Friends of Science Society Questions Calls for National Energy Board Reforms Focused on Climate Change

USA - English

• USA - English

Calgary, Alberta, Canada (PRWEB) June 08, 2017 -- Friends of Science Society says calls for reform of the National Energy Board (NEB) should be put on hold, especially considering the Trump administration's pull out from the Paris Climate Change Agreement as reported by the New York Times, June 1, 2017.

On Sept. 8, 2016, the National Observer, reported that 50 environmentalist and activist groups demanded certain reforms to the National Energy Board (NEB).

The demands centre on climate change and indigenous consultation and a report on proposed modernization changes is open for comment until June 14, 2017. LINK: canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/assessments/environmental-reviews/national-energy-board-modernization.html

Friends of Science refutes the proposed changes to the NEB in this May 17, 2017 in-depth analysis posted on their blog written by Ottawa energy policy expert, Robert Lyman, who states: “As amply demonstrated by the Board’s conduct during its review of the Northern Gateway Project and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, the NEB has gone to extraordinary lengths to hear every view and every person who might conceivably be affected by the projects. …It has met an extremely high standard of openness and transparency.”

The National Energy Board: presently: “(a) provides energy advisory functions; (b) regulates oil & gas production on federal lands; regulates construction & operation of oil, gas and power lines under federal jurisdiction; (c) regulates tolls and tariffs of pipelines; (d) regulates imports & exports of oil, gas & electricity; (e) regulates interprovincial oil & gas trade.”

In a recent presentation on May 9, 2017, also posted on Friends of Science blog, Robert Lyman queried “Can Canada Survive Climate Change Policy?” Achieving the drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions required to meet the Paris Agreement targets would shut down all major industries and aviation in Canada according to his calculations.

The NEB’s high quality technical and economic review has led to approvals for several pipelines in Canada, but provincial activist groups and two provincial political parties in BC say they will block them, despite pipeline approvals being under federal authority.

Canada is losing some $50 million a day due to pipeline blockades by anti-oil activists according to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Alberta’s oil sands industry has been relentlessly denigrated and market access blocked by foreign-funded activists, as reported in the National Post, Oct. 3, 2016.

By contrast to the detailed NEB review that energy and utility companies must meet, Friends of Science Society says anti-oil environmental groups are free to propose technically infeasible energy policies as discussed in their report “Due Diligence on Renewable Demands by David Suzuki Foundation.”

ENGOs have no formal vetting body regarding their energy policy proposals and claims, raising unrealistic expectations for the public.

By contrast, businesses have to meet specific parameters to avoid “greenwashing” as outlined in the Competition Bureau of Canada’s statement, reported in LexisNexis The Lawyers Daily on March 2, 2017,

No such standard exists for ENGOs.

The most recent 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change weakened the case for human-caused global warming according to climate scientist Judith Curry and others.

About

Friends of Science has spent over fourteen years reviewing a broad spectrum of literature on climate change and have concluded the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2). Friends of Science is made up of a growing group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens.

Friends of Science Society
P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2S 3B1
Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597
Web: friendsofscience.org
E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org
Web: climatechange101.ca

Michelle Stirling, Friends of Science, http://www.friendsofscience.org/, +1 (888) 789-9597, [email protected]