News & Views

Many sectors of our economy rely on our coastal waters as their “marine highway.”

In Part One of our examination, we looked at issues raised by coastal marine management and regulatory developments.

Now Karen Graham and Denise Mullen look further into it all.

Geologist Andrea Cade reports on our SheTalks Resources event in Vancouver, and looks forward to the 2017 edition.

In general, 2015 was another difficult year for the mining industry in British Columbia, given the continued downturn in global metal and mineral prices. In its annual report on BC mining, released during Mining Week in Vancouver, PwC illustrated this story in detail. 

The Trudeau government’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, unflatteringly known as UNDRIP, is already causing gloom and glee.

These posts on BC’s marine regulatory regime originate from the February 2016 issue of the Environment and Energy Bulletin for the Business Council of British Columbia.

Here's what happened when British Columbia mayors visited Fort St. John, the heart of the province's most resource-rich region. 

We were shocked to find out that of the first 163 forest fires in BC this spring, 160 were started by humans.

"Canadian shale gas investment not a mistake": That's the message this week from new CEO of the Malaysian energy company that is behind the largest-ever project planned for British Columbia. 

The road to transitioning British Columbia and Canada to a lower-carbon economy will have bumps, roadblocks and many twists and turns that we may not even be able to see today.

LNG promises a way to lower CO2 reductions for Asian nations heavily dependent on coal - and that is why so many countries are beating a path to Canada's door.

You may (we hope) have seen our series of infographics that we related to Earth Day on April 22.

Like it or not, two-thirds of the large double doubles and grande decaf soy lattes consumed in the province are ultimately paid for by non-metropolitan activities. Any discussion of the future of British Columbia’s economy must begin with acknowledgement of the reality that this is a resource dependent province.

We read yet another online complaint about how slowly Canada works on approval of major LNG projects, and wondered how bad (or good) we really are.

Happy Earth Day. Earth Day can be a day to honour the precious gift that is our planet. Often, however, it is also an occasion to lament, or at least feel guilty about, the way we use it.

There is no question of the importance of natural resources in the BC economy. They are as much as 37.4% of total activity. But what about an equally pressing question: How well are we treating Mother Earth while earning our living on the land?

British Columbia ranks third highest among the provinces in new report card, and when compared to non-resource nations its energy habits could be improved.

Chiefs of five key Tsimshian nations are insisting on "respectful consultation and engagement" rather than PR stunts in assessing a major LNG project, but sadly that is not what we are seeing. 

Alberta's new carbon levy matches British Columbia's $30/tonne level, placing both jurisdictions ahead of others. The premiers of both provinces are showing determination to be leaders, but not sacrifice their economies while others lag.

In an alt-energy world, how do you turn on the power when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing?

No, it’s no optical or cerebral illusion: There really are two rival proposals to build in BC a “green” oil refinery to turn Western Canadian oilsands bitumen into refined fuels for export.

Within minutes of his return last week from a trade foray to Japan, BC’s LNG minister, Rich Coleman, was once more facing a barrage of questions:

Compared to other North American jurisdictions, the carbon price in British Columbia is between twice and 100 times higher. An effort to have BC escalate even higher, while still allowing others to lag behind, increasingly feels like a carnival game in which the odds are stacked against the player. 

It’s time once again to showcase what is surely, bare none, the proudest achievement of Resource Works in the category of sending an important message in a not-so-serious way: the Natural Runners program. 

No matter how small a footprint one wishes to have, today's modern lifestyle is utterly dependent on responsible use of natural resources. For the past two years, the Resource Works Society has placed itself at the centre of this story, building dialogue and understanding about jobs, innovation and the environment.

OP-ED: Resource Works founder Stewart Muir offers a unique and informed perspective about how natural gas is being safely extracted in British Columbia today. This article is provided for the use of news outlets. 

The natural gas industry in British Columbia has come through a decade in which its production capacity skyrocketed because of a period of scarcity and rising prices.

That headline isn’t really ours—it comes from an article by Scott Nyquist and James Manyika of McKinsey and Company—but many of the thoughts are ones we share.

