SALT Submission to the Oilsands Consultation

We live in interesting times bounded by the creation of nuclear weapons which could destroy life on our planet and the time we discover that we have done so much damage to our ecosystem that the results are
irreversible. - Source unknown.

SALT is a social action group made up of seniors. Located in Edmonton, it is committed to advancing the civil society for the benefit of people of all ages in Alberta and beyond.

Global warming is seen by us to be far and way the most serious problem facing the planet. We believe that unless we attend to it all other problems and issues confronting humans and the other life forms on the Earth will be irrelevant. We also understand how utterly dependent humans are on the burning of hydrocarbons to maintain our current lifestyles globally. We see, too, the tremendous difficulties humans will have in ending dependence on fossil fuels. And, ending that dependence is what we must do and as fast as we humanly can! The damage done to our ecosystem by burning hydrocarbons may already be irreparable according to Dr. James Lovelock of the Gaia Hypothesis.

There is now more carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere than there has been for 650,000 years (Scientific American, September, 2006). That amount has increased by an astonishing 19.43 percent since we first started measuring levels daily in 1958. The increase in CO2 levels is largely due to our burning of hydrocarbons. CO2 is a very powerful greenhouse agent, even though it is a very small fraction of the gases that make up our atmosphere (377.38 parts per 1,000,000 by volume).

Our sense is that the evidence supporting global warming from human activity is overwhelming despite the unconscionable efforts by those with vested interests to cast doubt on the phenomenon. Do such people not have descendents?

It is our view that a world wide campaign, the scope and intensity of which has never been mounted in any human endeavour, is needed to end our dependence on hydrocarbon energy sources. The goal is to create renewable energy resources and the wise and equitable utilization of those resources for all people on the planet. SALT members believe such a campaign is both absolutely essential and humanly feasible.

Initial steps in regard to the above include:

1. An immediate slow-down in Oilsands development as part of a plan to cease production there as soon as possible.
   
   
2. A review of the current royalty regime to ensure Albertans are receiving full value for this depleting resource. Royalties should be used to build renewable energy sources for the benefit of all Albertans.
   
   
3. All upgrading of Oilsands production should be done in Alberta.

Submitted by Dr. Brian Staples, Chair of the Seniors’ Action and Liaison Team, on behalf of all the members of SALT