Environment

Canada is the answer to U.S. energy worries

by Amy Judd | January 22, 2009 at 01:03 pm

365 views | 28 Recommendations | 7 comments

The Canadian government wants to make sure that Barack Obama knows that Canada could play a key role in helping solve some of the US's concerns about the future of their energy supplies.

Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice said that considering Obama plans to visit Canada soon, that this would be a key time to let him know Canada's potential future role.

"To say the least, there is lots to discuss and then later to do," he said. "And hopefully, one of the many points of agreement for action will be commencing a co-operative, bilateral approach to the environment and energy, in ways that spur on economic recovery and renewal."

Prentice's plans to supply oil to the United States would also reduce greenhouse gases and create cleaner fuel in his opinion.
He also said that the two countries need to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all of North America.

"There certainly are some unfriendly voices in the Congress when it comes to the oilsands, some who would like to see a ban on oilsands imports. One of our challenges is to assure we and the Americans are on the same page when they start moving on the direction of a new climate change policy,"

Prentice said that one of Canada's biggest challenges is dealing with their reputation as a purveyor of dirty oil.

"We can work with the Americans in the developments of new renewables, increase our hydroelectric exports to the United States, and even when it comes to oil," he said. "The fact is the US economy is going to use oil for many years to come, and Canada is a much more stable and secure supply of oil than the Middle East."

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Laurence

at 13:56 on January 22nd, 2009

Uwe Paschen

at 16:12 on January 22nd, 2009

That does sound like Harpers Wish.

mtammas

at 20:06 on January 22nd, 2009

Indeed, Paschen. This is very bad news. However, let's be clear - oil's important, but it's really about water. Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney sold Canada out when his government committed us to signing onto the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), something that despite campaign promises, Liberal PM Chretien couldn't back out of. Ever since then, many Canadians have been fighting the worst aspects of the deal. The harmonizing of Canadian and American 'energy' needs is something worth opposing - loudly. Check out the Council of Canadians website for more on this and other issues. Council founder and chairperson, Maude Barlow, is also the first Senior Advisor on water issues to Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the United Nations