Markham on Energy

Time for Notley to seriously consider neatbit by rail as alternative to pipelines

Markham on Energy

Alberta energy minister Marg McQuaid Boyd says neatbit by rail ‘intriguing,’ plans to follow up Energy East created quite a buzz over the weekend, courtesy of clashes between Alberta and Quebec politicians. But what if neatbit by rail renders the pipeline debate moot? I wrote several times last week (here and here) about the benefits of shipping […]

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Canadian PM Trudeau confronts DiCaprio over ‘inflammatory’ oil sands remarks

Markham on Energy

“[T]here are families suffering, out of work, who need to be supported, and inflammatory rhetoric doesn’t necessarily help those families or help Canada” – Trudeau to DiCaprio Well, that must have been awkward. After years of taking public pot shots at the Canadian oil sands, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio was hauled on the carpet Friday by

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Brian Jean may sabotage emerging political deal for Energy East

Markham on Energy

Rachel Notley’s quiet Energy East diplomacy starting to pay off, but Brian Jean’s hardline comments may damage Eastern political support Someone needs to tell Wildrose Leader Brian Jean his shrill demands for the Canadian government to approve pipelines for Alberta bitumen exports aren’t helping. Jean has been all over national media criticizing Premier Rachel Notley for not supporting

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Neatbit by rail an alternative to oil sands’ pipeline problems to USA, Asia markets

Markham on Energy

Neatbit is undiluted bitumen shipped by rail in specially heated tanker cars A proposed new refinery on Canada’s West Coast may have the solution to the problems of shipping Alberta oil sands dilbit by pipeline to American and Asian markets. Diluted bitumen, known as dilbit, contains 30 per cent diluent that has to be added

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Obama’s ‘moonshot metaphor’ wrong way to think about energy transitions

Markham on Energy

Putting a man on the moon happened inside a decade, but global transition to new energy technologies may take a century Last night, President Obama promised to pursue the clean energy revolution with the same fervor America once marshaled to put a man on the moon. Unfortunately, the moonshot metaphor is the wrong way to think

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Why aren’t Americans buying electric vehicles? The answer is pretty simple

Markham on Energy

Price premium alone for electric vehicles like Volt, Leaf is 26 to 37% – making it too expensive for Early Adopters New auto sales figures show Americans prefer trucks and SUVs, and are really not ready to buy electric vehicles in large numbers. Here’s why. Thirty years ago I wrote a master’s thesis about the transition from

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COP 21 is done, time to punt climate activists for sake of the climate

Markham on Energy

Going forward, emphasis must be on policymakers, engineers, investors, managers, entrepreneurs, technicians – not activists COP 21 is over and climate activists around the world are basking in the glow of a glorious victory. Which is why now is exactly the right time to punt them to the curb of climate change debate. The agreement

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Leo DiCaprio confuses a warm breeze with climate change, Calgarians amused

Markham on Energy

Leonardo DiCaprio’s type of mistake – deliberate or accidental – is common with North American eco-activists Do you know what a Chinook is? If not, don’t feel bad, Hollywood celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t either. In fact, he publicly confused the commonplace Alberta warm winter wind with “climate change” in an interview with movie rag Variety. Here’s

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