Is Fort McMurray the extreme threat to the planet that American global warming activists warn when they say continued production from the Canadian oilsands could destroy the world?
The numbers say otherwise.
Numbers can be tedious and boring. One guy who apparently can’t get his head around these numbers is a Montreal high school drama teacher named Justin Trudeau.
But these are numbers that every Alberta oilsands defender should have at hand when oilsands production is attacked.
Data from the Union of Concerned Scientists indicates that in 2015 Canada emitted 550 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, which is two per cent of the world’s total emissions.
Fourteen per cent of Canada’s emissions, or 77 million tonnes, occur during fossil fuel production. Oilsands production emissions account for 10 per cent of the nation's total emissions. Just 55 million tonnes. That is 0.15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
If Canada doubled oilsands production, the level of its oilsands emissions would still be less than one-half of one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. A rounding error.
By comparison, the big three emitters -- China, the United States and China -- , emitted 16,056 million tonnes of greenhouse gas, China emitted 9,049 million tonnes, 28 per cent of the worlds emissions. The United States accounted for 4,997 million tonnes or 15 per cent. India emitted 2,010 million tonnes, or six per cent of the world’s total.
Yet China and India, whose emissions from coal production and use contribute one-third of the world’s annual human-made greenhouse gas emissions were exempted from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and treated with a light hand in subsequent international greenhouse gas agreements.
In Canada, unlike China, the U.S. or India, authorities have capped emissions from oilsands production at 100 million tonnes and imposed at $30 per tonne carbon tax on the current production of 55 million tonnes. And in Canada coal production and use are being phased out.
In contrast, there are no comparable government limits on Chinese and India oil or American coal, oil shale and oilsands climate impacts, although the reserves of those resources in those three countries outweigh emissions from the Canadian oilsands.
These numbers don’t help the anti-oilsands argument so, in the quest to vilify Canadians for their “dirty oil”, the activists who want to monkey wrench the Canadian energy economy find refuge in world population distribution.
Comparing per capita emissions has become the last refuge of these anti-oilsands scoundrels.
There are 1.4 billion Chinese, 1.3 billion East Indians, 327 million Americans and just 36 million Canadians.
As there are comparatively fewer Canadians, there is a way to make them look bad and feel guilty by dividing total emissions by national population.
The smallest country will have higher per capita numbers.
An American Energy Department analysis found that the metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in 2015, were India with 1.7 tonnes, China with 7.5 tonnes, Canada with with 15.1 tonnes, and the United States with 16.5 tonnes.
Although oilsands production makes a minute contribution to total world greenhouse gas emissions, Canada’s per capita ranking sounds like Canadians are rogues bent on destroying the planet.
And that is just not true.
– Frank Dabbs is a veteran political and business journalist, author and editor.
