You know, the one thing that bugs me a lot is the fact that most blogging discussions on Alberta’s future within Canada are driven by those on the lunatic fringe. Rarely do sane and reasonable people speak up to analyze…

Thank you. I live in Calgary as well and get around the city just fine using public transit and using my honda accord for trips to the mountains.

In that last big blizzard, I was in an accident, but the only reason was because some jackass in a big 4 wheel drive vehicle sideswiped us. He both pulled out without looking and then changed lanes in the same fashion. In fact, I have only been in 2 crash-ups and both were with big vehicle and the drivers of said vehicles caused the accidents by not paying attention.

Why do all of you have to drive an SUV? I think cars or low horsepower vechicles are more than sufficient, regardless of the -35 (insert scary music here) weather. Are you one of the people driving in Calgary I see everyday that sits up so high on the road they can’t see the person in front of them? I guess if you can’t see the person they don’t really exist??

The reality is there are many small steps all of us can take to help the environment and not driving a sport utility vehicle would a fairly easy change you could make.

If you care about making an environmental difference.

As for the Liberal party, let me say this. I am a Liberal and always have been. We don’t want people on government handouts in order to get votes. I believe in letting the individual succeed on their own backed with a strongly funded public education system that is effective; this way everyone has a good base on which to make something of their life regardless of their family income. However, I also don’t believe that people should fall through the cracks of society. When people are in need I think that in a wealthy, prosperous country such as ours we have an obligation to help. That help should be effective and only what is necessary to get someone back on track; welfare should not create a culture of dependency but rather be there when it is needed but be linked to skills training programmes so we can get people off welfare asap and get them in the work force with steady work so they can pay taxes and not need the social safety net again. Of course there are other issues like addictions, etc. that also need to be addressed in some cases but I think you get the general philosophy behind what I am saying.

I think you will find that many Liberals agree with what I said. Liberals are not socialists, that is why we have a New Democratic Party.

Micheal - I in no way said that the rest of the country is lazy - find one statement I made that said that. My “rant” was due to the idiotic comments made in the Globe and Mail stating that we only think of ourselves etc. etc. I truly do believe that given a chance, most people would take the initiative to make something of themselves. Unfortunately, the liberal government hates that because it means they are needed less, hence less votes.

So instead of turning my comment into something it is not, why don’t you try to offer up some insight into why many in the rest of the country seem to find it appropriate to denigrate Albertans.

Please.

Oh those subtle snipes at the rest of Canadians, particularly easterners, who are seemingly “lazy” and just want the government to help them.

I lived in Alberta most of my life and have only recently moved out east to the Maritimes. I can tell you that while there are a very small minority in certain areas (such as Cape Breton) who rely on government handouts (as indeed there are in Alberta and you need not look hard to find evidence of it), most people here have as much a hard work ethic if not more of it than in Alberta. The entreprenurial spirit is also alive and well here. Having lived in both areas and travelled across Canada extensively I can say that all parts of Canada show a hard work ethic; this trait is not exclusive to Alberta despite what you may say. I always found Albertans insecure with themselves and statements such as yours just reinforce it to me.

I’m not sure these poor souls could tell us what being Canadian is (er,…not American?), but I can live with that, if being like them really means to be Canadian.

I think that democracy, free speech and all the artifices that make it possible such as the internet are creating a vast smokescreen hiding the fact that real values and real leadership are gone… we are become Babel .

I have also written letters to the editor to my local newspaper, to no avail (not publication-worthy, I guess). I emailed Jeffrey Simpson following his “the bozo years are over” column, as well as a letter to the G&M editor, again with no response.

Why am I pointing these things out? I have nothing to gain personally from it. The only connection I have to Alberta is the PM I voted for, who resonates with me because of his honesty and integrity.

Keep fighting the good fight … it’s worth it.

P.S. Thanks to Wilson61 for providing more ammunition to rebut the “Alberta is the cause of global warming” enviro-naughts’ cries, who chant “Kyoto” but do nothing else personally to help the environment. End of rant!

