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Articles
Questioning the “100% renewables” idea might land you in court
When a group of energy scholars wondered about the assumptions behind a “100% renewable” campaign, they got a nasty surprise: a $10 million libel threat. The man behind that threat is renewables crusader Mark Jacobson and this week he is in Vancouver trying to stop climate-friendly LNG exports.
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DYK – Canada's oil sands have 1/20th the emissions of American coal plants
Canada's oil sands are often maligned because they have a carbon footprint, but we often overlook just how small that footprint is.
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Carbon taxes aren't saving the planet, but these ideas will
Resource Works executive director Stewart Muir offers his prescription for moving beyond the conflict and confusion.
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What would 100% renewable energy look like in B.C.?
British Columbia's LNG exports will allow growing Asian economies to reduce their climate emissions. Should this development also mean fundamental changes to BC's own energy system?
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5 reasons why Natural Gas Week matters
From Oct. 7 to 13, Resource Works will be observing British Columbia Natural Gas Week with a program of public service information.
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How Whispering Pines came to support the Trans Mountain pipeline
Chief Mike LeBourdais of the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band relates the conversation he had with the CEO of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project, Ian Anderson.
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Who’s in charge of oil tanker safety on Canadian coasts?
Whom to trust for information about tanker safety? As the Trans Mountain expansion project moves forward, we’re launching a series based on our popular Citizen’s Guide to Tanker Safety and Spill Response on British Columbia’s South Coast. Here's part one.
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October 2, 2018: The day Canada became a global energy power
Moving forward with historic $40 billion LNG Canada project means natural gas from Canada will receive its fair market value as Asian countries, desperate to lower their climate impacts, use cleaner gas to displace coal.
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LNG project will make British Columbia carbon neutral
19 million cars would need to be taken off the road to equal the climate benefits of LNG Canada project. It's time for global thinking now.
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VIDEO: Communicating complexity - two experts tackle the challenge
Whether it is climate policy, oil pipelines, mining, forest licenses, salmon farms or LNG projects, the consequences of being able to convey credible, accurate specialist information are significant.
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What are the challenges for B.C.'s economic development?
What policies and priorities should guide the British Columbia government in managing the provincial economy? On Sept. 28, our Stewart Muir joins a panel to discuss this topic at the second annual Politics, Policies & Priorities conference.
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Here's the latest evidence that natural resources are growing in importance
The resource economy is a thing of the past? Not so fast. New data from the British Columbia government proves the opposite.
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British Columbia's electricity use hit an all-time high in 2017
A new report from the provincial government shows that across all measures – production, consumption, total demand and exports – electricity hit all-time highs last year, says Stewart Muir.
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Advisory Council welcomes a steady voice for communities: Walt Cobb of Williams Lake
Walt Cobb is the mayor of Williams Lake. He joins the Resource Works Advisory Council to share his perspective on the contribution of natural resource activities to healthy communities.
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RESET: Saving the people's pipeline
With $4.5 billion of taxpayer money invested in the Trans Mountain Pipeline, the federal government needs more support than ever in getting the expansion project over the finish line.
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Workers brace for pink slips after federal court decision stops work on pipeline
Thousands of workers are bracing for pink slips in the wake of a Federal Court of Appeal decision that put the brakes on construction of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, reports Don Hauka for Resource Works.
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From Russia, with oil
EXCLUSIVE: This week saw a loaded oil tanker arrive from Vladivostok at the refinery port of Anacortes, Washington. What does this surprising event mean for the Trans Mountain pipeline project? Stewart Muir looks at the situation.
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Bright day for a local green industry that can feed the world
Salmon farming has quietly become British Columbia's leading agricultural sector by export value. Recent scientific findings from the federal and provincial governments came as welcome news for the industry.
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Want to afford Vancouver housing? Aim for a well-paying job in natural resources
Although we constantly hear about the scenic city's affordability problem, almost never are its embarrassingly low salaries flagged as a causative factor.
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Federal move to buy oil pipeline reflects global trend
A report from the International Energy Agency suggests that Canada's $4.5 billion Trans Mountain purchase may be more typical than critics of the deal have maintained.
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Once again, majority of Top 100 B.C. companies are in resources
The idea that natural resources are receding as the driver of the provincial economy proves to be just as mythical as ever. Forestry, mining and other sectors are going from strength to strength.
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Why we're taking such pride in Canadian resources
Why are we suddenly acting ashamed or embarrassed at Canada’s abundant crude oil, natural gas, pulp and paper, lumber, potash, water, coal, land, and base metal resources? Energy executive Paul Colborne makes an eloquent case for getting past those feelings.
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No easy out: climate action's tough and necessary decisions
Acting to reduce emissions means that everybody must sacrifice some degree of unrestrained consumption of hydrocarbons. The question is, will Canadians embrace cross-Canada carbon pricing, which is set to start in 2019? Margareta Dovgal looks at the issue.
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Environmental advocate urges scrapping professional reliance system
Forestry, mining and business groups were quick off the mark with strong criticisms of a British Columbia review calling for a costly overhaul of how foresters, geoscientists, engineers and other professionals are governed. Stewart Muir looks at the issue.
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Stress alert: Salmon farming's new uncertainty has broad implications
Potential chaos in British Columbia's largest agriculture sector means we need to get back to the basics of trust and collaboration, and deal with the reality of differing opinions and uncertain evidence. Stewart Muir looks at the situation.
