Category Archives: Environment

Fossil fuels Are Running Out of Time

Fossil fuel proponents are becoming more concerned about the path forward for the industry. This year we have seen a barrage of insurance companies and international investors pulling their support out of Alberta fossil fuel projects. Although the federal and some provincial provinces claim they want to reduce emissions, only a small fraction of the amount that gets allotted to fossil fuels gets spent on renewable energies. Canada subsidized the fossil fuel industry to the tune of almost $60 billion in 2015.

The federal government is also offering support to the renewable industry as well.

August 23, 2019: The Government of Canada announced $25.4 million in support for the Terrapin and Greenview Alberta No. 1 Geothermal project in Alberta, through the Emerging Renewable Power Program
January 24, 2019: The Government of Canada announced $15.3 million in support for the Suffield bi-facial solar project in Alberta, through the Emerging Renewable Power Program
January 11, 2019: The Government of Canada announced $25.6 million in support for the DEEP Earth Energy Production geothermal project in Saskatchewan, through the Emerging Renewable Power Program
September 20, 2018: The Government of Canada announced $29.8 million in support for the Halagonia Tidal Energy Ltd. project in Nova Scotia, through the Emerging Renewable Power Program.

Since Covid19 the government was warned that the clean-tech industry was in trouble. They received little help, but G20 countries poured 16 billion into helping fossil fuel producers.

In a report Paul Morris , director for In Situ Strategic Technology at Suncor Energy, said global sentiment about the hydrocarbon industry is negative and this issue needs to be addressed. Canadian sentiment is the same, he added. It seems companies are realizing time is running out if they ever hope to be at net-zero carbon emissions and they fear the technology to produce this doesn’t even exist yet. With added pressure, social license for fossil fuel development is disappearing, as increasingly more people are demanding an end to the pollution.

Natural Resources published an infographic showing the health care costs in Canada resulting from exposure to air pollution. It claims the cost could reach 250 billion by 2031.

There’s need for increased investment in technology development in Alberta and the government needs to be prepared to take the risk, funding these developments. From all the bluff and blunder from Alberta premier Jason Kenney, one would think it isn’t likely to happen but sometime during the week of July 22, his government is providing $58 million through ERA to support this as an opportunity to create jobs in the natural gas sector. Here is an example of projects this money will fund.

MultiSensor Canada Inc.
Methane Imaging Solution for Continuous Leak Detection and Quantification for Tank Emissions and Facility Monitoring
Total project value: 3,200,000 | ERA commitment: 1,600,000
Permanent installation and demonstration of an infrared cameras at 100 well sites to provide continuous leak detection and quantification for tank emissions and facility monitoring.

Qube Technologies
Emissions Reductions Through Artificial Intelligence
Total project value: 16,200,000 | ERA commitment: 4,000,000
Deployment of an industrial device designed to collect large quantities of data to use artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to better quantify, locate, and classify emissions.

University of Calgary:
Field-Scale Deployment and Acceleration of Made-In-Alberta Technology for Fugitive Emissions Detection and Reduction
Total project value: 3,200,000 | ERA commitment: 1,600,000
Full-scale, field pilot of a new vehicle-based technology designed for equipment-level emissions screening to support effective regulatory leak detection and repair.

A full list of the projects can be found here.

The demand for oil & gas has really taken a beating since around the time Coviod19 started. It can’t all be blamed on the pandemic though. The Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war started just before we were partially immobilized, and it had already started dragging the prices lower.

Although what could be considered being true to character, Mr. Kenney is still propping up a dying industry with the promise of jobs. It almost seems like he might have turned over a green new leaf.

Businesses and governments are realizing a change is coming. They’ll have to change or risk being put out of business. Governments too. Lip service only goes so far.

Does Alberta Need More Coal Mines?

