Are we scraping rock bottom?

Commentary by Kevin Laliberte

Alberta’s economic powerhouse - the oilsands or dirty oil as its been recently tagged - was given yet another shining black gold-like eye this past week.

National Geographic, in its March issue, publishes a cover story which is compelling, if not environmentally alarming.

The iconic magazine joins what is quickly becoming a long list of international publications which have focused on the environmental costs of the world’s second-largest oil reserves - Alberta - by splashing several rather unappealing images of the development across its pages, with pictures of unsightly tailings ponds and their impact on the natural ecosystem.

Ouch! Now that’s hitting below the environmental belt!

Are you listening, Premier Ed Stelmach?

The in-depth article was likely fuelled by last April’s unfortunate incident involving 500 migrating ducks, which mistook one of the tailing ponds at a newer Syncrude mine north of Fort McKay, for a hospitable stopover - a decision which saw them drown in bowl of thick, toxic soup.

The incident stirred international attention with Greenpeace breaking into the Syncrude facility and hoisting a banner of a skull over the pipe discharging tailings, along with a sign that read. ‘World’s Dirtiest Oil: Stop the Tar Sands’.

And that negativity toward our province’s ‘bread and butter’ oilsands reserves was just a small taste of what has come with environmental groups around the world using the opportunity to take direct aim at our government for putting the power of the almighty dollar ahead of our environment.

ForestEthics and two northern Alberta First Nations groups took out a full-page ad in USA Today recently showing Canadian oil oozing over the United States, while newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal also waded into the sensitive environmental debate.

The unwanted attention and focus on our province regarding this rather disturbing situation is something which has left our beloved premier in a continual state of damage control as he and the government attempt to mop up this public relations mess.

The Alberta government has responded by laying charges against Syncrude for the deaths of the ducks while the Energy Resources Conservation Board developed new water rules concerning water usage. It released a 20-year blueprint for Alberta’s oilsands recently that aims “to reduce the environmental footprint, optimize economic growth and increase the quality of life in Alberta’s oilsands regions” as part of long-term $2-billion commitment from the Alberta government to build carbon capture and storage technology.

Not surprising given the politics surrounding Alberta’s oilsands, which threaten to define the Stelmach government’s tenure in power.

Former federal energy minister Anne McLellan summed it up best last week when saying that although government and industry have lagged behind key issues in the past, they are getting the message that the environment matters.

Talk and good intentions are no longer acceptable. People want results!

The question on many of our minds these days is whether or not it’s too late.

Have we already hit rock bottom?

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