If the planet is in trouble how could the solution be less Canada? Wouldn’t the world need more Canada?

Environmentalists protest Canada because it’s easy, not because we’re the problem. Canadian junior partner niceness represents low-hanging fruit to professional protesters in a world where other jurisdictions don’t care as much about international opinion. It’s obvious that US-funders of environmental groups have other agendas, when the US now exports oil & gas to Canada and has beaten Canada to international LNG markets.

Norwegians understand that capitulating and shutting down their oil and gas industry would make the world’s environment worse, not better. The International Panel on Climate Change and international environmental organizations warn about carbon leakage. Carbon leakage occurs when local policies to shut down industry have the effect of creating even more carbon when other countries step in to replace production. Norway recognizes that problem and it’s why their policymakers ensure their oil & gas industry is internationally competitive, as well as environmentally responsible and sustainable.  Norwegians care about the global environment so they support their oil and gas industry to prevent carbon leaks.

Our current policies are making the world’s environment worse at the expense of Canadian workers. Preventing Canadian LNG from reaching China leaks massive amounts of carbon by ensuring that brown coal is burned instead. By not focusing on the competitiveness of our oil and gas industry, we create environmental problems elsewhere; often under regulatory systems with questionable human rights records. How can that possibly help the planet?

Canada’s oil and gas industry is ranked even higher than Norway’s for the strictness and effectiveness of our regulatory system. How much better than best, does Canada need to be, before we put our big boy pants on like Norway?

Empty, symbolic gestures will not help the global environment but they will hurt Canadian workers and indigenous peoples. We need to stand up to US-funded groups at home and internationally. Canadians can be proud of being the best in the world and do our part to actually help the planet by stopping carbon leaks.

In the 21st century the world needs more Canada. Let’s give the world what it needs.