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File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crowsnest_River_0178.JPG

An article in the Medicine Hat News describes the benefits they’ll see by having Highway 3 upgraded. The upgrade will carry through to Lethbridge. It’s said these repairs are crucial to the “Hat” and there is some discussion about twinning the highway. The Globe and Mail says, “Alberta is adding $1 billion to its budget to repair more roads, schools, bridges and potholes as a way to create jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.” No doubt, a lot of people will be thrilled.

Some upgrades being discussed are:

• Security building;
• Highway 3 intersection;
• Access road from Highway3 to the mine infrastructure area (approximately seven kilometres);
• Access road system from the mine infrastructure area to the pit operations (currently in the preliminary planning phase);
• Service road system from the mine infrastructure area to the CHPP infrastructure and train loadout area
• Water management structures including raw water wells for groundwater, CHPP reservoir, storage tanks, distribution pipe network;and
• Site-wide drainage civil works.

Understandably this will be a great advantage for Lethbridge and Medicine Hat businesses and residents. It will also be a huge benefit to Benga Mining Limited, from Australia, operating as Riversdale Resources. The Grassy Mountain Coal Project is being watched for its success very closely by a number of companies who will follow the company into the area to establish other mines.

It is unfortunate that such a pristine area of Alberta will destroy 2,800ha in the name of progress. Even more unfortunate if the mine is successful! They’re seeking approval for six extensive mountain top removal coal mines. Totalled, these could leave a path of destruction of 30-50 kilometres.

An article in the Prairie Post quotes Alberta Premier Jason Kenney as saying:

“We are also working on a potential additional metallurgical coal mines in the Crowsnest Pass. There are some big Australian multinational companies that have struck a partnership with the Piikani First Nation and (it’s) quite advanced,” added Kenney. “We have been clearing the way of regulatory hurdles. We may see multi-billion dollar capital investment in new coal miners in the Pas and that would certainly accelerate continue twinning especially on the west side of Highway 3. We want to move those potential coal mines ahead as quick as we can. As I say, this 46-km stretch will be done in 2023. If we get a commitment on one of those big coal mines before that, I think we may be able to expand the twinning in the medium term rather than the long term.”

This isn’t a thermal coal project for generating electricity. They’ll be mining metallurgical coal used in the construction of steel.

People today are still haunted by the Hillcrest mine disaster that happened in the Pass. It was the worst coal mining disaster in Canadian history which resulted in 189 of 228 workers killed. It happened on Friday June 19, 1914.

Tech Coal in British Columbia is having a huge problem with selenium contamination. It’s getting into the waterways and being detected as far away as Montana. It can cause growth impairment in fish, gill damage and even death. Some of the fish found in Elk River Elk River had deformities. The same environmental issues will have to be addressed at Grassy Mountain too. This mine will start on a previous site that was mined many years ago. (Pictured below)

While many people will be happy to have the work, there are health concerns for workers as well. A Wikipedia about it says, “published studies also show a high potential for human health impacts. These may result from contact with streams or exposure to airborne toxins and dust. Adult hospitalization for chronic pulmonary disorders and hypertension are elevated as a result of county-level coal production. Rates of mortality, lung cancer, as well as chronic heart, lung and kidney disease are also increased. A 2011 study found that counties in and near mountaintop mining areas had higher rates of birth defects for five out of six types of birth defects, including circulatory/respiratory, musculoskeletal, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and urogenital defects.

These defect rates were more pronounced in the most recent period studied, suggesting the health effects of mountaintop mining-related air and water contamination may be cumulative. Another 2011 study found “the odds of reporting cancer were twice as high in the mountaintop mining environment compared to the non-mining environment in ways not explained by age, sex, smoking, occupational exposure, or family cancer history. “

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has a report, ‘Environmental hazard assessment of Benga Mining’s proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project’ written by A. Dennis Lemly. He states, “A scientific analysis of environmental hazards of the project reveals numerous flaws in both the projected environmental performance of the mine and its regulatory control. From both environmental and economic perspectives, the proposed mine will do far more damage than can be reasonably justified on any level.

“The process of open-pit mining requires surface disposal of residuals, that is, the waste rock removed to gain access to the desired coal seam. This creates a stockpile of material which has the potential to produce large volumes of contaminated wastewater due to precipitation-induced leaching of toxic heavy metals, trace elements and other materials from the mineral matrix of the rock.”

An article at ‘Alberta Views’ explains the usual process of remediation. It says, “As the companies exhaust parts of the mine they are required to reclaim the site. This usually involves bulldozing the spoil heaps to slopes of less than 27 per cent and then spraying fertilizer and seed on top to get vegetation established. Even then, toxic chemicals can leach into nearby streams for decades.”

Before the companies are permitted to mine, they must have a plan in place for remediation. With the millions of dollars Alberta will spend on remediation of oil wells, we see that companies don’t always live up to their promises. Although they have good intentions, some of the waste piles just have a little dirt piled over the top of them.

Alberta doesn’t have to worry about the emissions produced by making steel with the coal. Most of it will be going to Australia. They will use half of it to make steel and sell the other half. Australia earns a lot of money selling metallurgical coal. It’s playing a central role in fuelling a steel boom in China. The world needs steel, so emissions are largely ignored according to Greenpeace. Overall we’ll be increasing emissions on a global level and contribute more to global warming, regardless of whether we get any honorary mention for it.

Is there a climate crisis?

One wouldn’t think so by taking a look at Alberta. In Ottawa, Trudeau seems to be leaning towards a greener future for Canada but there isn’t any way to score his card so far. There isn’t anything on it.

Joe Biden, who’s in the lead for the presidency, is teaming up with representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York. Last year, Mr. Biden proposed a $1.7 trillion plan aimed at achieving 100 percent clean energy and eliminating the country’s net carbon emissions by 2050. His teammate, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, may help him realize this goal.
If Mr. Biden wins, Canada may be forced into plan two.

What’s plan two?

Nothing really. We aren’t a force for climate change, we’re just riding on the shirttails of those who are, and we’ll be dragged into a green new deal whether we’re ready or not.

Northern fish are tough, but climate change is causing some to dwindle

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Salmon spawn in an Alaska river.
(Shutterstock)

Alyssa Murdoch, York University, Canada; Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle, University of Saskatchewan, and Sapna Sharma, York University, Canada

Summer has finally arrived in the northern reaches of Canada and Alaska, liberating hundreds of thousands of northern stream fish from their wintering habitats.

Through the long winter, many have endured cramped, icy quarters with perilously low oxygen levels. Others have recently journeyed incredible distances from large rivers and lakes to small summer habitats upstream.

Northern stream fish come from a long line of hardy adapters. Their ancestors were well equipped to survive multiple ice ages and then go on to colonize some of the coldest newly accessible northern habitats. They thrive in some of the most dynamic conditions on the planet, from short intense summers, with up to 24 hours of sunlight, to long cold winters with limited light and food.

Ice breaking up on a small northern stream.
(Alyssa Murdoch)

But the survival tools these fish have used for millennia — exceptional tolerance to cold, slow growth rates and long lifespans — could be a disadvantage as environmental conditions in the north warm and more fast-paced species move in.

Our research team set out to see how stream fishes were responding to unprecedented environmental changes across their northern ranges. Ultimately, we wanted to know how these changes might affect the hundreds of thousands of people in Alaska and northern Canada that rely on local fisheries for food, culture and economic security.

A good news story?

On the surface, the results from our study appear to provide a “good news” story. Warming temperatures were linked to higher numbers of fish, more species overall and, therefore, potentially more fishing opportunities for northerners.

Initially, we were surprised to learn that warming was increasing the distribution of cold-adapted fish. We reasoned that modest amounts of warming could lead to benefits such as increased food and winter habitat availability without reaching stressful levels for many species.

Photo of Arctic grayling (left) and Dolly Varden trout (right)
(Alyssa Murdoch; Lilian Tran/Nunavik Research Centre and Tracey Loewen/Fisheries and Oceans Canada)

Yet, not all fish species fared equally well. Ecologically unique northern species — those that have evolved in colder, more nutrient-poor environments, such as Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden trout — were showing declines with warming.

Fish strandings and buried eggs

Recent news headlines run the gamut for Pacific salmon — from their increased escapades into the Arctic to massive pre-spawning die-offs in central Alaska. Similarly, results from our study revealed different outcomes for fish depending on local climatic conditions, including Pacific salmon.

We found that warmer spring and fall temperatures may be helping juvenile salmon by providing a longer and more plentiful growing season, and by supporting early egg development in northern regions that were previously too cold for survival.

In contrast, salmon declined in regions that were experiencing wetter fall conditions, pointing to an increased risk of flooding and sedimentation that could bury or dislodge incubating eggs.

Headwaters of the Wind River within the largely intact Peel River watershed in northern Canada.
(Don Reid/Wildlife Conservation Society Canada), Author provided

Interestingly, we found that certain climatic combinations, such as warmer summer water temperatures with decreased summer rainfall, were important in determining where Pacific salmon could survive. Summer warming in drier watersheds led to declines, suggesting that lowered streamflows may have increased the risk of fish becoming stranded in subpar habitats that were too warm and crowded.

The fate of northern fisheries

The promise of a warmer and more accessible Arctic has attracted mounting interest in new economic opportunities, including fisheries. As warming rates at higher latitudes are already two to three times global levels, it seems probable that northern biodiversity will experience dramatic shifts in the coming decades.

Despite the many unknowns surrounding the future of Pacific salmon, many fisheries are currently thriving following warmer and more productive northern oceans, and some Arctic Indigenous communities are developing new salmon fisheries.

As warming continues, the commercial salmon fishing industry is poised to expand northwards, but its success will largely depend on extenuating factors such as changes to marine habitat and food sources and how many fish are caught during the freshwater stages of their journey.

Even with the potential for increased northern biodiversity, it is important to recognize that some northern communities may be unable to adapt or may lose individual species that are associated with important cultural values.

A local fish camp along the Yukon River.
(Dennis Zimmermann/Big Fish Little Fish Consultants), Author provided

For example, many Yukon First Nations, including Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, have voluntarily refrained from fishing their main traditional food of chinook salmon to help stocks recover. Other communities that rely on increasingly vulnerable northern-adapted species such as Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden trout may also be at risk to future changes.

Although climate change action is urgently required at the global level, there are still tools that environmental managers can employ locally to reduce some of the effects. For example, watersheds with an elevated risk of flooding during the salmon incubation period could have more stringent streamside habitat protections, such as preserving larger areas of streamside vegetation from development, actively revegetating disturbed areas and conducting site-specific erosion and sediment control studies. In dangerously warm and dry years, fishing quotas could be reduced to limit salmon die-offs.

Ultimately, we advise that getting ahead of these impending changes by preserving the integrity of large intact watersheds will be key for protecting these evolutionary superstars from new human-driven pressures.

Alyssa Murdoch, PhD candidate and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada Weston Fellow, York University, Canada; Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada Conservation Planning Biologist and Adjunct Professor of Conservation Biology, University of Saskatchewan, and Sapna Sharma, Associate Professor and York University Research Chair in Global Change Biology, York University, Canada

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Who’s Insuring the Trans Mountain Pipeline?

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NO PIPELINES ON STOLEN NATIVE LAND: Climate campaigners and Indigenous peoples across Canada have spent the past several years protesting the Trans Mountain pipeline. (Photo: Mark Klotz/flickr/cc)

A new campaign is demanding these companies respect Indigenous rights and drop their coverage
by Elana Sulakshana

Rainforest Action Network recently uncovered a document that lists the 11 companies that are currently insuring the controversial Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline in Canada. These global insurance giants are providing more than USD$500 million in coverage for the massive risks of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, and they’re also lined up to cover the expansion project.

The existing Trans Mountain pipeline is a major environmental and public health hazard with a long history of disastrous spills. Earlier this month, 50,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from a pump station located above an aquifer that supplies the Sumas First Nation with drinking water.

The Trans Mountain Expansion Project would multiply these risks tremendously. Though it is officially called an “expansion,” this is no minor renovation. The Canadian government, which owns Trans Mountain, is attempting to build a parallel pipeline that would ship more than 890,000 barrels per year of highly-polluting tar sands crude oil to the coast of British Columbia.

For more than a decade, the expansion of Trans Mountain has been delayed in the face of powerful, Indigenous-led resistance on the ground and in the courts. It has not secured the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous communities that are directly in the pipeline’s route. Right now, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Squamish Nation, and Coldwater Indian Band are actively engaged in legal challenges on the project, and land defenders are asserting their rights and title along the route.

Furthermore, pushing forward this project flies in the face of Canada’s commitment to cut emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. To keep global warming under 1.5ºC, we must stop expanding tar sands – and all fossil fuels – and instead invest in a just transition to phase out existing operations.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the government and corporations are doubling down on their destructive plans to build new fossil fuel projects. Bulldozers that are laying the initial pipe on Trans Mountain have not quieted, even though this construction poses major risks to Indigenous and rural communities in its path, as well as workers that are housed together in close quarters. In Alberta, viral outbreaks have been linked to man camps at tar sands extraction sites, and yet the province’s energy minister proclaimed that now is a great time to construct a pipeline, due to social distancing protocols that limit public protest.

The risks of these pipelines are so great that under federal law, the current pipeline and its expansion are not able to transport any oil without insurance. So if we can stop the flow of insurance money, we can stop the flow of oil.

We’re ramping up the pressure on the insurance companies that are providing critical financial support.

Who’s insuring the pipeline? (2019-2020)

Here’s the list of insurance companies that are providing coverage from August 2019 through August 2020:

Zurich (Switzerland)
Lloyd’s (UK)
Liberty Mutual (US)
Chubb (US)
AIG (US)
WR Berkley (US)
Starr (US)
Stewart Specialty Risk Underwriting (Canada)
Energy Insurance Mutual (US)
Temple Insurance (Germany), a Canadian member of the Munich Re group
HDI (Germany), which is owned by Talanx / Hannover Re

These insurance policies are being arranged by the biggest insurance broker in the world: Marsh. Fun fact: Marsh is also currently under fire for facilitating insurance for the Adani Carmicheal coal mine in Australia.

Trans Mountain’s insurance policy is up at the end of August, so we are urgently calling on these companies to:

Publicly commit to not renew their insurance policy for Trans Mountain for 2020-21;

Moving forward, rule out insurance for all tar sands extraction and transport projects and companies;

Adopt a policy to ensure that projects and companies they insure have obtained the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of impacted communities.

We’ve made some progress. In late June, Talanx indicated that it already dropped the pipeline, and Munich Re signaled that it will not renew its policy. These two German insurers recently adopted policies restricting tar sands business.

A global coalition of environmental NGOs, First Nations, and insurance campaigners is demanding that the rest of Trans Mountain’s insurers follow suit and stop being complicit in the violation of Indigenous rights, spread of COVID-19, and the desecration of sacred waterways and the global climate.

Elana Sulakshana leads Rainforest Action Network’s campaign pressuring the U.S. insurance industry to stop making the climate crisis worse. She has been active in the climate justice movement for the last eight years, most recently organizing for just and equitable climate policy in Washington State, fighting fracking in the U.K., and campaigning for universities to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in communities.

Steve MacLellan

Ramble On

Category Archives: Environment

Top Fossil Fuel Operators_2020 in a post-pandemic future

Fossil fuels Are Running Out of Time

Does Alberta Need More Coal Mines?

Northern fish are tough, but climate change is causing some to dwindle

Who’s Insuring the Trans Mountain Pipeline?