The Parkland Institute

Editorial

Where energy, the environment and economics meet

The route to my in-law’s bison farm near Pigeon Lake is always gorgeous but in the fall, the drive is particularly magical. The secondary highways roll across small valleys and hills, past white farmhouses and red barns. In some fields, cattle or bison munch away at the greenery, nonchalantly; in others, horses look up as vehicles drive by. The occasional alpaca can be seen in the midst of herds, looking cuddly but committed to the job at hand (protecting the herd). The deciduous trees are painted yellow and red – juxtaposed against still-green fields and pine trees – and when the wind catches their branches, leaves twirl and spin, like they do in the movies.

Alberta is a heart-breakingly beautiful province. We have stunning national parks – including several World Heritage sites – a serene north, and endless farmers fields. It seems a crime against nature that we’re also one of the world’s richest sources of oil.

For those of us who live in cities, or rural areas without oil derricks or sour gas wells, the environmental damage created by the energy sector seems abstract. We go for drives in the country and everything seems hunky-dory. Then, we read the headlines. In Drayton Valley, just 20 minutes from my in-laws’ farm, Petenco Resources had a nasty pipeline break that released salt water into a wetland just last year (which they neither reported to Alberta Environment nor cleaned up afterwards).

Last year, at the Syncrude toxic waste pond at their Aurora mine site, many waterfowl died. According to a Canwest article in September, that number was actually three times higher than the 400-500 birds originally reported by Alberta Environment.

Many of us come close to places where serious environmental harm is happening, but we’d have no idea if we didn’t read the paper. Other places, like Fort McMurray, are completely abstract to us. If you’re not working in the region, chances are you’ll never smell the foul odors emitted by tailings ponds.

Because our province is large, and environmental harm is often out of view for many Albertans, we need the media to inform us of the damage that’s happening. We also need writers to interpret the scholarship and journalism out there; to deliver the “big picture” to those of us who aren’t in the know. Like the Post’s talented writers in our Fall 2009 issue.

In this issue, Post writers bring a critical eye to the province’s energy sector and its treatment of environmental concerns. Our cover story, written by journalism student Anna Reitman, examines the “dirty oil” campaign and our options for green economic development. First-time contributor Ryan Katz-Rosene shows us how Alberta puts democracy on the backburner by allowing the ‘magic number’ approach to dictate how we develop the oilsands.

Long-time Post contributor and activist Cecily Mills shines a light on the nuclear power debate in Alberta and the severe environmental and human health risks associated with even well functioning nuclear power plants. It’s a topic that many Albertans still know little about and Mills makes a strong case against nuclear power as a “green” alternative to fossil fuels.

Activist and frequent Post contributor Randy Steinhauer dissects the economic model that facilitate unfettered economic growth in "Born to fail: Neoliberalism and the meltdown and examines the marketing of Neoliberalism" in a complementary article.

Of course, the intersections of energy, environment and economics are complex and constantly evolving. This issue barely touches on some of the key issues and current events underlying the problems we’re facing, but we hope it’ll inspire you to keep reading. And talk to activists. Go to the protests. Think critically about what you’re reading and hearing – from all sides. While democracy in Alberta can seem like a contradiction in terms, this will only change when more of us educate ourselves, and each other.

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