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4 Wednesday February 24 2016 The Northern Journal is an independent newspaper covering news and events in the western Arctic and northern Alberta. The Northern Journal is published weekly by Cascade Publishing Ltd. Printed at Star Press Inc. Wainwright AB. Publisher.................................................................................. Don Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.21 donnorj.ca Editor...................................................................................... Craig Gilbert 867-872-3000 ext.24 newsnorj.ca Reporter........................................................................ Dali Carmichael 867-872-3000 ext.25 reporternorj.ca Comptroller........................................................Jessica Dell 867-872-3000 ext.20 webnorj.ca Advertising............................................................................ 867-872-3000 ext.26 adsnorj.ca Administration.............................................Jeremy Turcotte 867-872-3000 ext.26 adminnorj.ca Production Manager.......................................Sandra Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.22 sandranorj.ca Graphics.........................................................Paul Bannister 867-872-3000 ext.27 graphicsnorj.ca Letters to the Editor Policy The Northern Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and include a phone number so the author can be verified. Names will be withheld on request in special circumstances where the reasons are determined to be valid. The Journal reserves the right to edit letters for length libel clarity and taste. Opinions expressed in letters and columns are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. EDITORIAL LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR 2013 CCNA BLUE RIBBON CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013 C M C A AUDITED Advertising Deadlines Display ad deadline is Thursday at 400 p.m. Classified ad deadline is Thursday at 500 p.m. Email adsnorj.ca Subscription Rates Prices include GST. 47.25 in Fort Smith 52.50 elsewhere in Canada 105 in the USA overseas 164.30. The Northern Journal acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund CPF for our publishing activities. ISSN No. 0707-4964 This is not really about pipelines. It is about leaving the oil in the ground. Act now or face a violent reaction Thus far pipeline debates have focused on immediate dangers including the potential for explosions or ruptures versus the ben- efits of job and wealth creation specifically in Alberta. Obviously pipelines are an eas- ier safer smarter way to transfer oilsands bitumen than railroad tanker cars that pass through urban centres. This is not really about pipelines. It is about leaving the oil in the ground. It is about the clear and cumula- tive detrimental effect taking fossil fuels out of the ground is having on the planet. LastmonthwasthewarmestJanuaryonre- cord ever. The rate at which polar ice is melt- ing is increasing dramatically. The monster cyclone that just hit Fijiastormof alifetime had wind gusts up to 300 kilometres per hour. Severe weather seems to be the new normal. Evidencecontinuestomountthatthegreen- housegaseffectstemmingfromtheuseoffossil fuelsisindeedthemainculprit.Ourplanethas beenbenignandaccommodatingtoourspecies for so long are greed and ignorance changing that making it into a hostile place What kind of world will we leave our childrens children A background sense of concern is growing. We do not have the luxury to slowly transition from the use of fossil fuels to accommodate the shareholders of industry. It is becoming obvious in peoples minds that immediate and drastic action is needed. There is no political appetite for drastic ac- tionanywherehowever.EventheTrudeauLib- erals swept into power in part on the promise of action on climate change now seem almost complacentinthepostCOP21worldwheretheir extra-largedelegationattheclimateconference in Paris late last year led the way in promoting a bold plan. Esoteric debates over cap and trade versus a carbon tax and whether or not tobolstertheoilindustryinAlbertaareallthat is happening across Canada. How can the Liberals be leaders in climate change when they have so many campaign promises to fulfill so little money to work with a faltering economy regional and pro- vincial demands and huge expectations from different groups of Canadians They simply cant. The problem is similar everywhere yet with no concrete action from governments the level of concern will grow and that will turn into desperation. There have already been protests for several years some of them violent. The movement will expand world- wide as emotions amplify. Right now theres nothing we can do said a spokesperson for the Montrose 9 a US group fighting to keep fossil fuels in the ground by opposing a pipeline. Our elected officials are refusing to take action the reg- ulatory structure has been basically putting us in a time-out ... and we have no other op- tion but to turn to direct action. In a recent interview award-winning jour- nalist and Canadian socialenvironmental activist Naomi Klein mused that this has to be the way forward for opponents of climate change and the industries that are principally contributing to it. We find ourselves in this moment where there are no non-radical options left before us she said. Change or be changed right We cant do it