he added.
"Because if we don't, then we're going to have a ceiling at some point, in terms of our ability to expand our economies and maintain the standard of living that's so important."
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.canada.com ...
This guy is something else. Yesterday he said Porkulus would lead to energy independence, where the reality is he's doing everything he can to restrict our energy supply.
The ONE is well past “in the making” stage.
“CO2 is not a pollutant”
Exactly. One of the things that bothers me the most about the CO2 global warming hoopla, is that it diverts attention from pollution problems that are real. For example, if Obama were to complain about the toxic chemicals involved as a byproduct of oil production in the Alberta Oil Sands, so that we need to proceed very carefully, with adequate pollution controls, in the production of oil from our own oil sands, at least it would be a real issue.
Coal? That’s a dirty rock. Can’t use that. Better to send our $$ to those who want to kill us.
Obama is worried that Canada is threatening the Saudi monopoly on energy.
Environmentalists are divided between the leadership who are shills for OPEC, and the rank and file who are too dumb to know they are shilling for OPEC.
“Albertans have always had the highest standard of living of any province in the country. What the hell do you need all this unlimited expansion, for God’s sake? That’s crazy,” Suzuki told reporters Friday.”
Alberta was dirt-poor from the ‘30s through to the ‘50s, when oil started to transform the economy. Albertans made their standard of living by working hard and being productive in a harsh climate, something about which these gumflapping greenshirts know nothing.
Is Alberta one of the 57 states that Comrade 0bama dictates over?
Obama’s presidency is like a hybrid of the two movies Groundhog Day and Trading Places.
So what's he going to do, invade Canada? This is part of Canada's sovereign land area, and Obama has zero immediate say in how they decide to process their own natural resources.
Or Groundhog Day and Nightmare on Elm Street.
If I was going to move to Canada, I’d live in Edmonton. Friends there. Hot summers, cold winters, conservative values.
“If I was going to move to Canada, I’d live in Edmonton. Friends there. Hot summers, cold winters, conservative values.”
I suggest moving to Calgary. With just those lines for openers, you could make a living as a stand-up comic!
“Redmonton” ain’t all that conservative!
My friends are in Leduc, not Edmonton proper.
Incidently I did seriously consider this at one point a year ago, and do remember reading a great deal about "green" initiatives in Edmonton which raised a few red flags.
In trace amounts it isn't a problem. What is a little scary is when they talk about carbon capture or sequestration - concentrating the carbon, storing underground, etc. Carbonic acid can contaminate water supplies. Carbonic acid itself is not a serious contaminant, but it can dissolve other minerals and metals which could be more of a problem. Also, what if there was a mass release of the CO2? Accidental releases have the potential to kill. Beware the unintended consequences.
And according to History Channel program Special Access on Airforce One; not just one 747 flies the president around, but two. The backup goes on every mission, as does a few C-17's
Granted, it's all part of presidential security, I get that. But that's still a whole lot of carbon and fuel to sign a bill that could have been driven over to the WH for his sig.
Carbon sequestration is a fantasy. You can't use more energy than you produce to sequester the emissions. It's just stupid (which is why it makes sense to Obama).
Obama's real message is that there is a ceiling to out ability to expand our economy and maintain our standard of living. He is trying to convince us that decline is inevitable.
I say, screw 'dat. I dare say many others will as well.
That is a problem that the dems NEVER lose sleep over. They're the instant gratification types who don't worry about future consequences unless it directly affects their power and influence.
Oh, and Globull Warming.
Big carbon footprint? This coming from the guy who has the white house thermostats cranked up to 80 °F?
Obama is all wind energy. Hot wind energy.
Behold! The tiresome David Suzuki has spoken.
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