Can Oil be Green?

If developed responsibly and sustainably, the Alberta oil sands could help build a cleaner future.

Being an energy superpower sits uneasily with Canadians: Alberta’s oil sands, the largest hydrocarbon deposit in the world, would be a blessing to many nations. Yet too many of our citizens see it as a burden.

We cringed when a global environmental awareness campaign, initiated by such luminaries as former U.S. vice president Al Gore, framed and branded oil sands production as “dirty oil.” A 2008 report predicting the demise of millions of migratory birds as a result of oil sands development gathered worldwide attention and coverage. We do not consider that “dirty oil” could be turned into clean oil, with the application of strong political leadership, a stringent regulatory framework, advances in technology, and an insistence on best-practices in energy production.

Now, with the Obama administration championing a greener energy future, Albertans – the owners of the oil sands – and other Canadians must learn to lead for one compelling reason: geology has thrust leadership upon us, and this is a responsibility we cannot evade. We have a strong moral obligation to lead the responsible development and stewardship of the incredible wealth the oil sands represent. From my perspective, the option of abandoning the oil sands, leaving them shut in, would be an act of profound negligence.

There are some strong Albertan and other Canadian voices calling for the easy appeasement of walking away from “dirty oil.” Such abdication would be comprehensively wrong. We can use the enormous wealth the oil sands can confer to build the common good. It is not at all paradoxical to think that developing this high-carbon-emission resource in a more sustainable way will, in fact, accelerate the development of the low carbon economy. It will give us the means to pay for it, allowing investment in both the research and development and the implementation of this greener future.

Nor is my thinking at odds with my own ecological values. To the core of my being, I believe that the arrogance and hubris of our species leads us to disrespect and damage the bounty of nature. Since the beginning of the industrial age, we have despoiled our natural heritage with scant regard for consequences. We have forgotten the teaching of every great faith: one of humility in the face of nature, and the responsibility of stewardship. We are mere keepers and stewards of what we have inherited, and we must nurture the gifts of the natural world for future generations.

On the other hand, I enjoy the advanced lifestyle enabled by a massively prosperous market economy. And I know it is supported by the consumption of fossil fuels, which are the prime source of greenhouse gases. Is there a magic-bullet solution that will let me keep my lifestyle without despoiling the planet? That's the real question we need to explore. It's especially pertinent for Albertans because we are the owners – and stewards – of the oil sands. Unless we develop this resource as responsibly and sustainably as possible, we will continue to feed and even accelerate greenhouse gas production.

I am enough of a realist to know that "not developing it" is in the realm of magical thinking. Consider: this is a $15-trillion asset, in a world that remains addicted to hydrocarbons. If we Canadians try to say "no development" are we really in any kind of position to stop those who want our oil? I suppose we can wave sovereignty and international law in the face of tanks – and tankers – as they roll in. Seriously, though, as owners we need to exercise our rights of ownership as responsibly as we can: because that's the Canadian way.

After thinking through these issues for the last five years, I've put my thoughts together in a new book called Green Oil: Clean Energy for the 21st Century? It explores what it will take to turn the question mark into a statement. Green Oil is meant more to be a book of questions than definitive answers. As Copenhagen draws closer, I am aiming to "set the table" for a thoughtful and comprehensive conversation on using the wealth generated by the responsible development of the oil sands to pay for and build a "green future" that will evolve beyond fossil fuels.

Please join the conversation over the coming days, weeks, and months at greenoilbook.com.