News & Reports
Articles
Looking for resource leadership in contentious times
The overwhelming majority of people, especially when they sit face to face, want to engage in an open-minded, fact-based dialogue about responsible resource development.
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What does an ecomodernist mom think about the future?
A new movement is asking whether human beings are an invasive species that needs to be beaten back in order to save the planet – or can humanity's achievements make us less dependent on nature so that we can restore balance and health?
Read moreA fascinating video series looks at how to turn raw materials into the everyday things we take for granted – from food to clothing, energy, medicine, and so much more.
Reports & Series
British Columbia's dysfunctional resource debate
The province has a history of bitter, unyielding fights over resource issues. And no wonder. We have a highly resource-dependent economy, a population of passionate environmentalists, and significant urban-rural divides
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Powerful truths about the real impact of natural resources in Metro Vancouver
The health of BC’s economy depends on exporting natural resources, yet many British Columbians can find it difficult to grasp how this economic activity benefits them and their communities.
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Impacts of natural resources in Vancouver
Natural resource companies in British Columbia have a powerful impact on the economies of coastal cities. This infographic shows a small sample of how the City of Vancouver benefits. Learn more here.
Articles
BC's economy still driven by the resource sector
For any resident of the Lower Mainland, a combination of the knowledge economy, tourism and a vast array of services seems to dominate the landscape, while our province's historic role as a producer of resource products (specifically forestry, mining, agriculture and energy) appears to be receding into the past.
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Women rally around natural resources
Nearly half the natural resources workforce consists of women, and with gatherings like sheTalks Resources, it should come as no surprise that women have a distinct perspective. This infographic draws on Resource Works research materials to tell that story
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New economic numbers illustrate impact of marine coal terminals
BC's Coal Alliance releases new research showing that the province's facilities have spent about $580 million in communities since 2009. More details here
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"Have you stopped cheating on tests?" and other politically loaded questions
It's that time when resource questions turn political. The question "Have you stopped cheating on tests?" is an old example of a loaded question, as discussed in many a first-year university class on logic and logical fallacy.
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What are the safety rules for foreign energy companies in BC?
A news report about Petronas safety issues in Malaysia raises question of whether foreign companies have to follow Canadian laws - and it's an easy answer
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Resource sector is behind 70% of the things that get made in BC
Natural resources are fundamental to the health of another sector, one that runs across the entire economy
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Australia starts to see its new LNG industry pay off
For anyone hoping to dampen Canada's hopes of developing the liquefied natural export industry, news from Down Under may be a disappointment
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Close urban-rural divide, BC residents urge industry, government
A poll for Resource Works shows that most of us support the natural resource sector, but think our positives could be sold more effectively.
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"NOT AFRAID" - Getting comfortable with our natural resource future
In January 2016, one of Canada's most nuanced thinkers on natural resource issues will again partner with Resource Works for a public speaking event in Vancouver: Brian Lee Crowley of Ottawa's Macdonald-Laurier Institute
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What would it take to run ALL of BC's cars and trucks on electricity?
In 2015, almost everyone agrees that the world needs to change the mix of fuels it uses. But exactly what the result needs to look like, and how quickly that can happen, is one of today's most pressing questions
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A surprising shift in the relative importance of resource companies
Research by a Simon Fraser University marketing professor shows how natural resource companies moved to the fore of the Canadian economy.
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Footprint of mining
Almost all the things we use in everyday life come from mining – but the land footprint is so small it is practically invisible.
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9 reasons why natural gas is a clean, abundant, and reliable fuel for the future
Why is a clean energy solution that promises to dramatically reduce carbon emissions being met with vigorous opposition from some environmentalists?
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"It's time to stop apologizing for our oil industry"
Alberta's energy minister turns out to be a major booster of the oil sands - but what will it take her to share those views more widely?
