I am a retired exploration geologist who has worked Canada’s East Coast; Scotian Slope from Georges Bank through Sable Island to the Banquereau area, the Grand Banks’ Terra Nova, Hibernia and White Rose oil fields and the continental shelf off Labrador.  My opposition to offshore exploration is based not only on experience in the industry but also my appreciation of rapid technical advancements and superior economics in renewable energy.

We are entering the sunset time-frame of the internal combustion engine and the use of fossil fuels in transportation, HVAC (heating and cooling) and electric power generation.  History is repeating, but at a much more rapid rate, where wood became peat became coal became oil and gas and now becoming renewables for our energy sources.  In the last few years solar and wind coupled with battery storage has superseded fossil fuel electric power generation in economics, reliability, speed in deployment and lower costs (construction, environmental impact, public acceptance, etc.).

Putting our national treasury into developing an East Coast Offshore oil & gas exploration industry is a huge economic risk.  Soon, once global demand for petroleum and natural gas declines and other regions around the globe produce fossil fuels at much lower costs (lift costs), how can much more expensive east coast production compete?  Are we willing to support very costly stranded assets?  Closure of the Strait of Hormuz and slowing the flow of oil is a very recent example of how countries are in the process of pivoting away from expensive and unreliable fossil fuels and to more economical electrification through wind, solar and other renewables power generation.

And now the environmental question that every government should consider that over shadows all the forgoing.  Atmospheric CO2 levels are continuing to rise now passing the 425-ppm level not having existed for millions of years.  Consider it a global experiment we run at our peril.  Us, the biologic systems and our planet’s ecology have evolved over the last 2 million years adapted to a cold one with 17 glacial cycles, so far.  Since World War II, accelerated fossil fuel consumption has set us on a global warming path.  We spuriously think and act as if technology will save us from calamity.  There is no guarantee.  Why would we toy with that potential outcome?  The future for the present ecosystem, it being our only source of food, water and necessities for human success or survival, is clearly approaching an end.

Let me be clear, there will be a new ecosystem but not one that we can sustain the present level of abundance that humans have enjoyed since the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago.  The science is definitive.  Mass extinctions, as witnessed geologically in the planet’s past five events, is proceeding but with two clear differences.  One, the rate of change is hundreds to thousands of times faster.  And two, it is undoubtedly human driven through unbridled burning of fossil fuels.  Regardless of your view, the end game is the same and you and your descendants will not like what is coming.

Given Canada’s land mass, huge resource base and technological prowess, our governments have a great opportunity to go down the renewables and green energy path.  Wind and solar electric generation, augmented where necessary by hydroelectric, geothermal and even nuclear, is the safe, economically sustainable and environmental sound future that petroleum and natural gas is not.  The wise choice is obvious but do you have the fortitude to make it.  Oil corporation climate science research, knew since the 1970’s, how and when increased burning of fossil fuels would lead to the present global warming dilemma, but they choose the wrong path for humanity.

Your call for public consultation on the Regional Impact Assessment appears to be a foregone decision to issue offshore exploration permits as long as the consultation box has been ticked-off.  Regarding the claimed environmental protection, the industry’s track record of exploration accidents, production site contamination, transportation spills and abandoned or orphan wells is abysmal.  On the other side of this oil extraction equation is the required consumption by burning that fossil fuel, increasing atmospheric CO2 and global warming.  Environmental protection would best be achieved by reducing our exploitation of and reliance on fossil fuels.  To ultimately achieve your goal of responsible economic development, supporting renewables power production and electrification is the realistic and attainable by almost any measure. 

Promoting offshore petroleum exploration on our East Coast is to fall inline with the failures of “Big Oil” darkening a potentially brighter and cleaner future for Canada and her citizens.  I trust you will make the difficult but sound decision and stop issuing petroleum exploration permits and leave fossil energy safely buried in the ground.  Economics and the future good is clearly in favour of “green energy”, even more so when the cost of massive federal and provincial petroleum subsidies are considered in the calculation.