Alberta, Our Choices Matter
Few people wake up each day looking forward to a life of insignificance. On the contrary: we human beings are schemers and dreamers, and we go through life thinking constantly about our choices. Some things […]
Alberta Fossil Fuel Assets and Liabilities
Alberta and the Carbon Budget: An Update
The carbon budget tells us how much CO2 we can emit without pushing the world past 1.5℃ of heating. If we take the concept seriously — and we should — we have to limit the emissions […]
There Will Be a Lot Less Crude Oil in Canada’s Energy Future
Crude oil will play a declining role in Alberta’s economy and emissions profile — that’s a key message in the Canada’s Energy Future 2023 report released by the Canada Energy Regulator. In my last post, […]
Canada’s Energy Future 2023 Is a Wake-up Call for Alberta
The Canada Energy Regulator issued its latest Canada’s Energy Future report on June 20, and the document contains important news for Alberta. Our oil and gas production is set to drop sharply in the next […]
Alberta Wildfires and Climate Change
Alberta is entering forest fire season again. As this post goes live, 108 active wildfires blaze across the province, over a burn area exceeding 375,000 hectares. Thirty-one of these fires are considered out of control. […]
The Carbon Budget for 1.5 Degrees
The carbon budget for 1.5℃ is a key concept in climate science and policy. But what is the carbon budget anyway? The best way to understand this concept is to think about a bathtub. That’s […]
Alberta and the Carbon Budget
Few people appreciate the impact Alberta fossil fuels have on the global carbon budget for 1.5℃. But the impact is huge. Recently, I calculated the life cycle emissions of Alberta’s crude oil and natural gas. […]
What Is Natural Gas? Hint: It’s Not Natural
Before we investigate Alberta’s natural gas emissions, let’s ask a fundamental question: What is natural gas? In the most literal sense, natural gas is a mixture of gaseous forms of hydrocarbon — mostly methane, along […]
Credibility and Choice Are Our Most Valuable Assets
Assets and liabilities are what we talk about when we talk about oil and gas as a business. Assets are the tangible things we own. They have value. Liabilities are the debts we owe. They […]
Alberta’s Fossil Fuel Emissions
Alberta’s fossil fuel emissions are far larger than many people realize. They play a significant role in the overheating of our planet. This post kicks off a series that will explore the emissions profile of […]