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See what $22.7 billion in BC natural resources looks like
Visual Capitalist imagines our yearly resource extraction as giant cubes placed around downtown Vancouver. See just how enormous it is, and how much it's worth
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Oil producers and union workers voice support for proposal
Trans Mountain has applied for permission to expand capacity of its pipeline system between Edmonton and Burnaby, from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil per day — a move that would give western Canadian producers better-paying access to international markets
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Korean conference puts spotlight on city-based resource careers
Urban students are often unaware of just how extensively the natural resource industries create the best job opportunities in British Columbia. Resource Works wants to change that
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A growing body of evidence on BC's clean-energy future
People are deeply concerned about water management, and any perception that supplies are at risk from development can be bad news for the energy sector. This infographic should allay those concerns
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Count the ways we count on responsible resource management
BC Day comes just once a year, but every day the province's natural resource economy provides an enviably high standard of living. Check out this infographic and learn how to show your support for reasonable, respectful discourse
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14 lessons in eco-cooperation from the Great Bear Rainforest
A veteran forest negotiator shares his insights into how to save a rainforest – while giving the economy a chance
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A fresh tack on building the nation's resource and exporting future
In Halifax, Canada's provinces and territories issue a crystal-clear unified statement on the urgent need for exports of oil and natural gas
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Resource Works summer program attracts rising stars from McGill
Our summer students are helping the Resource Works Society build an authentic social movement in support of responsible resource use
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Undecided on Site C? Not any more, suggests the latest opinion poll
A planned hydroelectric dam in northeast British Columbia has gained stronger support over the past year, says a new opinion survey.
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Premiers' energy strategy signals a new self-awareness
As energy and mining ministers gathered in Halifax, the rubber hit the road on balancing the economy and the environment
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Great Bear Rainforest – At the finish line
The British Columbia government is seeking public comments on proposed amendments to land use objectives for the Great Bear Rainforest
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Pacific Northwest leaders share an interest in LNG and natural gas
At a Davos-like retreat in Montana, a reminder that British Columbia is in step with other places facing the same issues and opportunities
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What British Columbians need to know about natural gas & LNG
With wages in the sector averaging $105,560 a year, it is no wonder it has found strong public support in BC. As key decisions are considered, here are nine key facts about the fuel
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Who licenses the licensors? Thoughts on the future of social license
Canada’s natural resources can and should be a mainstay of our prosperity for many years to come. For that to happen, however, we need not just the natural resource endowment itself, but some far more valuable elements that provide indispensable context
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Message from silent majority: it's time to collaborate on BC prosperity
Dispassionate discussion based on facts should determine the fate of development projects
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Urbanites flock to BC's coast to experience the life of a logger
When eco-tourists go on a wildlife-viewing trip with the Homalco First Nation, Shawn O’Connor wants them to see more than grizzly bears
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Articles
Photos tell the story of how natural gas was introduced in BC
A treasure trove of images from the Vancouver archives shows how consumers over the past 100 years were sold on the benefits of switching from coal and firewood to a clean, modern fuel
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Mining makes your life possible
It's time for some sober thinking about just how heavily we rely on the minerals we extract from the earth - and what we can realistically do to mitigate the consequences of our own appetites
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Canada at 148: What's the true size of our remarkable resource endowment?
1.8 million workers in the sector create $235 billion in exports – that's a legacy of staggering proportions
Read moreInformed views
The Resource Works movement is gathering steam - and here's why
Nine British Columbians weigh in on why they are willing to state their support for our non-profit society and its projects in support of responsible natural resources
Read moreMaintaining a fair society while protecting the environment
Five insights into the benefits derived from our interaction with natural resources and how they are distributed
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Are risks associated with LNG in eye of beholder?
For the first-time visitor to Osaka's Kyocera stadium, the three gigantic spheres a stone's throw from the gates look, fittingly, like gigantic baseballs. Inside them is a highly flammable substance – yet nobody seems to mind
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Resources are key to BC's future
The sector is the foundational stone upon which the province's economy was built, and it is as important today as ever
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Seeing the future of Canada
Natural resources will drive nation's growth over next 10 years: survey of executives
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Fracking review: regulatory framework is 'robust'
Second report shows that BC natural gas extraction is done safely, but regulations should continue to evolve
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