Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Hi Boo Boo :))

I've managed to get through to the right person, and they've said that as I was sort of first on the list back in Aug 2007. They're prepared to honour their agreement for the original job offer.

So after some real panicking moments, hopefully a sigh of relief! Phewwwwwww

Hope things go well for you Boo in V/island & thanks to all for the support and offers of help guys - appreciated :))

Y

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Alberta oil may well be "dirtier" than other sources but to say its "dirty" implies that other oil is perhaps "clean" which I don't think is the case either. The reality is any province/state/country that had oil sands deposits would be exploiting them. I was quite suprised to see the situation in Alberta with tailings lakes that have been allowed to develop over the years but there are projects to clean these up and make better use of water that is abstracted. There is always going to be a price to pay for the oil though.

The climate change debate is a dificult one to make a judgement on. Any doubters are treated as heretics and demonised as part of the oil companies propaganda machine. On the other hand a new "climate change" industry has evolved with its own vested interests. I've heard it said before that, ironically, Margaret Thatcher provided financial support to organisations which did research on greenhouse gases and climate change, to help make the case that coal was "bad" in order to shut the UK coal industry down. Politicians will latch onto the climate change agenda as it suits them. The "anti capitalist" movement generally seems to have latched onto the climate change argument which does the issue no favours in getting support from the population as a whole.

Dams and hydro schemes have their own environmental problems but "look nice" so get away with things. I'n not convinced about wind power but solar looks more reliable for lots of places. I'm suprised ground source heating isn't used more. I noticed a feature in the New Civil Engineer magazine (UK magazine for civil engineers) recently on a development in Okotoks using solar and ground source heat which looked very worthwhile - so some good things are happening in Alberta energywise, albeit on a small scale. Hopefully these sorts of developments will become more common. Tidal is probably the big source of reliable energy if it could be captured without significant environmental cost. Severn barrage has been talked about for decades and could generate huge quantities of power but would eliminate huge flora/forna in the Severn estuary. Is that a price worth paying?

Re: Coming to Canada - please just be aware
 

I am currently working on oilsands projects. I did think very hard before I took the job as I don't like the environmental destruction. I did get another job , not in oilsands- paid exactly the same (so I didn't sell out) BUT the money for the projects was essentially thre due to oilsands. I reckon pretty much most people in Alberta indirectly rely on oilsands money in some way. Hypocrytical you say, maybe. But I figured it was fairly hypocrytical to be a consumer washing their hands of it. I also felt I could do more good in the job than out, and I can. This summer we have put in billions of dollars of cut-off wall, and are currently designing a dewatering system (eg a double protection system, passive and active) with to protect a small creek. It won't ever see process affected water, even in the 1 in 100 yr storm.

This is a long cry from the old existing projects but I just wanted to let you know that poor practices of the past will not become practices of the future.

Gryph

Re: Coming to Canada - please just be aware
 

I’d suggest a read of new scientist any issue dating back to about 1974, not in doubt, the only area of discussion is how fast, and what will be affected, the records in the ice sheets go back and awful long way sheet see reply 3

1 scientist whos work as heavily criticised as he was deemed to have made up his conclusion and worked back, this report would be consider more relevant http://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/embed.php?File=shroud.html

Err they ice sheet is estimated to be approx 110,000 years old http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland_ice_sheet and as for ice age discussion in the 70’s that was because the warming was expected to cause the polar ice to melt releasing significant amounts of fresh water into the north sea and result in the shutting down of the Gulf stream without that influx of warm water they though it may trigger an Ice age, see reply 1 30 years have passed by and new theories have taken over

Sorry but can’t be proven, therefore not a fact merely conjecture

Not so much a debate, but a poor list of inaccuracies

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Atlantic Canada...

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Hi again

That is great news. I think last week was just plain weird in Calgary when we all felt like had been thrust into the realms of the ridiculous. Many companies I am sure would have just not returned calls and put a whole lot on hold. Obviously it's not over yet but I am really glad that the company will honour it's original offer. I am sure you are going to love it here.

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Hi Jancal,

Thanks for that. I'm also glad they honoured their part too, it certainly instills me with confidence.

We're giving up up alot here in the UK, but We have to look at the bigger picture, and the direction that the Uk is going for the childrens sake.

With the billions the UK is borrowing, the kids of today will be paying this debt back for years to come in ordinary taxes - and hidden ones too!

We're under no illusion it'll be easy, but we have to give it a shot!

Thanks for your support.

Cheers

Y

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

That is great news, good luck and best wishes for the future:thumbup:

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Hi Nikki,

Many thanks for that :) Wow! Your application's happened fast. We applied down the skilled worker route, and what a route it's been!

October 06 we applied - still, should be expedited once we're there according to CHC in London.

The very best of luck to you too :)

Y

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Hey great news Yogi
i'm glad I was wrong & hope all goes smoothly from here on in :thumbsup:

Re: Coming to Alberta - please just be aware
 

Yeah me too :)

Cheers