Home » News » Visiting Nancy Pelosi signals U.S. focus to reduce reliance on oil
News
Visiting Nancy Pelosi signals U.S. focus to reduce reliance on oil
News Articles | Post Media News | Mike De Souza | September 10, 2010
Read the full article on the originating site
With the oilsands near the top of the agenda, a pair of high-ranking U.S. government officials signalled that the Obama administration wants to move away from fossil fuels in the North American energy supply, Canadian stakeholders said following a meeting at the American embassy on Thursday.
The comments come in the midst of a Canadian visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Ed Markey, who chairs a legislative committee on energy independence and global warming. The trip has also involved meetings with Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and oil industry executives, who stressed that their crude oil is essential for jobs and the economy and cleaner than some alternative fuels from abroad.
But Pelosi and Markey told representatives from environmental groups and aboriginal communities that the issue goes beyond choosing between sources of oil.
“This is not about one barrel versus another barrel. This is about moving off of oil and they made it very clear that their focus is how to actually get off of fossil fuels,” said Marlo Raynolds, executive director of the Pembina Institute. “It’s not about getting off of foreign oil. It’s about getting off of fossil fuels and they’re taking the actions, making the investments to move in that direction.”
Raynolds was part of an hour-long discussion with the U.S. officials that also included senior officials from Environmental Defence Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation, as well as Chief Allan Adam of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
“She spoke very eloquently about the moral imperative for action on climate change in terms of we owe it to future generations,” said Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, a coalition of groups promoting awareness on global warming issues.
The groups said Pelosi and Markey were also interested in hearing about alternatives to a proposal by TransCanada to build a new multibillion-dollar pipeline to transport crude oil from the oilsands to U.S. refi neries, as well as concerns about health impacts on local communities in Alberta from oilsands pollution.
But Rick George, Suncor Energy Inc.‘s chief executive, said the meeting between industry officials and the U.S. representatives focused more on technological issues such as the steam-assisted gravity drainage projects in the oilsands that use wells to extract bitumen rather than open pit mines that result in tailings ponds.
“They were very interested in our track record of the oilsands over the last decade and what we see going forward in terms of improvement,” said George.
Roughly 80 per cent of the oilsands will be developed using SAGD rather than mining, but critics have suggested that it could result in a larger environmental footprint than traditional oilsands mining because of its energy consumption and potentially higher heat-trapping emissions.
Pelosi was not immediately available for comment on Thursday, but has said the visit was organized to “listen and learn” about the Canadian context in order to develop a continental energy strategy.
A spokesman said she also spoke by phone with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, discussing a number of topics, including joint national security interests in Afghanistan, and that she emphasized the importance of intellectual property rights, trade and border security.
Pelosi started her visit with a dinner meeting with several provincial premiers, including Stelmach and Quebec’s Jean Charest, as well as federal cabinet ministers.
Stelmach labelled the meeting a success, adding he was impressed by the free flow of information with Pelosi and Markey and noting similar talks are often more structured and don’t include as much open dialogue.
Stelmach said he was buoyed by assurances he received from Pelosi that while the U.S. is looking to end its dependence on foreign oil, that doesn’t include Canadian crude and petroleum from the oilsands.
“Most of the questions were focused on Alberta, on the oilsands. So, obviously a huge interest in the oilsands,” Stelmach said.
He also recognized the looming U.S. mid-term elections in November could produce some political instability and force Alberta to ramp up its oilsands information campaign once again for a new crop of congressmen.
Stelmach said there was a unified voice in the room from the premiers — Charest, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and himself — as well as from federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice and federal Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis, which was a further boon to Alberta’s efforts.
“Premier Charest talked about the oilsands very positively,” he said. “There was no division in that room.”
Tagged with: canada, pelosi-markey, oilsands, fossil fuels
