Truth and facts must prevail in Trans Mountain discussion
Today we issued a press release (reproduced below) calling out the political rhetoric surrounding the ongoing debate about the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Earlier in the day I did an interview with Stephen Quinn on CBC Radio’s Early Edition show. In that I expand upon some of the rhetoric emanating from Ottawa.
I also participated on CTV’s Powerplay with Don Martin and was interviewed by Vassy Kapelos well as CBC’s Power and Politics (below).
Media Release
Truth and facts must prevail in Trans Mountain discussion: Weaver
For immediate release
April 10, 2018
VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, is calling for politicians to hold themselves to a higher standard of facts and evidence in discussions around the Trans Mountain pipeline.
“There is an inordinate amount of fear-mongering going on in the political climate surrounding Trans Mountain,” said Weaver.
“In 2018 in this country, our commitment to facts and the truth is more important than ever.
“Today in the House, the MLAs for Abbotsford West and Chilliwack-Hope implied that their communities are at risk due to bitumen shipments by rail, stoking fears that a Lac-Mégantic-style disaster could befall them if the Trans Mountain pipeline does not go through. This is patently false – the truth is that the train in the Lac-Mégantic tragedy was loaded with highly combustible Bakken crude, not heated bitumen or undiluted heavy crude.
“The risk of Trans Mountain lies in the way diluted bitumen behaves in an ocean spill. Studies using suspended particulate matter, which characterizes the water off B.C.’s coast, suggest that bitumen would in fact either form tar balls or sink. There is not sufficient scientific evidence on whether such a spill could be cleaned up.
“In Alberta, Ms. Notley is engaging in her own fear-mongering by alleging this amounts to a ‘constitutional crisis’. It is irresponsible to be throwing such inflammatory terms around when B.C. is simply trying to consult with British Columbians and to seek scientific evidence about a substance that poses a significant risk to our communities and to our economy.
“The Prime Minister acknowledged that the NEB process that led to this project’s approval was flawed, and promised to subject it to a revised environmental assessment process. As an intervener in those NEB hearings, I know that they were woefully inadequate in terms of facts and evidence. For instance, the spill response was predicated on calm conditions and 20 hours’ worth of sunlight in a single day. This is unacceptable and ample evidence suggests that Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Notley’s attempt to strong arm B.C. into rolling over for this project is because of politics, not evidence.”
-30-
Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca
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http://actuariesclimateindex.org/home/ – Your company DEVELOPED it Andrew ? Excerpted verbatim: 4. WHO DEVELOPED THE INDICES? The four actuarial organizations formed two committees that were responsible for managing the research and developing the indices: the Climate Change Committee and the Climate Index Working Group. In addition, Solterra Solutions, a consulting firm in Victoria, B.C., was contracted by the actuarial organizations to provide climate science expertise and research into the appropriate data and methodology for constructing the indices.
Sounds to me like your company was no more than a hired gun to provide meterological context, numbers for this meteorlogical context and methods of manipuation of these numbers to those who DID develop the ACTUARIAL indices. That said, maybe you could post your actuarial license to establish your actuarila bona fides Andrew ? And I add that you were commenting on rail risk and spill risk – without substantiation for either. I further note you have not commented on any CURRENT available spill mitigation research and methods. On veracity Andrew, will you QUIT POLITICS FOREVER if your stated 2% GDP figure for Oil and Gas Nationally is proven irrefutably wrong ? Have you any courage to your convictions, Andrew ? The Nation deserves to know the substance of who is jeopardizing the economic welfare of occupants of Canada from the Atlantic Ocean, to the Arctic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean. I know I will try to put your assertion, and my suggestion, to every newspaper in the land. And this effort will be borne out as fact – although I am not so sure about you banishing yourself forever from elected political life, if it is not borne out that Canada has (only) 2% Oil and Gas GDP. After all, it would require courage of conviction.
Why are you talking like you are representing the people of British Columbia. You are not representing me at all. We the British Columbians never voted for your ideas. So, stop talking like the people of B.C. want this anti pipeline madness. This is insane that the green party and the NDP party ignoring the wishes of the people of B.C., our neighbours and our country. Shame on you all!
First of all, thank you Mr. Weaver for your hard work.
I have recently come upon some information and I wonder if you might comment on it.
Kinder Morgan has contracted to Evraz North America to supply at least 3/4’s of the pipe required for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Evraz NA is a Russia company, operating in Canada. It is owned by the Russian olangard, Roman Abramovich. Abramovich is facing potential sanctions from the united States. I believe that if the sanctions against Abramovich are put into place Kinder Morgan will not be allowed to do business with them and their pipe supply disappears. This would cause a huge delay to their pipeline which, I think, would be unacceptable to their shareholders. I would also think that the Kinder Morgan headquarters would be aware of this issue.
Recently Kinder Morgan has stopped non-essential work on the pipeline until the Federal Government can give them assurances that the pipeline can and will be completed. I don’t think Ottawa can give any real assurances as there are cases before the courts that could end the project. I don’t believe the court cases can be finished by the deadline of May 31.
