Oil is extracted from oilsands by using a little substance known as steam. Nuclear power plants run on steam (nuclear reaction heats water to make steam, goes through a heat exchanger and more water is boiled off, then it hits the turbines to generate power). We are currently buring, literally, tons of natural gas to generate the steam necessary go get oil...does it really make sense to use one non-renewable resource to get another? Granted, uranium is, technically, a non-renewable resource, but the world's largest supply of it is only a couple hundred miles to the northeast in the People's Republic of Saskatchewan. Hell, even if we don't generate a single kW of electricity, a more efficient way of generating the steam necessary for the oil extraction will be worth its weight in gold!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Alberta's Nuclear Option
While you're talking to contenders for King Ralph's job on the BBQ circuit this summer, consider asking them a question about their stance on putting some nuclear plants up in Ft. McMurray for the oilsands.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Early Frontrunner Officially Joins Leadership Race
After a long serving and personally popular leader is forced from office, the former finance minister has officially joined the race to succeed to both the party leadership and a return to Cabinet at its head.
Now, the media has declared that former minister as the runaway front-runner for the leadership of the party. He is expected to walk away with the leadership after a pro-forma leadership race.
Sound familiar?
The one difference is, this is the Alberta provincial PC leadership race, not the famous Martin takeover of the federal liberals...and we all know how well that one worked out.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Dinning will be the same disaster that Mr. Dithers was in 24 Sussex. Personally, I respect him greatly, and think that if the predictions of his victory are realized, he will serve the Province admirably as Premier.
It's just that coronations tend to stifle the debate about the future that a good, competitive leadership race can foster. Strong competitors challenge each other and put forth differing visions of the future for the members of the party to weigh, consider, and choose between. Here's hoping that the PC leadership race is less a coronation, and more a competition.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Why is it the words "National" and "Federal" have become synonymous in the Canadian political lexicon?
Activists seem to believe that every problem that our society faces has a "National" solution. By this they mean that the federal government should drive the bus. it seems that its been easier (TBD if that will change significantly) for them the lobby the feds to get their interventionist policies in place, rather than having to lobby 10 provinces for the same thing...inevitably some provinces will tell them to get stuffed and they won't control the entire country.
While I tend to agree that some programs need to have "national standards" to ensure that people can move from province to province more smoothly, but that does NOT mean the feds need to stick their noses further into provincial jurisdiction.
Let's look at the greatest intrusion that currently exists: the "Canada Health Act". Looking at the Canadian Constituion, it's clear that health is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Provinces. However, in the name of "National Standards", the feds have passed this law to impose these standards. Then, they utilize the massive taxation powers to over-tax the citizens of the various provinces, and use the excess money to dangle in front of the provinces and make them roll-over, sit, and lay down on command.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that the fact is that I can move from Alberta to Ontario and get, more or less, the same level of healh care, is a good thing. The question is, however, can we achieve the same results without the federal government invading provincial jurisdiction?
Why couldn't the provincial governments agree on minimum standards in such programs? Wouldn't that achieve the same result (having a minimum level of service across the country)? Why not solidify the "Council of the Federation" (CoF) process and give officials responsible to provincial governments authority over defining and enforcing national standards? At the same time, the feds coul drop their taxes by the amount they currently give to the provinces for health care, and the provinces could, and I don't like tax hikes any more than anyone else, could raise their taxes to cover that amount.
I can almost hear the groans coming from everyone out there..."He wants to create another level of mandarins there to run the health system!" Well, actually, no I don't. I want to take it away from the feds and give it to the CoF.
Next question: "Won't it cost money to move it?"
Answer: "Probably"
"OK, it's going to cost more, what's in it for me?"
Well, first, "Accountability". Right now, we have a situation where the provinces say "The feds don't give us enough money, blah, blah, blah.", and the feds say "We give the provinces tons of money, they don't spend it right, yadda, yadda, yadda."
What if we could stop this back-and-forth finger pointing? By having the provinces responsible for both the money and the delivery of services for health care, we would have a single point to blame for inadequacies! We could actually hold someone responsible for a system that doesn't work!
Any comments?
Jeff
Activists seem to believe that every problem that our society faces has a "National" solution. By this they mean that the federal government should drive the bus. it seems that its been easier (TBD if that will change significantly) for them the lobby the feds to get their interventionist policies in place, rather than having to lobby 10 provinces for the same thing...inevitably some provinces will tell them to get stuffed and they won't control the entire country.
While I tend to agree that some programs need to have "national standards" to ensure that people can move from province to province more smoothly, but that does NOT mean the feds need to stick their noses further into provincial jurisdiction.
Let's look at the greatest intrusion that currently exists: the "Canada Health Act". Looking at the Canadian Constituion, it's clear that health is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Provinces. However, in the name of "National Standards", the feds have passed this law to impose these standards. Then, they utilize the massive taxation powers to over-tax the citizens of the various provinces, and use the excess money to dangle in front of the provinces and make them roll-over, sit, and lay down on command.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that the fact is that I can move from Alberta to Ontario and get, more or less, the same level of healh care, is a good thing. The question is, however, can we achieve the same results without the federal government invading provincial jurisdiction?
Why couldn't the provincial governments agree on minimum standards in such programs? Wouldn't that achieve the same result (having a minimum level of service across the country)? Why not solidify the "Council of the Federation" (CoF) process and give officials responsible to provincial governments authority over defining and enforcing national standards? At the same time, the feds coul drop their taxes by the amount they currently give to the provinces for health care, and the provinces could, and I don't like tax hikes any more than anyone else, could raise their taxes to cover that amount.
I can almost hear the groans coming from everyone out there..."He wants to create another level of mandarins there to run the health system!" Well, actually, no I don't. I want to take it away from the feds and give it to the CoF.
Next question: "Won't it cost money to move it?"
Answer: "Probably"
"OK, it's going to cost more, what's in it for me?"
Well, first, "Accountability". Right now, we have a situation where the provinces say "The feds don't give us enough money, blah, blah, blah.", and the feds say "We give the provinces tons of money, they don't spend it right, yadda, yadda, yadda."
What if we could stop this back-and-forth finger pointing? By having the provinces responsible for both the money and the delivery of services for health care, we would have a single point to blame for inadequacies! We could actually hold someone responsible for a system that doesn't work!
Any comments?
Jeff
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