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Are "subsidies" an actual problem in British Columbia oil & gas?
It's not uncommon to hear critics decrying fossil fuel subsidies as a giveaway to the petroleum industry. When we went looking for them in British Columbia, we found a different story.
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Elizabeth May's criminal contempt action "extremely dangerous": former Supreme Court justice
Two MPs who defied a judicial order using the excuse of "social justice" forgot their role as political leaders. Ian Binnie spoke out on the practice at the Law Society of BC's Rule of Law lecture.
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Funding the transition to the green economy with billions of dollars in tax revenues
Funding the transition to the green economy is possible, but it will cost money. First in a series on the economic impacts of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project. By Don Hauka.
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Unlocking potential of salmon farming depends on crucial decisions
Sharing a vision for the future is the way forward for coastal aquaculture, writes Stewart Muir.
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What good is environmental idealism anyways?
As I see it, writes Margareta Dovgal, the greatest challenge in facilitating a constructive dialogue across Canada on the role of natural resources is in bridging knowledge and perspective gaps.
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Resources: the source of BC's prosperity
Margareta Dovgal shares her thoughts on a weekend roadtrip from Vancouver to Smithers, and back again.
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May 26 is rally day for a strong Canada
Residents of several British Columbia communities will rally on Saturday, May 26 in defence of a strong Canada. Details here.
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Why you should be concerned about Canada's economic path
A record trade deficit shows Canada is not keeping up. Can we get our crude oil to new markets in time to reverse this growing trend? Maybe, but it will take a pipeline.
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Salmon farming has a key role to play in protecting wild fish
Although you might not know it from coverage in some media of late, salmon farming is one of the greenest and most sustainable rural industries that British Columbia has going for it. Stewart Muir looks at the situation.
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Federal government has no choice but to hold its nose and invest in Trans Mountain expansion
There are rare moments when Canada’s federal government must step outside its normal way of doing business for the good of the nation. Now is such a moment.
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Not too late for Trudeau to spare First Nations unwanted impacts of Bill C-69
Improve Canada's energy project process as needed, argue these experts, but be cautious with federal legislation that puts energy security at risk.
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In search of policy coherence in Canadian carbon taxation
Stewart Muir, Resource Works executive director, delivered this talk at Mining Week 2018 in Whitehorse, Yukon.
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Putting a face to the pipeline – one company's story
Resource Works met the founder of a B.C. family business, Surerus Pipeline, that is tooled up and ready to proceed with twinning a section of the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
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Citizen's Guide to Tanker Safety & Spill Response: Second edition now available
An authoritative and comprehensive source of relevant information about oil tanker safety and spill response on the south coast of British Columbia.
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The progressive case for supporting Kinder Morgan
In a nutshell, taking care of the environment and ensuring that we have a strong Canadian economy are not contradictory – in fact, they can go hand in hand. Being a progressive that wants our society to deliver on social commitments, like poverty eradication, requires also understanding that without economic growth – growth that hinges on market access for Canada’s most valuable commodity – we cannot provide jobs and a social safety net for Canadians.
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5 reasons why KM is the safe way to get Canadian oil to market
The twinning of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, has generated considered discussion and debate. You’ve probably seen your fair share of handwringing, whether about the project or the delays it has encountered. Much of it has, unfortunately, been premised on a poor understanding of the risks as they stand. All-too-frequently, opponents of the TMEP fan fear by pointing to concerns about oil tanker safety that are at odds with what the experts say or misrepresent the probability of risk. Now’s the time to clear some facts up.
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Scientific studies are ongoing to ensure dilbit behaviour understood
Extensive research shows that diluted bitumen behaves much the same way as other heavy oils. Here is an excerpt from the Citizen's Guide to Tanker Safety and Spill Response on BC's South Coast, published earlier this month.
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Resource denial: Watching the BC Greens denigrate resource people with worrisome implications
The BC Greens, who hold the balance of power in the province's Legislature, have revealed just how contemptuously they view resource people, and how little they understand the basis of Canadian prosperity.
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Counting the risks of Canada of losing yet another pipeline project
Environmental, social and economic questions abound when considering major energy infrastructure investments that have aided humanity's recent gains. We should take care not to thwart the innovation that can be the defining thread of humanity’s progress over the next century.
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Cheap attack on responsible Canadian resources a black eye for Greenpeace UK
Greenpeace UK is known for its outrageous stunts to capture media attention, but by lying about the Canadian oil sands it is not only misleading Britons – the group is harming global climate progress.
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Key First Nation open to pipeline, and seeks "a reasonable solution"
It's another sign that indigenous leaders have recognized the need to stand up and be counted when it comes to projects that can help them break free of the poverty trap.
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Should Canada refine its crude oil instead of, or before, exporting it?
It seems like a common sense argument to state that a raw resource becomes more valuable if it is manufactured into a refined product. Yet this assumption remains a controversial one in 2018, especially when it comes to crude oil and pipeline politics. Stewart Muir shares his research.
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Debunking six myths about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
DYK? The pipeline's expansion is legally in the national interest, and the approval process heard from 1,650 intervenors and commenters.
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What is revealed by an honest appraisal of pipeline safety
To hear some tell it, pipelines are an inherently unsafe way to move crude oil because they will (so the story goes) inevitably spring a leak.
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