Although few Canadians really grasp the fact, Canada has achieved enormous success in domestic crude oil production. In contrast, the United States has failed by any measure. Oil & Gas Inquirer’s cover story in January/February describes that success . During the first half of the 20th century, Canada struggled desperately to produce oil from its [...]
Electric cars
Is an electric car in your future? I recently came across a thorough survey of the technology – The Comeback of the Electric Car – compiled by the Boston Consulting Group in 2009. The study reviews alternative fuel vehicles, advanced internal combustion engines (ICE), hybrid electric vehicles and the Holy Grail, fully electric vehicles. The [...]
Crusading to drill offshore B.C.
Henry Lyatsky is a fighter. After BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig blew out in the Gulf of Mexico last April, the Calgary geologist/geophysicist stood virtually alone in Canada, defending the petroleum industry in radio debates with eco-activists, NDP politicians and the like. “When the [BP well's] blowout preventer failed to close, that’s an obvious question,” he [...]
Gulf spill methane vanishes
Mother Nature has recovered with remarkable speed following the Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20. Only 120 days after the tragedy (11 workers died, 17 more were injured), offshore methane gas concentrations returned to virtually normal levels. Bacteria feasted on more than 200,000 metric tons of dissolved methane. In [...]
A British snowjob
The first decade of the 21st century has passed. How have the climate worriers fared over that time in terms of prophecies fulfilled? Admittedly, it’s early – weather patterns shift slowly. Even so, David Viner can’t be overly pleased today with his startling prediction in 2000. Quoting this scientist, the Independent newspaper commented that within [...]
UN Cancunistas did diddly squat, thank heaven
Among the blessing that I’m counting this Christmas is the United Nations’ climate change conference recently held in Mexico. In essence, squads of high-spending delegates did nothing to solve a global warming problem that may not actually exist. Now that’s a well-balanced approach. Here’s the official description of the beach party: “The United Nations Climate [...]
Bravo Suncor!
The 2010 Technology Stars are shining. Taken together, the six winners and three runners-up form a stunning showcase of ingenuity and innovation. We at JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group thank all the entrants who participated in the first year of this program. We’re especially grateful to the three industry judges who selected our Technology Stars. Their credentials [...]
Northern realities
Canada’s North is huge and tiny, its area and population being as exceptional as its weather. The Conference Board of Canada includes 80 per cent of Canada in its definition of the North. Only five of the Earth’s 240 nations are larger in area. India, for example, is less than half as big. The Conference [...]
American voters opt for energy and jobs
Most economic policies in this country – from interest rates and trade bargains to energy and the environment – are determined in Washington. Ottawa typically has little choice but to tag along, making a few token changes. So what happened in the U.S. mid-term Congressional elections on November 2 will pretty much set the pace [...]
Academic misfit
Gwyn Morgan, former CEO of Encana Corporation, says Canada’s universities generate a host of under-employed graduates but fail dramatically to provide enough specialists in engineering, science and mathematics. The OECD, in its latest annual report, states that 38 per cent of Canada’s university grads aged 25 to 29 work in “low skill” jobs. After Spain, [...]
