Pipe Dream - Michelle Stirling at Friends of Science

May 8, 2025

During the March 2025 election campaign in Canada, there seemed to be a sudden consensus by campaigners that Canada should build pipelines and create energy corridors so that we could reach external markets with our oil and gas, and thus enhance our economic independence from the USA and improve our financial books. In this video, Michelle Stirling, Communications Manager for Friends of Science Society, considers all the impediments that most advocates either don't see, or are ignoring. Numerous bills would have to be repealed - especially Bill C-12, the Net Zero Accountability bill. For any major project in Canada, the embodied emissions of such construction would defeat Canada's attempt to reach Net Zero targets. Another aspect is that Canada needs to scrap Bill C-69 the "no more pipelines bill" which created the Canada Energy Regulator and the Impact Assessment Process - which are very subjective, compared to the formerly highly technical review and approval process of the now defunct National Energy Board (NEB). And there is a well-connected, extremely well-funded group of environmental/climate "charities' which ran the Tar Sands Campaign for the past ~30 years which, in Stirling's opinion, is not about to stand down. They have simply been quiet during the campaign. Canada has very stringent environmental and climate regulations. In Stirling's opinion, the country is well-beyond needing such a large group of environmental/climate critics for oversight, as taxpayers already employ thousands of bureaucrats, scientists and monitoring organizations. As of April 2018, when Kinder Morgan (KM) "dropped tools" (stopped work) on Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline, Canada has been seen by key market players like PPHB Energy Bankers of Houston report that Canada is a 'hostile' place to invest and do business. KM stopped work largely due to incessant opposition from the Tar Sands Campaigners; the federal government was forced to buy TMX, because Canada does need revenue and people do need oil and gasoline. There are serious challenges for Canada going forward, because the changes necessary cannot be resolved overnight. If you like our work, please subscribe, like, and share. Help us with a donation: etransfers: contact@friendsofscience.org or go to our website, join and become a member! https://friendsofscience.org/