TAKING THE AIR WE BREATHE:CARNEY and BURNHAM

photo: Mark Alexander

by Howard Scott and P Henry 25Oct26

The Prime Ministers of Canada and the U.K. have earned reputations as being friendly and popular. They can be seen as important bulwarks against rising right-wing politics and Trump machinations. This is an essential task but does not free them to make destructive environmental choices.

They may come out with platitudes about protection of the environment, but they are being manipulated by the oil companies and billionaires.

Clever Mark Carney, trying to fabricate a united Canada as an “energy superpower”,has agreed to another pipeline from Alberta to the USA. This is a largely government funded project – that would destroy the land, encroach on Indigenous territories, and increase global pollution[1]. He downplays comparisons to major climate deniers such as Trump, who promotes maximum non-renewable energy by fracking, drilling and mining wherever he can get his friends’ companies to exploit. The Arctic, North Sea, Alberta, Arabia or wherever he could turn the skies red. Carney’s get-out card is creating a Carbon Capture[2] and Storage network providing underground storage for carbon emissions, and increased government revenues.

Both ideas are a scam as 80% of a barrel of oil is released when burned by cars or furnaces. CCS can only capture 0.001% of emissions[3]. Climate catastrophe costs continue to rise[4].

Carney knows that.

David Suzuki, a professor of zoology and environmentalist said “(before) Mark Carney was the best-informed potential politician about climate change…. I could support him…. Now in office he’s doing what I feared… putting the economy ahead of the air we breathe… that’s crazy”[5]

Similarly, Andy Burnham is caught between sustaining a safer environment or submitting to oil companies and right-wing forces. He accepts drilling in the North Sea, knowing it won’t make UK prices cheaper or create energy independence[6]. His excuse is that money will be made for the people. But the rights are owned by Norway and Shell.

Norway and UK both discovered gas in the North Sea in the 1970s and set up nationalised companies to benefit their general populations. Tony Benn as Energy Secretary in 1975 set up an oil /gas state owned company to “help the general population and protect the future”. Thatcher, in power from1979, privatised it, redirecting profits to a few rich through their stock purchases and lower taxes.[7] People in Norway still directly benefit from their state-controlled gas/oil investment plans[8].

So, who is against North Sea oil/gas exploitation? Opposition is profound: science[9], environmentalists[10], legal[11], many communities[12] and within Labour[13]. On their ministerial level, Ed Miliband, previously Energy Secretary, now Foreign Secretary, opposed further oil drilling in favour of renewable energy. He recently capitulated under pressure[14].

Is the deal for Burnham to tax and then recreate Benn’s nationalised company for future exploitation of oil and gas[15]?

What was good practice for Benn in the 1970s needs to account for the current climate catastrophe. Clarity states: no new drilling[16]. You can’t eat money or oil. The present disasters of intense storms, fires and crop damages are small indicators of what is irreversibly to come[17]. Deals only profited the rich and powerful.

Dear Mark and Andy, please change your policies. You both have knowledge of climate change and how business works. Surrendering to them now only leads to more demands that will further destroy the environment and boost right-wing fearmongering, attacking powerless and unaware people.

[1] Alberta, Canada’s oil sands is the world’s most destructive oil operation—and it’s growing | National Geographic , Why these Albertans are concerned about the environmental impacts of a proposed C02 pipeline | CBC News , Statement: Missed MOU Deadlines Expose Fatal Flaws in Alberta Pipeline Project – Environmental Defence . Ottawa/Alberta pipeline deal—a high-risk road with many bumps ahead | Fraser Institute , Canadians should understand this risky element of Carney’s pipeline deal with Alberta | Fraser Institute

[2] Opinion | Don’t be fooled, Big Oil is calling the shots, not Carney 23July26’ Linda McQuaig (@lindamcquaig.bsky.social) — Bluesky , https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/25/canadian-tar-sands-pollution-is-up-to-6300-higher-than-reported-study-find

[3] Why carbon capture and storage is not a real climate solution

[4] The cost of catastrophe: rebuilding from disaster – OMFIF , Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/db2cfe84-74e7-4c94-bab4-f2ef51564b84,

[5] The global costs of extreme weather that are attributable to climate change | Nature Communications , Financial Times: https://youtu.be/NZyEFGXDF0A?si=dTUTY2tDg-t6t76T , Planning for the rising fiscal costs of climate disasters ,

[6] Burnham defends Jackdaw decision as Badenoch urges PM to overturn ban on new oil and gas licences – BBC News

[7] Tony Benn on North Sea oil · LBC/IRN, The first North Sea oil is pumped ashore in Britain – archive, 1975 | Oil | The Guardian, North Sea oil fortune. Norway saved theirs. What happened to Britain’s? – Left-Horizons,

[8] Black Gold: Norway’s Oil Story – Life in Norway , State ownership – regjeringen.no ,

State organisation of petroleum activites – Norwegianpetroleum.no , Norwegian Oil Policy | Equinor | Yale Case Study Research and Development .

[9] Why UK Scientists Push to Ditch North Sea Oil Falls Short

[10] A historic victory: the end of new oil and gas exploration in the UK – Greenpeace UK ,

Oxfam warns against any new North Sea drilling as new analysis reveals devastating human cost of emissions | Oxfam GB , Government approves Jackdaw – Friends of the Earth reaction | Friends of the Earth , North Sea Rejects | Ocean Alliance Against Offshore Drilling , WWF Applauds Step Toward Arctic Refuge Protection | WWF.