gradually. Drastically reducing the central role of fre- netic consumption engrained in our culture adjusting our collective attitude toward reg- ulating corporations which since the 1980s have benefitted greatly from a free market philosophy among political decision-makers andinthesameveinchangingtherolemoney plays in politics and our political systems are all needed. In short we would have to change our guiding ideology says Klein. The time to deal with greenhouse gases by allowing companies to sell each other carbon credits or to declare an activity carbon-neu- tral because they bought a tree stand some- where else in the world is behind us. The same goes for the debate on which pipeline route or method of transporting oil is safe. The world is changing and not in a good way. Last year was the globes warmest on re- cord and 2016 is projected to follow that trend. Without drastic concrete action weaning us from fossil fuel dependence moving to new supplies of power from truly green sources direct action will escalate within a few years to violent protests on a large scale. This ramp- ing up of emotion with more and more people who have less and less patience until things snap is predicable. It happened in the 60s again during the Arab Spring and in every revolution. It takes a while until people get mad as hell and wont take it anymore but they eventually do. The tipping point is not far away. Any government ignoring this inevita- bility is naive andor foolish. Action is needed now and time is of the es- sence. If a tangible and serious move off fossil fuelsisnotimplementedsoonIslamicStateter- rorists will be the least of our worries. The de- structiveforcesofnaturecombinedwithgroups outraged over the lack of action on it are our coming crises and it is heading this way fast. Oil Respect Standing up for the Canadian oil and gas industry Editor The Canadian oil and gas industry is one of the most regulated and technologically advanced industries in the world. Each year it safely produces refines transports and distributes products from jet fuel to fertilizer while providing well-paying jobs and billions of dollars in tax revenues for all levels of gov- ernment. Yet despite these facts government policy and popular sentiment seem increas- ingly intent on marginalizing the sector and divesting from resource development. Ourindustryisbeinghithard100000oilfield sectorworkersareunemployedandthousandsof businessesareintrouble.CAODCsOilRespect campaign will defend the industry within the context of its national and international image economic benefits and global environmental impact. We will encourage Canadas leaders to fight for the Canadian energy industry. The goals of the campaign are simple To address the mountains of misinforma- tion and half-truths spread by opponents of oil and gas To give regular people who support the industry a voice so they may join the na- tional discussion Toremindthepublicmediaandgovernment that the affordable energy from oil and gas developmentpipelinesrefiningandprocess- ingisoneofthemostimportantreasonswhy developed countries like Canada enjoy such high standards of living. The oil and gas industry is accustomed to the ups and downs of commodity prices. Ours is a cyclical industry and we know that oc- casionally we will go through periods of low prices job losses and consolidation. In this latest downturn however were facing more than normal industry swings. Oil workers arent just losing their jobs families are losing their homes and busi- nesses are going bankrupt. But as bad as all of this is its not new to our sector. What is relatively new however is the very well- publicized and very misinformed criticisms coming from celebrity activists media elites some politicians and environmental radicals. And whats worse all of this is coming at a time when the price of oil is at 13-year lows. We know how the 500000 people who owe their careers to this sector feel. In fact we believe a silent majority of Canadians sup- port the oil and gas industry and they under- stand its importance in their lives. So we are building a campaign to allow these people to speak up and to be heard. Oil Respect will challenge Canadian gov- ernments to stand up for Canadian oil and gas workers and companies already meet- ing much higher environmental standards than those imposed on other jurisdictions. Oil Respect will ask every industry sup- porter to sign petitions for pipeline access and speak up for government policy that at- tracts and retains investment rather than discouraging it. Finally Feb. 13 2017 will mark the 70th anniversary of the Leduc 1 oil well and with it the modern era of oil and gas production in Canada. Oil Respect is asking federal and provincial politicians to celebrate that day as Oil and Gas Awareness Day a symbolic gesture of respect for the positive contribu- tion this industry has made to the lives of so many Canadians. Find out more at www.oilrespect.ca. Mark Scholz President Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors A memorial service was held Feb. 19 at the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly for former Commissioner Stuart Hodgson O.C. who died Dec. 18 at 91. Pictured above NWTs current Commissioner George Tuccaro and former Commissioner Tony Whitford carry a 1967 portrait of Hodgson who served as the NWTs first resident commissioner from 1967 to 1979. Behind them are Hodgsons son Eugene and grandson Evan. PhotobyBillBraden