Noam Chomsky slams Canada's shale gas energy plans

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Noam Chomsky slams Canada's shale gas energy plans

Martin Lukacs
theguardian.com, Friday 1 November 2013 12.59 GMT

Canada's rush to exploit its tar sands and shale gas resources will destroy the environment "as fast as possible", according to Noam Chomsky.

In an interview with the Guardian, the linguist and author criticised the energy policies of the Canadian government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

He said: "It means taking every drop of hydrocarbon out of the ground, whether it's shale gas in New Brunswick or tar sands in Alberta and trying to destroy the environment as fast as possible, with barely a question raised about what the world will look like as a result."

But indigenous peoples in Canada blocking fossil fuel developments are taking the lead in combatting climate change, he said. Chomsky highlighted indigenous opposition to the Alberta tar sands, the oil deposit that is Canada's fastest growing source of carbon emissions and is slated for massive expansion despite attracting international criticism and protest.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/01/noam-chomsky-canadas-shale-gas-energy-tar-sands

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. I do not understand fracking except as a source of a quick buck.

It takes more energy to get the stuff out of the ground, transport it around than the amount of energy you get,
but destroys the environment in the process.

God, we are the cancer of the planet.

[Nihil]

3. And in that statement, you show you understand the entire concept of it.

That's all there is: a means of a tiny minority making a quick buck
then cashing out (and running away) before the bill becomes due.

There is nothing more to understand.
All else is technical detail & PR bullshit used to support the goal.

There is nothing else.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Our hope lies with the civilizations we displaced

.
.
.

Maybe the Natives/First Nations can help to save it's invaders from their own foolishness/greed.

From the link in the OP:

"It is pretty ironic that the so-called 'least advanced' people are the ones taking the lead in trying to protect all of us, while the richest and most powerful among us are the ones who are trying to drive the society to destruction," said Chomsky.

Chomsky expressed concern about an indigenous community in New Brunswick whose encampment blockading shale gas exploration was raided by a heavily armed Canadian police force two weeks ago.

Those protests come on the heels of the indigenous-led Idle No More movement that sprang up in late 2012 in response to the Harper government's repeal of numerous environmental protections and aggressive promotion of resource projects, often on indigenous lands.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

As long as I can remember I empathized with the Natives/First Nations; although not remotely related. I have no sense of pride or superiority in being a "white" man - quite the opposite at times. I console myself somewhat that I have no relatives related to the white man's invasion of North America - my grandparents came over in 1910 - the damage was done.

I AM happy to see the bands of Natives/First Nations gaining power and influence -

but sad so many of us "white" people have our heads up our asses.

CC