Green Oil Book is Launched - AG Says Albertans Getting Screwed on Royalty Collection

The launch of Satya Das' Green Oil on Thursday was terrific. The books signing at Audrey's Books last night drew a good crowd. Interesting mix of people, politicians and journalists, not that the latter are not people too. We sold a bunch of books too. Go figure!

Last night we had Raj Sherman from the Alberta PC party, Edmonton Strathcona NDP MP Linda Duncan and Edmonton Centre Liberal Candidate Mary McDonald drop in for a glass of wine and a chat. Doug Roche, a true Canadian statesman, was in attendance too.

Traffic on the Green Oil website www.greenoilbook.com is starting and will grow over the coming weeks as we see Albertans start to take control of the oilsands agenda and express their concerns on the site.

I think the message in the book it resonating. Albertans need to get informed and engaged as owners in the oilsands to ensure it is developed on a responsible and sustainable basis and with a long term view. The conversation amongst Albertans has to start and get serious. The consequences of continuing to get the oilsands wrong are devastating as to many levels.

For one way we are getting it wrong according to the Auditor General is Albertans are out hundreds of millions of dollars in uncollected and unaccounted for royalty payments. The recent Royalty Review said the same thing but the government gave more industry even concessions instead of beefing up collection and accounting capacity on royalties. We are getting screwed according to the AG. Too bad he is leaving.

Put that sense of political and industry entitlement of big bonuses and "gold plated" gifts to departing government agency officials in health as we cut social services and hospital beds, Albertans better get more insistent on better governance of our assets and provincial natural resources too.

Lousy Report on Broadband in Canada

The evidence is overwhelming that Canadians are getting screwed by the industry providers of Broadband and Internet services. This is especially true of rural service. The cartel that controls Canadian broadband services is acting like OPEC more and more every day. And the CRTC has forsaken its duty to protect the public interest.

How independent is the staffing and management of the CRTC? Has the industry infiltrated it? I would like to see an independent study about the independence of the CRTC and who's interests they are really serving in some instances. People are starting to wonder.

Google Knows If Your Kids Have the Flu

Google Flu Trends is an interesting initiative that will be worth watching. The Social Media transformation of culture, society and everything related to it is gaining speed, as if it was not already a warp speed.

This Fast Company piece on the subject is worth a read. Anticipation is a big part of effective prevention. Governments and health officials need to become a whole lot more creative and nimble about what is going on out there and how to use the new realities...and not just in health care, critical as that it

(h/t to Sharon Matthias for bring it to my attention)

Green Oil Interview on CBC Radio "Wildrose" is About Citizen Engagement

The CBC interview with Satya Das on the Wildrose program was really good yesterday. Here is a link to the interview. http://www.cbc.ca/wildrose Click on the September 30 program and Satya is the first interview.

Rick Mercer Makes Me Laugh - Then Think!

I love Rick Mercer for so many reasons. Here is only one of them.
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_Rick_Mercer_Report/ID=1280530740

Hat Tip for the link to Alheli Picazo. Follow her on Twitter @a_picazo. The follow me @kenchapman46