While Canada dithers, the world shops elsewhere for energy – by Gary Lamphier (Edmonton Journal – May 31, 2016)

http://edmontonjournal.com/

Eventually, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government will have to stop talking out of both sides of its mouth and make some tough decisions on whether to support new oil pipelines or liquefied natural gas projects.

Although the Selfie King’s extended political honeymoon is starting to ebb — witness the blowback over his tough guy act in Parliament two weeks ago — we’re no closer to a final decision on key energy infrastructure projects than we were when Trudeau was elected in October.

This isn’t a fresh observation, of course. Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson, among others, has chronicled the Trudeau regime’s chronic aversion to decision-making, and its affection for seemingly endless consultation and protracted regulatory reviews.

In the meantime, with Canadian energy policy adrift, anti-capitalist, anti-fossil fuel crusaders such as Naomi Klein are only too happy to fill the vacuum, flying around the country and delivering instructions to the hoi polloi on how we need to change our evil ways to save sacred Gaia.

Klein was at it again Sunday, oh so helpfully linking the Fort McMurray wildfires and climate change while addressing a University of Calgary conference. “If we are serious about keeping warming below 1.5 C (the target set at the December climate confab in Paris), it does kind of mean the end of the fossil fuel era,” she declared.

Well, here’s the thing. You know, kind of.

For the rest of this column, click here: http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/gary-lamphier-while-canada-dithers-the-world-shops-elsewhere-for-energy