Natural Resources Committee on March 27th, 2014

[Dr. Pierre Desrochers]

What I would add is that if you look at the history of the energy sector, or of any manufacturing sector, really, what was often driving what today we would call green behaviour was simply bottom-line considerations.

What is pollution? Well, pollution is waste that is made from inputs that you've paid for, and the stuff is there, and it's in large quantities. It's all the same thing. Whether you look at the history of Standard Oil, or at any manufacturing sector, or at what we've heard today about natural gas, waste is not lucrative. If you have the stuff and you can turn a problem into an opportunity and improve your bottom line, that is still, I believe, the main driver of greater efficiency and greener behaviour in business. In one of my papers, I document that this has been going on for a century and a half in the oil business.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Ms. Block.

We go now to Mr. Leef for just a couple of minutes.

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

I wanted to quickly go back to Chief Adam with something that builds on what Ms. Block was saying. It's the sense that there's an either-or discussion that goes on with development, particularly with our energy sector.

Chief, you mentioned that you strike an interesting balance between the people in your community who work in the oil and gas industry and want to find careers and opportunity there and those who want a traditional lifestyle. I would gather, without being presumptuous, that those people who work in the oil and gas sector, who find opportunities there, and who seek education and career choices, very much want to maintain their traditional lifestyle as well. For them it's not an either-or discussion either. Would it be accurate that your first nation people working in oil and gas still very much practise tradition and culture and live traditional lifestyles as well?

[Chief Allan Adam]

That's pretty much accurate in more ways than one. They work in the oil sand fields because it provides a secure resource for their family and everything, but keep in mind that we're very traditional and, you know, they see the massive destruction or displacement of lands in that area, and in more ways than one, and they can't say anything because they work in that oil and gas sector and it benefits them, but they know for a fact that we can't overweigh our health concerns in the community over economic prosperity in the region.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you very much, Mr. Leef. You're out of time.

I want to thank all of the witnesses today. It was a fascinating meeting indeed.

I'd like to thank Mr. Desrochers, associate professor, University of Toronto, geography department, here as an individual. Thank you.

From Pond Biofuels, David Holm, chief executive officer, thank you, sir.

By video conference from Fort McMurray, from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chief Adam, thank you, sir.

By video conference from Calgary, from the Pembina Institute, Sarah Dobson, economist, Alberta and the north, thank you.

Ferus Natural Gas Fuels Inc., Blaire Lancaster, director, government and public affairs, thanks to you, too.

Thank you, all. This fascinating meeting will be helpful to us in doing our report.

This meeting is adjourned.