Trudeau: Stronger Environmental policy would have gotten us Keystone XL

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
And he's absolutely right.


Trudeau: Stronger Environmental policy would have gotten us Keystone XL

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says the Conservative government's lack of environmental stewardship is what is preventing U.S. President Barack Obama from approving the Keystone XL pipeline.

Speaking from the Liberal convention in Montreal, Trudeau said neither Americans nor Canadians are convinced that the environment is a priority when it comes to the $7-billion pipeline.

"This government has done such a terrible job of living up to any sort of environmental responsibilities that it has had an impact on our trading partners," Trudeau told CTV's Question Period.

"President Obama's difficulty in approving infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL pipeline comes from the fact that we haven't given the Americans the cover to be able to say to their citizens, and even by extension our citizens, that the environment will be cared for."

During his keynote address on Saturday, Trudeau said the government must get the country's resources to global markets in an environmentally responsible manner.
Trudeau told Question Period that one of his priorities is to marry economic growth and environmental stewardship.

"Right now this government has done such a poor job on that there is a low degree of faith, and that's something we have to turn around," he said.

U.S. strategists who helped deliver Obama’s presidential victories in 2008 and 2012 attended the weekend convention, including Lawrence Summers, a former economic advisor to both the Clinton and Obama administrations, and Jennifer O'Mally Dillon, Obama's deputy campaign manager.

When asked what he thought of the support from the U.S. Democratic Party, and what it says about Harper's relationship with the U.S. president, Trudeau replied: "You'll have to ask Mr. Harper about that.

"I'm just pleased that we can draw on some of the expertise from people around the world about how to better connect with Canadians and on how to make people feel engaged in the political process."

O'Mally Dillon said there are a number of similarities in the leadership styles of Trudeau and Obama.

"At the core, a strong party is driven by a strong leader as much as anything else," she said from the Liberal convention.

While the Conservatives and NDPs have painted Trudeau as someone who lacks political experience, O'Mally Dillon pointed out that he's drawn new blood into the Liberal team.

"He's bringing new people into the process, he has strong family values and someone I think has a lot of strong ideas," she said. “I think the campaign and the party needs to highlight its focus on amplifying all that he is doing."

Stronger environmental laws would encourage Keystone's approval: Trudeau | CTV News
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
He's absolutely right.

Obama's always stated that his decision is based on looking at the scope of carbon emissions from the project. It's an environmental concern first and foremost - not an economic one. And it's pretty evident he brushes Harper aside, partly because Harper doesn't do enough to heed that concern.
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
24,691
116
63
Moving
He's absolutely right.

Obama's always stated that his decision is based on looking at the scope of carbon emissions based in the project. It's an environmental concern first and foremost - not an economic one. And it's pretty evident he brushes Harper aside, partly because Harper doesn't do enough to heed that concern.

Do you still believe Obama?
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
I'm more concerned about things that are directly linked to the actions of each. Harper actively downplays climate change and gets rid of scientists.
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
25,756
295
83
I'm more concerned about things that are directly linked to the actions of each. Harper actively downplays climate change and gets rid of scientists.


In otherwords, you are not willing to look closely at obama.
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
24,691
116
63
Moving
I'm more concerned about things that are directly linked to the actions of each. Harper actively downplays climate change and gets rid of scientists.

So ignore what should be an eye opener for you.
This is all politics- all about the elections this fall.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
23,738
107
63
70
50 acres in Kootenays BC
the-brights.net
And he's absolutely right.


Trudeau: Stronger Environmental policy would have gotten us Keystone XL

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says the Conservative government's lack of environmental stewardship is what is preventing U.S. President Barack Obama from approving the Keystone XL pipeline.

Speaking from the Liberal convention in Montreal, Trudeau said neither Americans nor Canadians are convinced that the environment is a priority when it comes to the $7-billion pipeline.

"This government has done such a terrible job of living up to any sort of environmental responsibilities that it has had an impact on our trading partners," Trudeau told CTV's Question Period.

"President Obama's difficulty in approving infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL pipeline comes from the fact that we haven't given the Americans the cover to be able to say to their citizens, and even by extension our citizens, that the environment will be cared for."

