Speaking with Suncor about the issues ignored by the Oil & Gas Industry before Harper approved Northern Gateway Suncor set up a blog (see link below) in which it asks, ENGOs and oil sands players: friends, foes or frenemies? Is there any point in engaging with environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) when they are, at times, oil sands development’s fiercest critics? Having difficult conservations with people who oppose the oil sands is critical. Constructive dialogue helps build understanding and move us closer to a place where we can talk about real solutions to society’s looming challenges After reading peoples comments, I noticed that all critical comment were removed but pro-industry comments remained. When when I commented on that fact, Suncor deleted my comments also until this... Walter Neufeld: Suncor, you say youre willing to engage difficult conversations and yet you delete every comment herein that raises serious questions about the project & the process that was corrupted to achieve the Northern Gateway approval. Curious. Course your depiction of environmental non-governmental organizations as paper cut-outs quietly aquiecing to the decisions already made (approval of Northern Gateway) is an apt metaphor for a process that colluded with industry to undercut all due process to achieve that goal. Give your head a shake These projects will never be built for these reasons Like · Reply · 1 · 9 hrs · Edited ... Suncor Energy: Walter, per our Community Guidelines (https://facebook/suncorenergy?fref=nf...) , we only remove comments or posts that contain profane language. Criticism or questions are certainly welcome. Suncor Energy | Guidelines This is the official Suncor Energy Facebook page. Energy/Utility: 5,017 like this. Like · 11 hrs · Edited … Walter Neufeld If thats true then why did you delete my, and other critcal folks, earlier comments that included criticism but no pofanity? Like · 11 hrs … Suncor Energy: As far as we can tell, we only removed the one comment from you Walter. Your other comment is in response to Trevors below. Like · 11 hrs … Your latest response is not quite right. You did in fact remove at least two other comments which critiqued the oil & gas industry (Industry). And you also removed my comments in response to Trevor Marrs Laudatory Cyber Shilling on behalf of the Industry. Its hard to take your new-found interests in dialogue seriously when the Industry continues to shunn legitimate criticism as though it didnt exist: what is the point of further dialogue under such prejudicial conditions? Furthermore, why would any legitimate environmental non-governmental organizations negotiate with the Industry after, rather than before, the pipeline approval had been granted by the Harper government? There are numerous ways the Industry could have more successfully engaged BC s citizens and thereby achieved a fairer, more reasonable outcome. But the Industry believed the outcome was a no brainer so it marched into BC like Hernando Cortes to claim its pillage prize. You ask: Is there any point in engaging with environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) when they are, at times, oil sands development’s fiercest critics? Yes, but the Industry will have to take a few steps back before it can move forward. Begin by first telling Harper: 1. that the Industry recognizes that it & Harper made a monumental mistake forcing approval of Northern Gateway in-spite-of-the-fact that BC overwhelmingly opposed it 2. that he must immediately rescind his pipeline approval 3. to restart the review process but this time with a much broader scope of consideration that treats BC as an equity partner whos legitimate socio/economic/environmental concerns must be satisfactorily addressed. 4. that real-world alternative resource extraction models exist which benefit the broad interests of the states citizens as opposed to the narrow interests of a single Industry (at the expense of all others).* 5. that the Industry is willing to Indemnify BC from all liability by assuming unlimited, 100% absolute liability for any and all oil spills/Industry mishaps on land, waterways & seaways. The same liability coverage would apply to people, environment, businesses, farms, private/public properties and buildings etc that the Industry might damage as a result of mishaps. 6. (I could go on but Ill stop here, trust you get the point) If the Industry takes steps something like those outlined here, they may begin to be seen as partners with integrity. What do you say? Are you ready to step up your game? If not, its gonna be an impossibly long & hard road for the Industry: its only certainty will be its journeys dead end. * Now compare what Harper & the Industry tried to foist on Canadians to how prudently the state of Norway exploited its national oil reserve treasury for the benefit of all its citizens. Its a damning real-world indictment of the Harper governments negligence and exposes the glaring endemic flaws riveted throughout his secret mandate: CBC Norway studied other oil-exporting countries, and found that the biggest problem was a lack of planning. ...Norway concluded that if you dont have a policy up front, and if you dont have a consensus on that policy, that human nature would tend to favour individual interests rather than coherent national interests. They did not have a clear enough policy for how to manage petroleum resources when they were starting out, [Farouk al-Kasim] said. Norway concluded that if you dont have a policy up front, and if you dont have a consensus on that policy, that human nature would tend to favour individual interests rather than coherent national interests. In 1971, shortly after the Ekofisk discovery, the Norwegian parliament drafted legislation that came to be known as the countrys 10 Oil Commandments. These 10 Oil Commandments form the basic policy on which Norway has managed its petroleum resources ever since, al-Kasim said. And the politicians not only agreed on this document, but they agreed not to debate it in elections and the third miracle ... that they kept their promise. ...government has been smart with its investments. … [Norways sovereign wealth fund] now hit almost $850-billion, and Norway plans to use it to finance healthy retirements for its citizens. The government even renamed it a pension fund. The objective of the fund is to act as a guarantee for all Norwegian citizens as they grow into a pension age, he explained. They see it as an important guarantee that they will have funds to use after their retirement. The biggest differences between Norway and Canadas oil exploitation strategies are clear: Canadians have been reduced to being employees of the oil industry (even though they own the oil) while Norwegians are stakeholders who benefit from substantial returns on investment. Contrary to the Norweigian model, Canadian resource extraction strategies dont work well for most Canadians contrary to how theyre sold by the Harper government & industry. See CBC article by By John Chipman, Iraqi Farouk al-Kasim behind Norway oil fund that is envy of world (Web link: cbc.ca/.../iraqi-farouk-al-kasim-behind-norway...) NB: In the event that you find solace in dismissing CBC as a left wing shill for tree huggers, please view hundreds of likewise articles by most major newspapers … Jim Maloney: Where were you Walter when the then Prime Minister of |Canada, Chretien announced the expansion of the OILSANDS in 1996? BTW, all your retorts add to one thing...........How much MONEY do we get for allowing the pipeline......??? Like · 2 · 18 hours ago ... Walter Neufeld: Jim, Im expressing my perspective here @ Suncors invitation. Your reference to Chretiens policies during his term in office has nothing to do with this debate & appears to be an attempt to derail a meaningful discussion here. The issue isnt about whether or not the scope of the current debate would be A-ok if they were foisted on BC by a Liberal or NDP government: it would not. The issues, if the Industry choses to address them, are about whether or not the Industry will respect BCs concerns. It hasnt to date and BC will not negotiate with a gun to its head (e.g. post Harpers illegitimate Northern Gateway approval). This Suncor Issues Engagement Initiative suggests the Industry feels the need to decide whether to press on as before or whether a new approach is in its best long term interests (please note that an Industry led public re-education program will not cut it). Ive outlined some of the critical path issues and a possible route forward. I suggest you re-read what Ive said to help you engage in a more meaningful debate. Like · 11 hrs · Edited
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:22:17 +0000
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