9 Comments

I am amazed that some one who once wrote for Alberta Oil could be so absent from the actual situation that the oil and gas industry is in due to Government regulation, taxation and the war on the sector itself. Lets also bring to mind the price war brought on by Russia and Saudi Arabia during the pandemic to which we still find our country shuttered in still this day. Rex has championed not only the industry but also speaks of the horrific treatment of those who work or have worked in the industry by people with the attitude and perceptions of this writer. With emissions totaling 1.6% of entire global emissions and the fact it has been brought to the attention of the industry around this world, to which there are no borders, perhaps focusing on something that would be of greater good to the entire global community would prove more fruitful. Taxation is not the only solution. There are so many improvements and innovations happening that could be promoted to be used globally but instead of promoting the good, the critics go back and flog the dead tax horse. There are millions of critics in this world as its much easier for people to tear things down than it is to build them up. It appears we have an over abundance of the latter, so Rex Murphy is a godsend and the epitome of a champion of the oil and gas industry and those hard working individuals with in it. Every one needs a champion like Rex. Some times praise goes a whole lot further than constant degradation by those who deem themselves the knowers of all things about the industry. Perhaps some research into the innovations and improvements along with some respectful conversation with those working hard to bring the sector forward instead of the continual groan of decent from the parrots that sing the the same old song would be more far more productive for everyone.

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Thank you for so accurately representing the group-think inside the industry that has prevented it from responding more quickly and effectively to the changing economic and political landscape. Couldn't have said it better myself.

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Again your promoting inaccurate information as the majority of the people that remain in the industry have been working tirelessly to find new solutions and have gone above and beyond to create positive change. Your bias toward the industry is what forms your opinions instead of facts so perhaps some further investigations by yourself into the innovations and progress in lowering emissions and the use of other technologies is in order. Criticizing and downgrading is extremely easy as is manipulating facts to produce an outcome some people prefer or that better suits their ideology. This has been done many times by many people and they are not held accountable for the misinformation they spread. Yet if I am to speak of the forward direction of the industry I am said to be an antiquated and uninformed individual. Canada is third in the world for its regulatory and environmental performance and yet they have been the most attacked of all in the industry. As these attacks continue they are bringing in oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries with zero regulations and environmental standards with out even an utterance of disparage.

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I've literally written dozens of pieces about how industry reduces/reduced its emissions through technology. They've made important progress. They need to make more progress. And comparing us to Saudi Arabia or Russia isn't going to work. It hasn't worked since Ezra Levant wrote that book over a decade ago. Move on.

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I am sorry that I never saw those pieces and I would love to read them if there is a way you can share them. If comparing our records of environmental standards and reduction of emissions along with innovations that may be used world wide, is not a reasonable way to analyze how well our oil and gas industry is managing emissions, I must ask what is? Climate change has no borders and it is not just a Canadian issue but one that must be taken seriously world wide. There are no exemptions, if indeed this is a fight for life as it has been promoted as, then all countries must take it seriously. If indeed comparisons are disallowed and are of little consequence how does one gauge which countries are participating in the reduction of emissions and who are actually contributing. This is a life and death issue is it not?

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Lots of them are in old issues of Alberta Oil magazine. But I've never shied away from acknowledging the work these companies have done -- or the fact that their per-barrel emissions are still higher (and in some cases, MUCH higher) than other grades of crude. And while they stack up better when you compare heavy to heavy, their associated upstream emissions are still....not great.

It's not that comparisons are "disallowed" -- it's that most Canadians hold themselves and each other to a higher standard than they do Saudi Arabia or Russia, and importers have yet to express any particular interest in paying a premium for Canada's product because of our superior environmental standards (ones the industry consistently fights at almost every turn, I might add). Industry gets no credit for any of the social issue stuff, because again, its members have often been among those most opposed to it.

Emissions are what matter, and we have to reduce ours if we want to remain competitive in a world where carbon is an increasingly important part of capital market decisions. That those decisions don't apply as much to places like Russia or Iran or Venezuela is of no consequence -- and complaining about it won't change a thing.

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It was not said as a complaint but as a fact. All emissions matter if we are to save the planet. If you ignore the obvious and largest amount of emissions it won't save the world. We will all die as we have been programmed to the truth that the world will no longer be unless we lower all emissions. We are in the midst of a Climate Emergency as our own Government of Canada stated it as so! As did the UN! The world is in peril and it takes the entire global community to save it. By ignoring the largest of all emitters is asinine and will be the end of us all.

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Taxing fossil fuels will only make it more expensive to run our hospitals, food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, along with every other life-giving product our industrial economy provides.

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