Alberta Forest Industry Spanks the Feds Over Mountain Pine Beetle Funding

The Alberta Forest Products Association (who have been client’s of mine but not currently) are very engaged in responding to the Alberta infestation of Mountain Pine Beetle. They have sent a letter to the Editor of the National Post chastising the federal government for using designated funds for responding to mountain pine beetle infestation redirected for “improving rail service in BC." How does improved rail service in BC help stop the MPB? Is this move politically motivated instead of being science driven policy?

When will the feds focus on Alberta as the place the battle has to be engaged if we are to save the boreal forest? It is worth a read and the implications of the MPB killing our pine forest on our economy and our ecology and our society have to be considered. Good to see industry engaging in all aspects of this disaster in the making. Here is the AFPA letter to the National Post


July 20, 2007
Letter to Editor:
The National Post

RE: Rail gains from beetle funding by Nathan VanderKlippe July 19, 2007
The Alberta forest industry is deeply troubled by the report that Federal funding designated to combat the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak will be utilized to improve rail service in British Columbia. We are especially concerned because north-west Alberta has now become the frontline in the battle to contain this epidemic.

With more than 2.5 million pines trees infested in northern Alberta last year alone by an overflight of beetles from British Columbia, our industry and provincial government have invested millions of dollars and significant other resources to deal with the situation. So far, no federal assistance has been provided in Alberta to support front line Mountain Pine Beetle control efforts. Alberta pine trees are dying and dead, and the next generation of beetles are now emerging and looking for new pine trees to infest and kill.

Just east of the current Alberta front line in the beetle infestation is a great forest buffet called the Boreal Forest. If the mountain pine beetle gets a foothold in the Boreal there is a good chance it will eat its way clear across our northern forests to the Atlantic Ocean.

Through a concentrated and dedicated effort by all parties, we stand a fighting chance of holding, or at least minimizing the damage to the ecosystem and local communities, as a result of the beetle outbreak. The use of funds earmarked to combat Mountain Pine Beetle for private rail interests instead is not acceptable. Don’t play politics with the health of Canada’s forests. Use the money allocated for mountain pine beetle control into actually fighting the beetle’s eastward advance.

Sincerely,
Neil Shelly, P.Eng
Executive Director
Alberta Forest Products Association, Edmonton

Michael Moore Goes Head to Head With Stephen Colbert

More Moore on mainstream media and the Colbert Report interviews Michael Moore. Colbert actually gets more talk time in the interiview than The Michael. Satire for sure but almost good journalism coming from the Colbert Report in this piece.

French Government Bans PDAs - For Fear of US Spying

The Financial Times is reporting today that the new French Cabinet is forbidden from using Blackberries because of fears that the US could intercept state secrets.

The French government national security organization has banned the use of PDAs by ANYONE in the President’s or Prime Minister’s offices based on “a very real risk of interception” by third parties.

Is seems the paranoia is based on the fact that the Blackberry servers are located in the US and UK and strategic and sensitive information could fall into foreign hands. The repost cites a confidential study done 2 years ago by a civil servant in charge of economic intelligence. Earlier ban of Blackberries on other French government departments made officials in government use them secretly.

I though the US government would be too busy these spying on its own citizens and “outing” their own spies to have time to worry about the French. And why would they care about French “intelligence” since they refused to participate in Bush’s War of Terror in Iraq.

Industry Warns Alberta About Managing Growth

At a recent meeting of the Alberta Chamber of Resources industry leaders articulated some sobering realities. Alberta may be the youngest, healthiest, richest, hardest working, best educated, urbanized and most resource endowed place in the county and perhaps the planet, we are not without problems and challenges…and most of them are of our own making.

Managing the growth pressures are one of the key policy priorities of the Stelmach government and that resonates with Albertans. Given the comments by ACR President Roger Thomas at the recent Annual General Meeting it looks the “marketplace” is creating ample opportunity but a correction to the hyper growth concerns in the province is on the horizon.

Here are some of Mr. Thomas’ insights around the issues of managing growth in Alberta:

“There is a strong public perception that current pace of economic growth will
continue unabated, and a growing sentiment that big industry alone should
pay the costs associated with this growth.”

“When it comes to regulation of industrial growth, there is a sentiment out there that we are
moving too fast, and there are lots of people who thing it’s time to slow
things down. We need to find the balance between growth and
sustainability….”

“There is also an element of stakeholder fatigue in activities relating to resource development these days. Everyone is extremely busy, and we don’t always have the ability to connect all the
dots when it comes to achieving balance.”

Other dose-of-reality facts stated by Mr. Thomas that are worth reflecting on, like:

• There is expected to be a $6.5 billion decrease in spending in the traditional oil and gas sector in 2007 as compared to 2006.
  
• The cost of bringing new gas to market is approaching $5/GJ, putting price pressure on the marketplace.
  
• Drilling rig utilization is at an all-time low of 18 per cent and the growth curve for the service industry in this sector is flat.
  
• Oil sands, land sales are down significantly in the first quarter of 2007.
  
• Climate change rules already in place will mean virtually every major producer in Alberta will have to pay into the Province’s technology fund – and this still does not factor in federal measures on climate change.
  
• Power demand for Alberta is expected to rise by 3,800 MW by 2016, but only 690 MW of new power development is currently approved and under construction. Power prices are expected to rise and the marginal cost nature of Alberta’s power pool structure is not set up for the flow through of these costs.
  
• The tradition frame housing market in the United States has collapsed, reducing the demand for lumber. In addition, the mountain pine beetle threatens to decimate Alberta forests at a time when forestry companies can least afford it.

Mr. Thomas was being a realist but his concluding message was encouraging when he said.

“Even in the face of these warning signs, however, the prospects for resource development in Alberta are far from doom and gloom. World energy demand will continue to increase and our long-term resource fundamentals remain sound. We need to make sure we don’t stumble on the way to prosperity. A lot will depend on what various levels of government will do in the future in terms of policy on resource development.”

So much of the future responsible stewardship and prosperity of Alberta resource development is dependent on the federal and provincial governments. As we move into the red zone of election time provincially and the perpetual red zone inherent in the federal minority government who knows what is going to happen.

CNN Gets Blitzed by Michael Moore

Here is the "interview" that has Michael Moore taking on Wolf Blitzer on CNN live, up close anda very personal.

Moore is an obvious and an accomplished propagandist. So is CNN, it is just they are not so obvious - and that is the problem.