Category Archives: Pipelines

More chemically-uninformed fear-mongering about the Trans Mountain Pipeline – this time about the dangers of diluted bitumen

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Blair

In my last post, I presented details of how activists were misrepresenting the health risks of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) project due to their lack of chemical expertise. In that post, I noted that it represented another of … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil Sands, Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

A Chemist looks at a major activist study about the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project and finds a hot mess

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Blair

It is construction time again on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) and the activists are out in force. Interestingly, I saw that Dr. Tim Takaro was back in the news. This time he is up in a tree to try … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry and Toxicology, Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

On the IISD’s misleading calculations of Canadian fossil fuel subsidies

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Blair

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

Debunking more misinformation about the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project. Some simple facts about bitumen, heavy oil, and Asian Markets.

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Blair

As someone interested in evidence-based decision-making there are few topics as frustrating to discuss as the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) project. The reason for this is that the media landscape is so completely full of misinformation and bad information … Continue reading →

Posted in Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 25 Comments

Another look at the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project from the lens of a pragmatic environmentalist

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Blair

This week the Federal cabinet will decide whether to proceed with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMX). In response, opponents of the TMX have been out in force making ridiculous claims about the project. This has caused me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Pipelines, Trans Mountain | 7 Comments

How the CCPA completely misses the target on the root cause of our elevated gasoline prices in the Lower Mainland

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Blair

This morning while getting ready for work, I heard Marc Lee from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on the radio with Stephen Quinn talking about the price of gas in the BC Lower Mainland. I understand he also spoke … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Pipelines, Trans Mountain | 22 Comments

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

Posted on April 14, 2019 by Blair

In the last couple weeks I have read a lot about gas prices and the threat by Jason Kenney to shut down the Trans Mountain pipeline. Since a lot of what I have read is incomplete and/or incorrect, I figure … Continue reading →

Posted in Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 35 Comments

Questioning the PBO’s math on the value of the Trans Mountain Pipeline

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Blair

The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), Yves Giroux, produced a report this week on the estimated value of the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP) and the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMEP). This report has a lot of people up in arms … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Environmental Absolutists are going BANANAs and it will hurt, not help, the environment

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Blair

Anyone who follows the energy beat knows that the latest chant from the environmental absolutist world is “No new fossil fuel infrastructure” (NNFFI). The slogan has been attributed by most sources to Bill McKibben of 350.org. Around here you hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossil Fuel Free Future, Pipelines, Risk, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

On Wil Horter’s Gish Gallop about Alberta heavy oil and the Trans Mountain

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Blair

On December 26th, 2018 the National Observer published an article Discount Frenzy: The dirt on discount oil by Wil Horter, the former Executive Director of the Dogwood Initiative. In December 28th, I prepared a reply called Fact-checking the National Observer … Continue reading →

Posted in Pipelines, Trans Mountain, Uncategorized | 2 Comments