The real 'crude' in Suncor's takeover of Petro-Canada — long stripped of its Canada-first credentials — is the push to deliver ever more 20th-century fossil fuels when the world is moving to renewables

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
March 25, 2009
at 12:00 AM ED

Suncor's proposed buyout of Petro-Canada is being touted as a match made in Canada to create a national champion that will kick-start the oil sands. Paula Simons of the Edmonton Journal bet that Pierre Trudeau's ghost was smirking somewhere to see his dream realized. Should advocates of Canadian energy security, domestic control and transitioning to a conserver society throw confetti at the corporate wedding?

As he drives the last nail in the coffin for Canada's 1970s-style resource nationalism, it's ironic to see Rick George, CEO of Suncor, wrap himself in the Canadian flag. Despite the spin, Petro-Canada's death moves us further toward ensuring American, rather than Canadian, energy security.

“This will obviously be a company that is very focused in Canada, very focused in oil sands,” he said. Exactly right. But, where are the tar sands focused?

Full Article at the Globe and Mail

Gordon Laxer is Director of the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta, is the author of the forthcoming book Freezing in the Dark: An Energy Security Plan for Canada.