Canada is in a very enviable position from the perspective of the oil and gas world. Being a G-7 country, we are one of probably only two or three countries in the world that can contemplate increasing their crude oil production in the next few years while almost every other country in the world that is currently a major oil and gas producer is looking at declines. We are so fortunate in this country to have the energy reserves that we have. Canada really is unique. In fact, I know a year or so ago it was well-publicized that Canada was home to about 60% of all the world's investable oil reserves, reserves that free enterprise and private capital could actually turn into useful energy for Canadians and other customers. You need to understand that about 90% of the world's oil reserves are off limits to investment because the reserves are controlled by state governments that highly restrict or block foreign investment.
So we really are a very special country from that perspective, and it's an advantage that will give Canada a considerable economic boost in the years ahead. We're currently going through a rough spot, but I think our long-term future as a major energy producer, which has been seen to provide tremendous benefits to our economy, is likely to continue, and hopefully we will emerge from this current recession in the next year or so and emerge stronger, and energy demand will respond, as it does, with increasing prosperity.
Energy efficiency is increasing as well, I might add. For the last 20 years or so, the western industrial countries, the G-7 countries, have all been able to increase their GDP with progressively less incremental demand on energy. So energy conservation is helping a lot too.
David or Don, go ahead.