- one can only wonder why Harper is throwing over $300 million of Canadian tax payers' money at development of carbon sequestration in Alberta

Jeffrey Simpson, On a cost basis, carbon-capture projects are madness, Last updated on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 8:48AM EDT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/on-a-cost-basis-carbon-capture-projects-are-madness/article1329825/ tab 6

Jeffrey, you get high marks for your analysis.

It is great to see people taking a rational, factual approach to these issues. We certainly can't turn to Harper and the Con's for this as they present everything on emotional, fear mongering basis.

Harper keeps saying that he will follow the US approach to global warming. In the US carbon sequestration may make sense only because such a large part of their energy is derived from coal burning. In Canada it isn't. To follow the US on this is, in a word, wrong. Also, given that research and development in the US is so much greater than Canada' it is hard to see Canada being able to compete with the US in development in carbon sequestration technology. This is especially true given Harper's attack on funding for the sciences in Canada, whereas, if I recall correctly, Obama is going the exact opposite direction with their stimulus funding. Further, the tar sands represent a much bigger problem as far as carbon pollution is concerned and carbon sequestration is so much more difficult as to make it not only insanely costly but simply unfeasible.

Harper's strategy on using carbon sequestration is a carry over from the Bush era. Harper trashed Kyoto and was cornered into coming up with some kind of plan to reduce carbon emissions. He followed Bush's approach that science and technology will solve the problem, at some vague point in the future. Pushed further Harper came up with his carbon sequestration plans. He had no rational, factual underpinning for this policy, it was all strictly political.

Given Harper's power base is in Alberta one can only wonder why he would throw over $300 million of Canadian tax payers' money at development of carbon sequestration in Alberta.

Being presented with the realities of carbon sequestration I wonder how Canadians would really feel about this.

Lloyd MacIlquham cicblog.com/comments.html