Former prime minister Joe Clark wrote a book on leadership, an important topic these days. The Council of Canadian Academies’ report on fracking says the scale and pace at which shale-gas resources are being exploited through the use of fracking is challenging the ability to assess and manage their potential environmental impacts.
Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq dismissed its finding, saying: “Shale-gas deposits can be developed safely, responsibly and in compliance with the strict rules in place to protect Canadians.” And at the provincial level, Energy Minister Rich Coleman said: “The report does not give me cause for concern. We’ve never had contamination from a drill. We’ve never had a drill stem leak or fail.”
Millions of litres of water are used and contaminated with fracking. There are court cases in B.C. and Alberta regarding environmental damage from fracking. France, Germany, Bulgaria, New York, Quebec, Newfoundland, Pennsylvania and Hawaii have placed a moratorium on the practice of fracking, and Australia has locked its gates to shale-gas fracking operations to defend groundwater and livestock. Proposals to ban fracking exist in Colorado, Romania, Czech Republic and Northern Ireland.
In the coming week, there is to be a report on extreme climate in the U.S. Of course there is no relationship with the continued development of the oilsands and liquefied natural gas and climate change, is there?
Where is the needed leadership?
Robert Winkenhower
Victoria
