Nov. 2, 2016
ATTN:
Right Honorable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Honorable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
First Ministers of Canada
AN OPEN LETTER
Honorable Elected Leaders,
RE: Conflict of Interest Concerns over Ratification of Paris Agreement on Climate Change
In recent weeks, we have seen key officials of the National Energy Board recuse themselves over concerns that a single meeting between some of them and M. Jean Charest, who was at that time acting on behalf of the Energy East pipeline proponent, was said to have potentially compromised the integrity of the process.
If this is the expectation of integrity nationally for Canadians, how much higher must we hold the process of setting international targets for climate change actions; how much greater the need for clarity on the science and avoidance of conflicts of interest or politics?
- Commercial Conflicts of Interest Must be Challenged
We ask that you consider that World Resources Institute of the United States claims on its web-site that it helped three-quarters of the countries participating at Paris, to set their Indicated Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). We are concerned to find that on the website of Generation Investment Management, a company part-owned by Mr. Al Gore (star of the error-ridden video “An Inconvenient Truth” and the most prominent promoter of the theory of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming and carbon trading), there is a stated ‘global collaboration’ with World Resources Institute, Natural Resource Defence Council, The Climate Reality Project, Mistra Foundation, and Global Impact Investing Network.
Since 2007, a group of American foundations banded together as “ClimateWorks” and have actively funded numerous Canadian ENGOs and some of the foregoing groups with the intent of shifting energy policies.
Design to Win http://www.climateworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/design_to_win_final_8_31_07.pdf
Natural Resource Defense Council has begun demonizing the Energy East pipeline, which, unlike Keystone XL which was slated to cross US territory, is wholly in Canada. We find on an NRDC blog post that the NRDC present the ‘dirty tar sands’ image, contrasted by the ‘white and clean and free’ image of a wind farm.[1] In one post, the headline reads “Tar Sands in the Atlantic Ocean” – as if tankers of American-owned and other foreign oil are not running up and down both coasts and up the St. Lawrence to Montreal refineries every day.[2] How will any wind turbines be built if coal, natural gas and oil are not used? This is impossible.
Yet even many of our own leaders express a mistaken and indeed even mythological point of view that there is an ‘alternative’ of some kind to ‘dirty’ energy[3] – advocating for ‘clean’ energy like wind and solar which are entirely made from ‘dirty’ energy and backstopped and maintained with…conventional oil, natural gas and coal.
Far from ‘dirty,’ fossil fuels have freed society from the perils of unsanitary conditions, provided the power for modern medical care, liberated people in the West from hard labour and abject poverty, given each of us the automated equivalent of dozens of servants, and allowed us to explore the outer reaches of space and the depths of the ocean.
Without oil, natural gas and coal, modern society would descend into chaos within days.[4] In fact, the most wasteful and unsustainable energy forms are wind[5] and solar. Prof. Kelly of Cambridge calls a continued focus on these energy forms a form of ‘total madness’ that does not address climate change or the needs of a modern society.[6] We ask you to review our report “Why Renewable Energy Cannot Replace Fossil Fuels by 2050.” [7]
Canada’s, and Alberta’s environmental standards are some of the highest in the world and we have substantially improved air and water quality here, as evident on www.yourenvironment.ca
- Call Out the Cloaked-in-Green Trade War Against Canada
Canadian resources are under siege. A simple way to see this is via two maps. This first map shows where the most oil reserves are in the world. The second identifies the actual location. As you can see on the second map, it is simple to keep Canadian oil and gas off world markets by blocking pipeline access in all directions. This has been done by co-opting many First Nations communities through activist sessions such as the International Funders of Indigenous Peoples conferences.[8] In their 2010 report, it is clearly stated that such groups intend to collaborate with ENGOs at home and offshore to block resource development. Indeed, in the IFIP document, the stated modus operandi is to ‘create so much conflict the government had to do something’.
We ask you to review our economic study by energy economist and former public servant, Robert Lyman, on the “math” related to the previous 2 degree Celsius target set by the previous government. The implications of achieving that target would be the destruction of the Canadian economy. [9] Our economy would be reduced to that of Chad, with its GDP per person of US$1,000!
- Current Climate Catastrophe Fears Driven by Crony Capitalists, Social Media, and ENGO Agendas, Not Science
In the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I Physical Sciences Technical Summary, the “Key Uncertainties” (pg. 114, 115) make it clear that the IPCC experts scientists themselves say that they do not have enough data to make confident predictions.
The claims of ‘imminent catastrophe’ have mostly been driven by Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations who find this a helpful method of fund-raising and activism. At the LIMA COP-20 conference, NGOs with their vast social media networks of followers and advocates outnumbered scientists three to one! [10]
Some of these groups have been funded by ‘crony capitalist’ renewables investors.[11] At least one such group of investors boasts it has influenced Canadian and Albertan energy policies[12] – outside the needs, wishes and best interests of Canadians.