During his keynote address on Saturday, Trudeau said the government must get the country's resources to global markets in an environmentally responsible manner.
Trudeau told Question Period that one of his priorities is to marry economic growth and environmental stewardship.

"Right now this government has done such a poor job on that there is a low degree of faith, and that's something we have to turn around," he said.

U.S. strategists who helped deliver Obama’s presidential victories in 2008 and 2012 attended the weekend convention, including Lawrence Summers, a former economic advisor to both the Clinton and Obama administrations, and Jennifer O'Mally Dillon, Obama's deputy campaign manager.

When asked what he thought of the support from the U.S. Democratic Party, and what it says about Harper's relationship with the U.S. president, Trudeau replied: "You'll have to ask Mr. Harper about that.

"I'm just pleased that we can draw on some of the expertise from people around the world about how to better connect with Canadians and on how to make people feel engaged in the political process."

O'Mally Dillon said there are a number of similarities in the leadership styles of Trudeau and Obama.

"At the core, a strong party is driven by a strong leader as much as anything else," she said from the Liberal convention.

While the Conservatives and NDPs have painted Trudeau as someone who lacks political experience, O'Mally Dillon pointed out that he's drawn new blood into the Liberal team.

"He's bringing new people into the process, he has strong family values and someone I think has a lot of strong ideas," she said. “I think the campaign and the party needs to highlight its focus on amplifying all that he is doing."

Stronger environmental laws would encourage Keystone's approval: Trudeau | CTV News
Trudeau may be right that we aren't terribly environmentally-minded but we rate better than the USA about it: EPI | Environmental Performance Index
 

BruSan

Electoral Member
Jul 5, 2011
416
0
16
It's pretty evident he's more trustworthy than Harper.
Oh right, that must be why they've just announced that due to the demand of this winter driving the cost of natural gas higher they're going back to generating power down here in Florida, where I'm spending the winter, with HIGH SULPHER coal. They already had a stockpile of low sulphur stuff but because the greater availability of high sulphur they've chosen to order trainloads of the stuff.


I guess Obama never got the memo or he's just lying like usual.


Trudeau has to say something, anything to gather followers. He's no better than any other azzhat lying pol. If I'm going to have to accept gov't leadership, it may as well be someone with proven leadership capabilities.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,910
11,193
113
Low Earth Orbit
He is absolute wrong- This is a political decision by Obama.

Obama doesn't want oil trains from the Bakken either so he want higher US content of the line. It's not eco. It's not Oil Sands and it's not because the majority will be exported.

The US is almost oil independent and doesn't need our oil.

How would it look if they announced their own pipeline to Houston from the Bakken after denying us for 4 years?

Hypocritical? Of course. That is why they NEED the higher US content in the line.

That's it. There are no other reasons.
 

Trex

Electoral Member
Apr 4, 2007
917
31
28
Hither and yon
Obama doesn't want oil trains from the Bakken either so he want higher US content of the line. It's not eco. It's not Oil Sands and it's not because the majority will be exported.

The US is almost oil independent and doesn't need our oil.

How would it look if they announced their own pipeline to Houston from the Bakken after denying us for 4 years?

Hypocritical? Of course. That is why they NEED the higher US content in the line.

That's it. There are no other reasons.

They are not even vaguely close to being oil independent.
Over 40% of USA's oil is imported and the majority of that is Canadian.
Stranding Canadian oil helps keep the price down and supplies up and thus explains why the Americans are funding
anti-development agencies in Canada.

Close to 50% of America's power generation is still provided by coal which is generally regarded as the dirtiest and most inefficient source of energy
on the planet.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
Sochi pride is getting to people up here.

Of course it's dependent on American politics.

They are the ones that have to take on the most risk from this deal.
 

BaalsTears

Senate Member
Jan 25, 2011
5,732
0
36
Santa Cruz, California
Sochi pride is getting to people up here.

Of course it's dependent on American politics.

They are the ones that have to take on the most risk from this deal.

In the context of political/environmental policy in the US profits are a secondary consideration. KXL is a litmus test of Obama's willingness to keep faith with his environmental supporters. Obama is doing a political calculation right now to determine what best serves his individual political interests leading up to the November 2014 mid-term elections. He has to decide who to double cross. Environmental supporters or labor union supporters.