Ignoring progress,
United Nations pushes apocalyptic
rhetoric
Much of the discussion and reporting on the new
report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
is overblown and exaggerated, painting an apocalyptic future that the report itself fails to endorse.
Canadian energy is part of the solution,
not the problem.
The oil and gas sector is an easy target for
critics who don’t or won’t evaluate facts or engage in a pragmatic, realistic
discussion.
IPCC scientists acknowledge the worst-case scenario
presented “is considered low in light of recent developments in the energy
sector,” but the rhetoric accompanying the report does little to stake out a
pathway to a lower carbon future, in which Canada’s energy sector can and
should play a key role.
Here’s how:
· China
alone produces 27% of the planet’s GHG emissions, more than the entire
developed world combined. Canada is responsible for 1.6%.
· Natural
gas from Canada can significantly reduce GHG emissions if used to replace coal
power.
o As
of July 2021, there were 195 coal plants under construction
around the world including 95 in China, 28 in India and 23 in Indonesia.
· Oil
and gas companies in Canada spend more than any other sector on cleantech
R&D to help reduce energy emissions and improve environmental performance.
· Oil
sands emissions intensity, down 27% since 2013, is expected to decrease by
another 20-30% over the next decade.
· It
will be virtually impossible for the world to achieve net zero greenhouse gas
emissions without carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS).
o
Canada is already recognized as a
global leader in CCUS development. Projects have safely
stored more than 41 million tonnes of CO2 deep underground, or the
equivalent of taking 8 million cars off the road.
A seaborn mega tanker ---perhaps carrying crude oil to Canada which could be supplied by Canada for Canadians. Perhaps this tanker is powered by solar? Or wind?
No, probably not.
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