A recent Parliamentary Forum on the topic “The End of Fossil Fuels? A Forum on Mitigating the Fossil Fuel Decline in Canada” addressed the joint issues of energy decline and security.
The forum, held February 7th 2008, was organized by Dennis Bevingtion, M.P., Federal NDP Energy Critic, and included participants:
- Hon. Catherine Bell, M.P. Vancouver Island North
- Jeff Berg, Post Carbon Toronto
- Tony Clarke, Polaris Institute
- David Delaney
- Duncan Gillis, Caucus Services
- Richard Heinberg, New College of California (by telephone)
- Dr. Larry Hughes, Dalhousie University (by telephone)
- Hon. Peter Julian, M.P., Federal NDP International Trade Critic
- Dr. Gordon Laxer, Parklands Institute (by telephone)
- Rick Munro, National Farmers Union
- Joy Newton, Special Assistant to Office of Dennis Bevington, M.P.
- Hon. Christian Ouellette, M.P., Bloc Québécois
- Gina Petrakas
- Paul Sears
- Steven Staples, Rideau Institute
- Henri Sader
- Peter Tabuns, Ontario NDP Energy Critic
In his opening remarks, Bevington said:
Prime Minster Harper’s website indicates that we’re in a North American energy security initiative. There’s no mention of a Canadian security initiative. I think that’s part of the problem we have right now in Canada. We can’t move forward with energy policy because we’ve made decisions in the parst that have linked us so tightly with this North American direction.
And that certainly has played out here in the two years that I’ve been in Parliament, the frustration as a Member of Parliament who sees what’s coming but can’t get this issue forward in the agenda.
We need discussion. We need debate. We need to bring this — we need to make this part of the national consciousness.
A transcript of the forum is available in PDF format.