Graphing commodities price fluctuations can get boring, but not for long. 

How is modern hydraulic fracturing a little bit like having a baby? For the answer to this and other questions about earthquakes, seismicity, and safe natural gas extraction, read on. 

So long as the climate movement is limited to fracking opponents, safety alarmists and renewables fabulists, it seems like society will continue to encounter friction on embracing less harmful fuels like natural gas. Those like Resource Works advocating for realistic pathways for growing the green economy are in search of a better path.

With many governments unclear on how they can enhance jobs and affordability, it can be frustrating to watch as global economic opportunities are lost to Canada through indecision. Low commodity prices don't help. Here are a few thoughts to weather the tough times...

Across British Columbia, voices are chiming in about the desirability of a clean, green natural gas export industry. Not only will it cut harmful coal emissions around Asia Pacific, British Columbia's LNG is also a key factor in addressing affordability and jobs at home.

The town of Williams Lake, BC has been on the map in a new way since launch of reality TV show Timber Kings.  

The federal budget released this week marked the first opportunity for the new Liberal government to make its mark on public policy where it counts most: in the pocketbook. Let's take a look at what this could mean for resource economy issues.

Compared to energy giants like Saudi Arabia and the USA, Canada is a pipsqueak at throwing its considerable weight around. If there is a time for that to change, now is it. Let's look at a blood tax, argues Stewart Muir.

Resource jobs have always meant opportunity for hard-working British Columbians. Consistently higher-than-average wages in sectors like forestry, mining, oil, and gas have allowed workers to support themselves, support their families, and contribute back into their communities. That's been true throughout BC’s economic history.

For drivers who see <$1 a litre at the pumps, it may look great, what is less easy to spot is the impact of low prices on the goods and services supply chain. But there are a few things we can look at to gain insight into the extent of the problem.

There can be room for responsible, carefully managed, well regulated development that recognizes Aboriginal rights and title. 

The voice for LNG in B.C. is getting louder and British Columbians who care about their communities are making it all happen. Tomorrow in Terrace, Fort St. John, and Fort Nelson, hundreds of grassroots activists will be rallying to show their support for the Pacific NorthWest LNG project.  

What's the way toward a green economy that also embraces our fundamental need for natural resources? A weekend gathering of code-free hackers had some ideas about where to search for answers...

The number of jobs created by resource development, and their importance, has never been more apparent than now - especially for BC's oil-and-gas workers.

Looking after the land today is the only way we'll be able to reap its beneficial products tomorrow. A group of foresters looked deeply into the concept of stewardship and provided some pointers that might just help a broad audience gain better understanding.

After a distinguished career in Alberta, newest Advisory Council member Roger Gibbins returned home to BC and found old ways of thinking had changed a lot. 

Please welcome two British Columbians to our Resource Works Advisory Council. The new members of our province-wide brains trust are Mona M. Forster, who has an extensive background in the mining sector, and Wayne Dunn, who bring 25 years of senior-level global experience in the corporate social responsibility field.

He is, by profession, a registered professional chemist and a registered professional biologist with an interdisciplinary PhD in chemistry and environmental studies. He’s also a dad, a soccer coach (and a basketball and baseball coach), a science-fiction fan, and a regular blogger known to us and an ever-growing audience as “A Chemist in Langley.”

The more it’s squeezed, the more efficient it gets. That's how it is for one Alberta oil company that has found the current global glut of crude oil to be the mother of invention and efficiency - not pain and hardship.

Relations with our largest trading partner could not be more important in 2016. During a recent Vancouver trip, U.S. Ambassador Bruce Heyman acknowledged the enduring importance of this, noting that even with lower commodity prices the volume of cross-border trade is up. 

Regulators or resource companies – professors or environmental groups. Who do you suppose has the most credibility with the public?

Our Stewart Muir appeared on CBC Radio's BC Almanac show to talk about the green economy. He discussed plans by Canada's premiers to arrive at a national carbon strategy, with leadership from prime minister Justin Trudeau.