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Recent Posts
- Fact-checking the Wilderness Committee narrative about the recent oil spill at the Trans Mountain Sumas Pump Station
- Understanding Health Canada’s advice about wearing masks in public – let’s try this again
- My review of “Planet of the Humans” – A Michael Moore documentary that does some things well and others really badly but is true to the Michael Moore legacy
- No Rising Carbon Dioxide Concentrations will not make us Stupider – Confusing Acute versus Chronic effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentrations on Human Cognition
- How new puritans, petty bureaucrats and irresponsible activists risk eroding the public will necessary to fight Coronavirus
Top Posts & Pages
- Fact-checking the Wilderness Committee narrative about the recent oil spill at the Trans Mountain Sumas Pump Station
- Why public health officials advise against masks to protect from the Coronavirus - my thoughts using lessons learned from asbestos exposure
- Debunking more misinformation about the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project. Some simple facts about bitumen, heavy oil, and Asian Markets.
- On Carbon Dioxide Toxicity
- On "the nocebo effect" and spraying for gypsy moths
- A primer on the BC refined fuel market, lower mainland gasoline prices and how they can be affected by a change in mix in the Trans Mountain Pipeline
- On the "shocking" revelations in the BC Hydro IPP review and the reality that the fight against climate change is not going to be cheap
- On the environmental and social consequences if the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project fails
- Reviewing the demand estimates used by the opponents of Site C
- On dilbit, oil spill response and political gamesmanship
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Author Archives: Blair
What Chemistry lab safety (and mom’s rules) teach us about how to protect ourselves from the flu or viruses like the Coronavirus.
As my readers know, I am trained as an academic chemist and spent a decade teaching in lab environments. Since I left the academic community, my work has included a lot of time doing occupational health and safety. This practical … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
On the IISD’s misleading calculations of Canadian fossil fuel subsidies
There are few topics that raise the ire of activists more than the idea of subsidies for oil and gas companies. Listen to an activist talk and you will invariably hear a comment about oil and gas subsidies and how … Continue reading
Posted in Pipelines, Uncategorized
5 Comments
Alberta’s Renewable Energy Conundrum in Charts and Numbers – Why Capacity Factors Matter
Over the holidays I have read a lot of commentary on Alberta’s energy future. I keep seeing individuals demanding that Alberta concentrate on wind and solar for its energy future. The people making these statements are mostly activists and journalists, … Continue reading
I debunk yet another misleading CAPE article about fracking and BC LNG
As someone who specializes in evidence-based environmental decision-making, I am regularly disappointed by the dismal level of discourse in the environmental field. Organizations and individuals you would expect to provide useful insight end up doing exactly the opposite. No group … Continue reading
Posted in Canadian Politics, Chemistry and Toxicology, LNG, Uncategorized
8 Comments
BC’s Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation – Another example of BC making the right decisions in regulating our oil and gas industry
I have written a lot about the BC natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. I have pointed out how BC produces some of the lowest greenhouse gas LNG on the planet; how we regulate flaring and venting better … Continue reading
Posted in Canadian Politics, LNG, Uncategorized
9 Comments
The Extinction Rebellion are the homeopaths of the climate change community
We have had another week of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) “raising awareness” by blocking roadways, gluing themselves to bridges and airplanes and generally behaving in a manner intended to get lots of publicity. Having watched and listened to XR leadership, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Taking a serious look at the unserious demands of the Extinction Rebellion
As anyone who watches the news knows, the good folks at the Extinction Rebellion (XR) have been increasing the intensity of their protests in the last few weeks. An organization that started in the UK has now exported its message, … Continue reading
Why environmental professionals and policy specialists are often frustrated with the climate strikers
What parent hasn’t experienced this situation? Due to circumstances outside your control you are going to be late for a family commitment. You got out of the house late, or an accident on the highway has you stuck in traffic. … Continue reading
Is shale gas a major driver of recent increase in global atmospheric methane? Not according to the most recent observational and satellite studies
Ah, the scientific method. We all remember it from our school days. Observations are made. Observations lead scientists to develop hypotheses intended to explain the observed phenomenon. Those hypotheses are subsequently tested against experimental data. A hypothesis that is found … Continue reading
Posted in LNG, Uncategorized
6 Comments
Why political demands we radically speed up decarbonization represent wishful thinking
This blog post started as a potential Twitter thread that got out of hand. It grew out of recent demands by major political organizations that Canada increase its pace of decarbonization. First it was the Canadian pact for a Green … Continue reading
