At public hearings on the environmental impacts of proposed oil pipelines, Canadians are no longer allowed to discuss climate change: any testimonials concerning how the oil was produced (“upstream effects”) and what will happen when it is burned (“downstream effects”) are considered inadmissible. This new policy was part of a 2012 omnibus bill by the federal government.
So if we refuse to consider the risks, they don’t exist? Or does this government just not care? I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
See the very thoughtful article by Andy Skuce, a geologist who formerly worked in the Alberta oil sands.
