Evening Rant

[Samuel]

Here is a video on U TUBE regarding Kimberly Clarke (one of our main customers) and a Green Peace statement.  Its amazing as to how easily the general public can be influenced by this organization.  It drives me crazy to see how much forestry is under the microscope and I see oil and gas companies fragmenting up the entire landscape, and fly completely under the radar, practicing crappy environmental practices as to compare to forestry.  Thats my evening rant...stay tuned tomorrow for...

Greenpeace video

[LeeB]

I don't know about the oil and gas companies in Canada, although I suspect they are just as heavily regulated as in the rest of the world. We are probably one of the most environmentally regulated industries in the world. The companies I work for and have been around take invironmental issues very seriously. We have to because we are under the microscope all the time. Besides that we live on the same planet as you and have the same concerns for it as you. Seems you may have fallen prey to the very same type of propaganda toward us as you are ranting about. Admittedly in the past we were pretty shamefull, as was the forestry industry, but we have come a long ways since the 60's. Don't believe all te BS you see in the movies and the sensationalism you here on the news. It just ain't so.

OK. I'm through with my rant now. LeeB

[WH_Conley]

As LeeB stated, coal and construction have cleaned up their acts to.

[jim king]

Why doesnt anyone make a documentary on the lies , corruption , stupidity and false information created by these groups in order to raise money to pay thier NGO salaries ?¿

It would stand the world on end and open some eyes.  What really needs a cleanup is the NGO industry.

[sawdust]

Like Samuel I live smack in the middle of oil country. This industry is greatly self regulating. Our last premier knew where his financial support came from.
Our oil/gas industry has cleaned up remarkably, we used to have 70,000 gas flares burning in the province in the late 80's now that gas is worth something they have built many small pipelines to collect and sell this gas.
I laughed the day we were out with the ambulance and passed an Air Quality Test Vehicle, they were UPWIND of the local gas plant, spent the whole day there!
I heard and have no idea of the accuracy, the oil/gas leases that are cleared of trees generate more tonnage than the actual forest industry. They must now make sure the lumber gets used, they used to just pile and burn. Flying over Alberta the crown land which is mostly trees is a swiss cheese pattern of oil roads and leases and seismic cut lines. Looking on Google Earth gives you the idea too.
Anything I read, I am aware that someone has a vested interest in the story being told. Read it all with a grain of salt. Even mine.

sawdust.

[Bill]

Course there's always different sides and I remember one I read ( maybe Readers Digest ? ) about Pres ( slick ) Willie. Seems his legal team couldn't write a lease . All the ones they wrote for gas/oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico have legal flaws - which now are used by big oil/gas to avoid paying their fair share ( many billions of dollars over the next ten years as I recall ) of royalties to the US Govt. Of course its not the little guy that sees this - I suspect it shows in the CEO's bonus - not that I would know . . .     >:(

[LeeB]

The leases weren't written in error. I believe what you are talking about is royalty relief for wells in deep water and ultra deep formations. Oil that otherwise wouldn't be drilled for or produced because the risks are just to high. These royalty reliefs are based on a certain amount of prduction and also prices. As the price has risen most of the relief has disapeared. Yea the oil companies make a lot of money, but it takes enourmous amounts to drill and produce a well. And lets face it, we're all trying to make a dollar. Isn't that the name of the game? LeeB

[Bill]

Well now I gotta admit that I only saw the one side of the issue and will have to look into it further before opening my mouth about it again. ( Of course in my defense it used to be I put pretty much faith in RD doing their homework and you're right, every one has to make a buck from someone )

[LT40HDD51]

...They must now make sure the lumber gets used, they used to just pile and burn...

A couple of buddies just got back home from the Fairview area. They were telling me last night about feeding the non-stop fires with 80-ton excavators and D-10s, shoving it all in the pile, big trees, small trees, doesnt matter. One excavator feeding 6, 8, 10 huge fires constantly. "Just fill the excavator bucket (big bucket on an 80-ton...) with diesel and dump it on the pile a couple times, that'll get er goin..." they say. Huge piles of wood get burned every hour out there...

[Samuel]

I don't know about the oil and gas companies in Canada, although I suspect they are just as heavily regulated as in the rest of the world. We are probably one of the most environmentally regulated industries in the world. The companies I work for and have been around take invironmental issues very seriously. We have to because we are under the microscope all the time. Besides that we live on the same planet as you and have the same concerns for it as you. Seems you may have fallen prey to the very same type of propaganda toward us as you are ranting about. Admittedly in the past we were pretty shamefull, as was the forestry industry, but we have come a long ways since the 60's. Don't believe all te BS you see in the movies and the sensationalism you here on the news. It just ain't so.

OK. I'm through with my rant now. LeeB

I hear your point loud and clear, but I am speaking from experience from the Alberta perspective as I was once a Forest Officer looking after both forestry and Oil& gas developments, and I know the differences in legislation.  Most oil companies a round here budget $5000 into project costs knowing full well the highest administrative penalty that can be imposed through the Public Lands Act is $5000.  There is major differences between legal/legislative requirements between the Forest Act and Timber Manage Regs which guide forest companies.  If you seen the hoops that Forest companies have to jump through for approvals as compared to an oil company that is taking forested land out of productivity for 150+ years (as the reclamation standard for an abandoned site is revegetation not reforestation).

Anyhow...enough ranting for me

[LeeB]

As I said, never worked in Canada. I'm truly sorry to hear that my industry is carrying on so shamefully there. I don't blame you for your anger. LeeB

[IndyIan]

Here's an interesting article on what's happening downwind of a refinery in Ontario.
Like most industries they will do what's cheapest until somebody forces them to act responsibly.
I'm sure there are engineers in the company that know exactly what's being emitted from the refinery, and I'm sure they won't be moving there anytime soon!

2 girls born for every boy