In the meantime, ALberta is the last and only bastion of the original Canadian Protestant Values that formed and shaped this country as a success….in every other way in today’s news, including Paul Berton in London , Tom Broadbeck in Winnipeg and the story about the theft of huge tractors and they end up in like Somalia and Pakistan, our land is a failure that hasn’t woken up to that state yet. And they won’t even let us have guns !

1961 • Alberta establishes air quality standards, including limits on hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide emissions and gives industry five years to comply.

1980s • Major improvements are made to the formulation and handling of drilling fluids (muds) used to cool the drill bit and return rock cuttings to the surface. … Companies begin to clean up the sites of former waste pits. The industry begins to develop in-situ projects.

1985 • Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government dismantles the NEP and introduces an agreement called the Western Accord, deregulating oil prices and opening Canada’s borders to oil imports and exports.

…The Canadian Chemical Producers launches the Responsible Care initiatives. It becomes a code of environmental conduct for chemical producers,
which is later adopted in many countries

1992 • At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Canada, along with 153 other countries, signs the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
**the first international agreement to reduce global GHG emissions.**

If the media would ever concentrate on the positives coming out of Alberta they would be shocked to see that Alberta, including the very oil companies continually derided by the press, are eons ahead in controlling emissions and have come up with significant breakthroughs in ways to continue development with less harm to the environment.

I get soooooo tired of the comments that somehow we are backwater, hicks out here that care nothing for the environment, care nothing for the rest of Canada.

I would love to see some of those who say that somehow the fact that we drive our SUV’s is harming the environment, come out here during last Wednesday’s blizzard and the subsequent -35 we had here the next day, and try to “walk” to the nearest store (45 minutes away).

Anyhoo - I am getting off on a rant again - just wanted to say “hey” and thanks.

I recently googled the “One Tonne Challenge” and found an interesting site called The Seeds Foundation, which seems to disprove Alberta’s disregard for the environment. I don’t know what the Foundation’s standing & reputation is presently in Alberta, but its mission seems to have been visionary.

As you can read in the excerpts below, it was started in 1976 - that’s 22 years before the Liberals signed the Kyoto Protocol (April 29, 1998)!!

Also note WHO was behing the Seeds Foundation: “established in Edmonton, Alberta by members of the oil and gas industry who recognized a need for curriculum materials for students on “energy” issues discussed within the context of societal, economic and environmental concerns.”

http://www.seedsfoundation.ca/links2.html
“Summarized Biography and Program Chronology
The Society, Environment and Energy Development Studies
(SEEDS) Foundation
In 1976, the SEEDS Foundation was established in Edmonton, Alberta by members of the oil and gas industry who recognized a need for curriculum materials for students on “energy” issues discussed within the context of societal, economic and environmental concerns. The unique design of the SEEDS Board of Directors allows it to offer truly bias-balanced energy and environmental education programming. It is made up of representatives from the energy industry, academics and environmentalists.”

http://www.seedsfoundation.ca/.....eries.html
“SEEDS has completed development of a brand new Energy Literacy Series. The first Energy Literacy Series was launched in 1982, and during the next fifteen years was used by over 1.5 million Canadian students.”

It isn’t about the oil stupid, it is about the hard work ethic and the enteprenurial spirit that is alive in this province. We do not look to the government for handouts, we get out there and make things happen. Liberals hate this because it means we don’t need them, hence their continual putdowns of this province.

Alberta is the new centre of Canada - economically - and those in lefti-land hate the fact that everything they thought was right is being proven wrong by Alberta.

So Bobby, it is right that our host brings these comments to the attention of those of us that live in this province as well as those of us that believe that Liberalism is a disease that has harmed this country - almost irretrievably.

Unfortunately, lefties like you continue to believe the lies and refuse to open your eyes to what Alberta contributes to this country - if Alberta is soooooooo bad, why do multitudes of Canadians come here for work and end up being as “red neck” as the rest of us.

Because, Bobby, they realize that it was hard work that built this country and hard work makes one feel a sense of accomplishment and allows this province and the people of this province to contribute significantly to those areas of Canada that are experiencing a downturn in their economy.

Instead of being thankful, Bobby, all you lefties do is continue to bite the hand that feeds you. Careful Bobby, it might bite back one of these days.

Have a good day, sweetie.

Slow news day?