First North American Energy Agreement Inked
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.25.07
In a joint pledge of support for renewable energy and sustainable technologies, the energy ministers of Canada, Mexico and the United States signed the first trilateral framework to promote innovation and to share and develop energy capacities. The three countries will increase cooperation on research and development in clean technologies — biofuels, hydrogen fuel, clean coal, gas hydrates and carbon capture — by exchanging scientific knowledge and personnel.
"Our challenge in North America is to make the use of energy compatible with economic growth and the preservation of the environment. Basic and applied scientific research, which this agreement promotes, is a key factor in overcoming this challenge successfully," said Mexican Energy Secretary Georgina Kessel. The Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn, who hosted Kessel and his U.S. counterpart, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, added: "With greater North American cooperation, all three of our nations can increase the potential return on our investments in energy science and technology."
Some of their early joint efforts have focused on standardizing energy performance for consumer and industrial products such as refrigerators and large electric motors — efforts they plan on expanding by standardizing seven more energy-using products within the next few years. The energy market between the three North American countries currently accounts for close to $150 billion in trade. The ministers announced they would cooperate the improve its effectiveness "while recognizing and fully respecting the jurisdictional authorities of each."
While the three countries' leaders had already pledged to work together to promote energy conservation and clean energy technologies in 2005, this marks the first occasion that they ink an official accord. We'll be curious to see whether such cooperation can really help usher in innovative technologies and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Via ::Environment News Service: North American Energy Cooperation Enters a New Era (news website)
See also: ::EU's Bold Energy Plan Shames Kyoto Holdouts, ::US Approves $20 Million Annual Grant For Joint US/Israel Renewable Energy Projects, ::EU Mandates Energy Star
It is a sham and a sellout. Linda McQuaig nailed it:
One of the goals of the SPP negotiations is achieving "North American energy security." This boils down to ensuring that the U.S. – which has inadequate reserves to meet its voracious consumption – will have guaranteed access to Canada's reserves.
This may sound like a win-win proposition. The U.S. gets access to our energy and we get rich selling it to them. But what happens if there's an energy shortage?
A recent report by the International Energy Agency predicted an oil shortage within five years as worldwide supplies fail to keep pace with growing demand.
Canada has already compromised its ability to protect Canadians during a shortage by signing NAFTA, which prohibits us from cutting back energy exports to the U.S.
Now Ottawa seems poised to move us further down this road by committing Canada to the goal of "North American" – rather than Canadian – "energy security." This gives American needs the same weight as Canadian needs, even though it's primarily our energy that's being shared.
Canada doesn't have enough energy to supply both countries. With the U.S. devouring our once-ample reserves at a ferocious rate in recent years, we now have less than a 10-year supply of conventional oil, and less than nine years of proven natural gas reserves.
Strangely enough, the height of each of the Energy Ministers/Secretaries in the picture above is directly proportional to the amount of energy used by their respective countries!
"One of the goals of the SPP..." Lets think about the large scale goal of the SPP! The formation of a North American Union! These ministerial decision are only (calculated) steps toward weakening the United State's national status.
Do the leaders in this country have any understanding of long term consequences?!!