CONTEXT REQUIRED

Re: If we don’t wreck the planet, someone else will (SP, Feb. 11) Context and perspective are required to evaluate Paul Hanley’s conclusion that carbon dioxide emissions from the Keystone XL pipeline and the oilsands will “wreck the planet.”

In fact, technology and innovation are key to responsible oilsands development, a reduced environmental footprint, and significant economic and energy security benefits for Canadians.

On Keystone XL, the U.S. State Department’s extensive environmental assessment of the pipeline project continued to show it would cause no substantive change in greenhouse gas emissions or other undue environmental impacts.

On oilsands, Alberta’s GHG emissions law has been in place since 2007. It requires industry to reduce per-barrel missions by 12 per cent over the life of a project, or pay $15 per tonne into a fund for investing in technology.

Oilsands currently account for 0.14 per cent of GHG emissions worldwide. International Energy Agency chief economist Fatih Birol said recently: “If the necessary (mitigation) measures are taken in terms of the production and transportation of oilsands, this will not have any significant impact on carbon dioxide emissions growth.

Compared to the major emitting countries, this is not peanuts, it is a small fraction of peanuts.”

Nevertheless, the oilsands industry cut perbarrel GHG emissions by 26 per cent since 1990. As we develop the resource to meet demand, we continue to seek reductions through new technology. Greg Stringham Vice-president, markets and oilsands Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers