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Alberta’s oilsands and their environmental legacy — perhaps the single issue that most defines the province’s economy and relationship with the world — has been largely absent from political debate since the provincial election was called, observers say. Photograph by: Chris Schwarz, Edmonton Journal |
Alberta election 2012: Environment issues largely missing from election campaign
By Trish Audette,
edmontonjournal.com
April 14, 2012
EDMONTON - Alberta’s oilsands and their environmental legacy — perhaps the single issue that most defines the province’s economy and relationship with the world — has been largely absent from political debate since the provincial election was called, observers say.
Over the last three weeks, the race for control of the legislature, seen by many as a battle between Alison Redford’s Progressive Conservatives and Danielle Smith’s Wildrose, has been occupied by public-versus-private health care questions, talk of how to balance budgets and spend surplus energy revenues, and discussion of “conscience rights” and MLA accountability. That mash-up of debates has pushed the cleanup of oilsands tailings ponds or greenhouse gas emissions off the agenda, apart from campaign promises made by NDP leader Brian Mason and Alberta Liberal leader Raj Sherman, both of whom are polling low among decided voters.
Chris Severson-Baker, managing director of the Alberta-based environmental think-tank Pembina Institute, notes the future of the province depends not just on the oilsands themselves, but the world’s perception of the oilsands.
“(The environment) hasn’t been discussed at great length, which is surprising of course because the development of the oilsands resource and (related) environmental concerns ... especially those expressed by our markets, the international community where Alberta wants to sell the oil, is a huge issue,” says Severson-Baker. “It’s such a big issue that the previous government was dealing with right up to when the election was called.”
If Severson-Baker could offer a wish-list of environmental issues for leaders to discuss before Albertans cast ballots on April 23, he said he would like to see conversations about credible strategies to combat climate change, strengthening tailings ponds cleanup laws, and enhancing the bio-diversity of the oilsands region as mining areas are reclaimed.
