If you saw the excellent CBC documentary that aired March 13 “Tar Sands, The Selling of Alberta” you may well wonder why it is that we have so much difficulty convincing the National Energy Board or anyone of influence in the federal government that it is folly to massively increase oil sands production on the basis of exporting bitumen.

The theme of the documentary was summed up in a comment by Parkland Institute Research Director Diana Gibson who pointed out that an energy colony of the United States is hardly the energy superpower that Stephen Harper proclaims.