By putting the responsibility of pipeline completion onto the Federal Government Kinder Morgan may, quite well, sue Canada, under Chapter 11 of the NAFTA agreement, if assurances are not given and the pipeline is not completed when in fact the pipeline could be facing lengthy delays or cancellation because of uncertainty with its supply of materials.
I look forward to reading your thoughts
Keep up the good work.
I think what you are pointing out is very interesting.
In addition, the Kinder Morgan pipeline was proposed with oil price projections of $150 per barrel. Most of the diluted bitumen would go to Californian refineries. With Trump approving Keystone XL its not clear to me that the economics works for KML. I get a sense that we are seeing the project turn into a legal play just like you are suggesting.
Truth is subjective Andrew. And I didn’t know you were an actuary. Facts are inalienable – most of what comes out of your mouth is subjective Andrew. Or lip service. Truth is an instance of quoting one or many of the facts while describing or discussing the subject. The difference between truth and fact is that fact is something that cannot be combated with reasoning, for it is logic itself. But truth is something which depends on a person’s perspective and experience. Rebut this with your facts, Andrew:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/blair-king/on-the-behaviour-of-diluted-bitumen_b_14170984.html
I will address a few things you mentioned with Don Martin in a letter to you, comment on this forum, or both.
I will also address some of the ‘truths” of your adoring audience above, soon. I look forward to your detailed, and referenced rebuttal and comment on that provided above.. Michael Fargey 778-678-3274
Actually Michael, I have done extensive work with Actuaries over the years. If you look at this:
http://actuariesclimateindex.org/home/
It was my company that developed it.
And then this game changer will make that dirty bitumin worth about 10 cents.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-04-10/the-global-oil-market-is-about-to-be-upended
Well said Dr. Weaver. Please support Premier Horgan so we can proudly stand up for truth and decency against this onslaught from politically-motivated individuals who care for nothing but money in their pockets.
Thanks for the great work Andrew. Unfortunately, nobody is talking about the fact that Kinder Morgan is drastically increasing the size of a pipeline in an earthquake zone! The B.C. lower mainland hasn’t experienced a massive earthquake in hundreds of years but a very big earthquake is due. I can’t imagine the devastation if this Kinder Morgan expanded pipeline and tank farm rupture in a big earthquake.
Thank-you for clearly stating facts, not rhetoric. We need to stop subsidizing the industry that is poisoning our planet and ultimately us. The pipeline, annual subsidies, hidden subsidies, tax breaks, and now potential AB taxpayer investment mortgage our future finances, health, and environment. Please continue presenting the facts – all of them.
Not sure which facts you are talking about since you blatantly denied verifiable statistics from Statistics Canada on BNN today. The real truth is that you and your fringe party are choking out the economic prosperity of Canada for your own political benefit. Sorry sir, but the Canadian energy industry is a huge contributor to GDP, and that revenue pays for hospitals, education, social services and more. Your lies will not hold up to scrutiny and analysis.
The oil and gas sector contributes 2% to our national GDP.
Quiet confident that any reasonable and reputable source of facts will show the project is 100% in the national interest and you are just so brainwashed and steeped in political rhetoric that you can’t see that. You are presenting an opinion as fact, when in fact the real data shows otherwise. You flat out denied energy exports as a significant contributor to GDP on BNN today. A complete lie. You are withholding the entire nations prosperity with fake alternative facts that are verifiably false.
It’s 2% of our GDP nationally.
Thank you Mr. Weaver for cutting through the rhetoric and media & political hysteria being ramped up and pointing out the basic points of this issue. Anyone who can look at this objectively will be unable to argue your facts.
Thank you for your clear thinking and standing up to the bullying coming from AB. and Ottawa. There is no way back from a bitumen spill. Thanks again Andrew.
Trudeau and Notley are ignoring the fact that their main opposition comes from the citizens of B.C., not just a political faction.
This is about bitumen, There is no market for bitumen at tidewater on the west coast. The pipeline is planned & designed to ship bitumen. Bahrain alone now has the geographic capacity for a supertanker port and enough sweet crude to supply the world for 30 years. There is no market for bitumen west of Alberta. Given the glut of crude oil, bitumen mining is no longer viable unless it is refined on site. Stop with the nonsense. If Alberta wants to harvest bitumen, they need to be prepared to refine & process it so they have a saleable product.
Well Said and thank you Mr. Weaver. You are one of the only adults in the room it seems while other so called leaders spew rhetoric and tweet their versions of the issues and so called facts which cannot be substantiated.
I see this as a watershed issue in Cdn politics and we need to hold the line as you continue to do!
As others have said their is only a US refinery market the same one that exists today and nothing else. So were protecting their profits which are already on shaky ground given the huge glut of other higher quality oil elsewhere in the world that is cheaper and less damaging to access. I see only one reason to continue any tar sands extraction which would be Cdn energy security but that still requires us to refine it.
Its also remarkable that 2% of our GDP is allotted 38% of national emissions allowances. Our joke of a climate action plan must keep you awake at night. It does me knowing what average Canadians will have to do to meet our targets to allow for Alberta’s dirty business to go on. Pure madness.
Keep up the great well reasoned & researched commentary. Nice to know that there are a few adults in the room representing us.