We ask you to stop this anti-Canadian trade war and the abuse of our charitable tax laws by various ENGOs who are presenting a biased and deeply flawed story on energy use and who use tax dollars to block taxpaying jobs and industry.
In Alberta, such foreign funding has supported efforts to demonize coal-fired power plants with misinformation on alleged coal-health risks and deaths based on computer models. These computer simulated health problems are not supported by the evidence of Alberta Health Services actual health statistics.[13]
- Only a Strong Economy can Help Aboriginal People Move Forward
The cry of “No pipelines. No tankers. No problem.” as witnessed during the recent Royal Visit is patently false. As described in Calvin Helin’s book “Dances with Dependency” Canada faces a tsunami of aboriginal financial obligations as the baby boomer generation with its large tax-contributing base passes on, leaving a growing youth aboriginal population. Canada needs employment opportunities and income from access to world markets to have the financial resources to help resolve long-standing issues on the aboriginal front. However, we find foreign groups like the International Funders of Indigenous People[14] are pursuing a strategy of ‘divide and conquer’ – or leading First Nations people on with claims of generating funds through non-development as a ‘carbon sink.’ This approach may make carbon traders rich, but it won’t offer First Nations people skills, education or new work markets.
By contrast, in Alberta, the oil and gas industry has funded mobile training units and worked with NAIT to teach hundreds of young aboriginal people practical trade skills like welding, electrician, carpentry etc., taking the training to First Nation reserves with great success.[15]
- Regarding proposed coal phase-out
Coal is universally recognized as the most affordable form of power generation; in Alberta, our coal use is led by modern emissions management and high-efficiency technology, some of the most advanced in North America. Where hydro is king in many provinces, in Alberta it is coal – we have little hydro that would be accessible without significantly disturbing key natural environments (and at burdensome cost to the public). In a cold country, affordable, reliable power should be a human right. Coal is being demonized by foreign market competitors via funded campaigns by ENGOs who are acting as proxies for wind and solar as ‘clean’ when as noted above, these energy sources are not. There is little environmental benefit of switching from modern coal operations to wind and solar backed up by natural gas.[16]
The demonizing claims against coal alleging negative health impacts claims are not supported by evidence. [17] The original Canadian federal coal phase-out legislation was intended to take older more emissions-intense plants offline while driving innovation for new plants and the development of clean coal technology. It was not to stop coal use entirely. It was intended to be a money-maker for Canada. Indeed, Boundary Dam in Saskatchewan is employing advanced emissions mitigation and recycling technology, where the captured nitrogen and sulfur can be recycled into useful fertilizer.
- Cost of health care in Canada
Funding today’s modern health care is deeply reliant on affordable electrical power and to support growing needs, we must have a strong economy.
Thus, with our aging boomers and growing health care demands, it is incumbent upon all of you to ensure that we have affordable, reliable power. We cannot get to the point, like the UK, where heat-or-eat poverty is increasing health problems and where the power grid has no spare capacity. Hospitals may have diesel generators (far more polluting than any other ground level hydrocarbon) but these are intended for short term power disruptions, not long term power crises. We ask the federal government and our Canadian ministerial colleagues to appreciate that the reason Alberta uses a lot of coal is that we have a lot of high-quality coal and high efficiency power plants equipped with filters such that they emit only one-thousandth of the particulate emissions of forest fires in Alberta. If we want to maintain or reduce health costs, the cost of power is a factor – both in individual patient health and in health services delivery, as well as in the country’s general economic health which pays for the system.
- COP-21, Marshall Islands and 1.5 degree Celsius “challenge”
When the Hon. Catherine McKenna returned from Paris, Canadians were told there was some urgency to do the Paris deal because the lives of people in the Marshall Islands were at risk due to sea level rise. If anything, these tiny islands are growing. Aerial and satellite images show that the Marshall Islands are growing in area. A paper reports “Between 1976 and 2006, 73 of 87 islands [Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands] increased in size.”[18] We should look at the evidence over the ideology before destroying the Canadian economy based on inaccurate (but emotionally compelling) claims.
In 2015, Canada sent some 383 people to COP-21. Rather than fight for our country, it appears that this large delegation gave in to foreign demands upon us.
In reviewing the comments of IPCC philosopher John Broome,[19] it is probably better for us to send 383 delegates to the next IPCC Summary for Policy Maker writing session. It seems that the large Saudi Arabia delegation present at the last event was quite effective because we do not see or hear of any sanctions, threats, caps, or constraints on Saudi Arabian oil production.
Thus, we question whether we are applying our people’s talents in the right places.
Considering the costs and significant GHG emissions related to travel (for which the guilt-reducing and costly purchase of so-called “offsets” does absolutely nothing), we look forward to the Canadian delegation communicating to the upcoming Marrakech COP-22 event by Skype, facebook or Google.
