Quote:
Originally Posted by fusili
The professional crowd is moving green too. I've talked to many in the oil and gas industry and they are definitely receptive to the Greens. Several people working in the campaign are Oil and Gas veterans.
When Peter Kent's response to environmental criticism of our energy sector is the "ethical oil" argument (AKA we are not a dictatorship like Saudi Arabia) it hurts our industry, because we just look defensive. Showing actual leadership in environmental stewardship and responsible resource development is a much better strategy. If we want to convince people that the oil sands are a responsible resource, we don't focus on how Hugo Chavez is a dictator, but how things like SAGD reduce the impact of extraction. We focus on demonstrating how federal and provincial regulations and monitoring improve ground and fresh water quality involved in the industry. We listen to people's critiques and explain how we are addressing them rather then dismissing them as radicals. That is how you show leadership and gain allies.
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I'd also like to see government move in an "open-source" direction that allows for more input from citizens. I believe the Conservatives are at risk of losing the next election primarily due to wrong people, processes and technology. This is much worse for Alberta if the NDP get in, and this is a chance to send a message to the Conservatives that they NEED to make changes. Not only with respect to the environment, but the need to build an e-government that hopefully allows for better engagement in the future as well.