AAARGHHH - U.S. urges 'fivefold expansion' in Alberta oilsands production

With apologies to my American friends, this is VERY scary. The CBC reports that a meeting was held in January 2006 where the U.S. urges 'fivefold expansion' in Alberta oilsands production. Now, this may seem like a GOOD THING, but what happens if Canadians don't want to increase their own dependence on fossil fuel production and want to invest funds in the development of alternate fuels? Canadians have always rated the environment highly when polled, and while less-mainstream parties like the Greens and the NDP have traditionally been the political parties which have advocated the environment, the Liberals have now staked their claim in this area: Witness Stéphane Dion's pro-nvironmental stance, and in particular, Dion's endorsement of the Kyoto protocol, which places the Liberals at odds with the Conservatives.

Smart move, Stéphane. By claiming the environmental agenda, you'll garner support from disaffected Greens and NDP, and your position has the support of the majority of the Canadian population - even more in Québec.

Bien pensé, Monsieur Dion!

;-)