- On the Science: The Sun is the major direct and indirect driver of climate change
Some 400 years of observations, along with space-era data show that the sun’s cycles and orbital patterns of planets have dramatic effects on the earth’s atmosphere, geomagnetism, ocean currents, tides, and changing temperature cycles. It is folly to think that human efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a miniscule amount will ‘stop climate change’ – though there is much we can do to continue to reduce harmful pollutants like mercury, NOx and SOx.
In Summary
We have pointed out several concerns related to conflicts of interest, geopolitical trade warfare and commercial interests, likely responsible for blocking economic freedom and development in this country.
We do agree that real pollution should be taken seriously and that humans have some effect on climate change – yet, as Richard Tol, lead author of the IPCC Working Group II report states:
“..a century of climate change is not worse than losing a decade of economic growth.”
We expect you, our leaders, to stand up for our people and our industries in this global trade war and to not be fooled by naïve, simplistic or catastrophic claims on climate driven by crony capitalists or their openly and clandestinely funded ENGO echo chambers.
Sincerely,
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE SOCIETY
About Us
We are Informed Experts – We represent a group of some ~400 people, over half of them Canadians and most are experts in earth, atmospheric, and solar sciences, professional engineers, economic advisors, business people, along with many concerned and well-informed citizens. We have studied the science and issues since 2002 when we formed to counter the Kyoto Accord, which we saw as scientifically unfounded and economically disastrous, especially for Canada. We ask you to act in the interests of the Canadian public.
[1] https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/another-unpopular-pipeline-canadians-prefer-protecting-climate-over-building
[2] https://www.nrdc.org/resources/tar-sands-atlantic-ocean-transcanadas-proposed-energy-east-pipeline
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/30/no-long-term-future-in-tar-sands-alberta-rachel-notley?CMP=share_btn_fb
[4] https://achemistinlangley.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/the-husky-oil-spill-its-effects-on-the-pipeline-debate-and-a-thought-experiment-about-a-world-without-fossil-fuels/
[5] https://www.masterresource.org/windpower-problems/wind-power-least-sustainable-resource/
[6] http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=10333234&fulltextType=RV&fileId=S2329222916000039
[7] https://friendsofsciencecalgary.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/why-renewable-energy-cannot-replace-fossil-fuels-by-2050/
[8] http://internationalfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IFIPConferenceReport2010.pdf
[9] https://friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/climate_change_implications_Lyman.pdf
[10] i.e. Suzuki Foundation ad campaign “Where will Santa Live?” suggesting that this children’s favorite will drown because of human-caused global warming. In fact, the Arctic was a tropical paradise in the Holocene Hypsithermal 8,000 years ago, and polar bears were fine.
[11] http://paper.li/GreenFraud/1402893935?read=http%3A%2F%2Fclimatechangedispatch.com%2Fbillionaire-crony-capitalists-getting-rich-off-green-schemes-and-taxpayer-dollars%2F
[12] https://www.neiinvestments.com/documents/Marketing/Transitioning%20to%20a%20Low-carbon%20Energy%20System.pdf
[13] https://friendsofsciencecalgary.wordpress.com/2016/09/29/dire-consequences-destroying-albertas-affordable-power-advantage/
[14] http://internationalfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IFIPConferenceReport2010.pdf
[15] http://www.nait.ca/71628.htm
[16] http://www.energypost.eu/wind-solars-achilles-heel-methane-meltdown-porter-ranch-means-energy-transition/
[17] https://friendsofsciencecalgary.wordpress.com/2016/09/29/dire-consequences-destroying-albertas-affordable-power-advantage/
[18] http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/01/04/G37402.1.abstract
[19] https://enviroethics.org/2014/05/20/a-philosopher-at-the-ipcc/
very well done, I whole heartedly support you.
Well said! It is tuff to explain all of the deceit going on in less than 8 volumes. Your explanation is short, concise and factual. Is there some way this could be turned into an illustrated children’s fable on video. Complete with all the nasty villains, bad actors, and white knights, something even a millennial, politician, teacher, or voter could understand? Thanks for doing what you do.
Cheers Ian
The hypocrisy of the “Green” movement is leading society down a dangerous path of chasing unimportant and benign crisis, instead of preparing and being prepared for, real and societally destructive events.
It is appalling and disturbing that our present government under the misguided direction of Mr Butts is strangling Canada and all of us for unreachable objectives acknowledged by everyone to be the case for the so called Paris Accord. The cost borne to date are horrendous. The implications for Canada’s future our obvious. The recently acquired pipeline will very likely not be seen to move a litre of oil before the next election. Mr Trudeau hopefully then will be run out of office by two groups of people with opposite views of the value of fossil fuels. Here’s hoping.