Elizabeth May & Ezra Levant on CTV Question Period

Here is a great piece of informative video from CTVs Question Period where Green party Leader Elizabeth May and Ezra Levant discuss implications about the oil sands.  May makes the point that being "ethically" the best oil supplier in the world (ignoring Norway???) is not a pass to responsible developing the oil sands more responsibly. Being the best hydrocarbon provider of a bad lot is not good enough for Canadians.  It most assuredly not good enough for Albertan, as evidenced our recent research on values we want to see guide and drive oil sands development.  Only 31% of Albertans think oil sands are being responsibly developed now.  

I have written about trade off between dirty oil and blood oil on this blog in the past. My position is in agreement with Elizabeth May and many of the more progressive and responsible oil sands companies that have formed the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI). Those forward thinking oil sands companies that are starting to realize they need the direct support of the Alberta public as owners of the oil sands to justify an on-going social license to operate in our natural resource.

It should not be lost on Albertans that two of the companies in OSLI are state owned by Norway (Statoil) and France (Total).  The other key members of OSLI are Nexen, ConocoPhillips and Suncor.  These companies are aiming higher than the ethical standard of competitive advantage of Mr Levant.  The get that there needs to be responsible prosperity from the oil sands that integrates concerns for issues of environmental integrity, social well being and fairness as well as a reasonable rate of return to the owners - Albertans.

BTW - you can see my business partner Satya Das the author of Green Oil in discussion/debate/dialogue (who knows what it will end up as) with Mr. Levant at LitFest in Edmonton's Stanley Milner Library October 19th at 7 pm.  Tickets available at TixontheSquare

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org