I have always said Alberta beef is special. Grass fed and barley finished it is light and sweet tasting. Many, including me, say it’s the best in the world. Take that Argentina.
I just learned something new special about Alberta beef. According to recent press reports in Quebec livestock in Pennsylvania suffer birth defects due to natural gas development. Alberta beef seems to be immune to this.
The theory behind this and the studies supporting it were not reported so we are left to wonder why it sucks to be a cow in Pennsylvania. Is it because of methane produced by gas wells versus the methane the cows produce themselves? Is it because of oilfield diesel truck and machinery emissions versus diesel tractor and farm machinery emissions? The President of the Oil and Gas Services Association (OGSAQ) doesn’t know because he asked to participate on this trip and was refused.
For some time I have said activists were importing myths from the United States. Livestock birth defects can now be added to the long list of things from prostitution to lighting taps on fire that natural gas development is blamed for.
Mario Levesque just announced an idea a long time coming. If you want to know how natural gas development is done in Canada why would you go to Pennsylvania. Alberta has probably the best regulatory record in the world and over 50 international delegations have traveled here to find out how we do it.
Most oil and gas development in Alberta has been done in populated areas. The Edmonton – Calgary corridor has close to 3 million of Alberta’s 3.5 million people. There are more wells in Red Deer county alone than are likely to be drilled in all of Quebec. If you are a farmer or resident in the St. Lawrence Valley you can apply to come see for yourself at this link.
We are the best in the world at natural gas development and accusations of activists implying Albertans would poison our own water and our world famous beef is absurd. We have hydraulically fractured over 167,000 wells. The Government studied virtually every well in Alberta in the most comprehensive study of its type. There is not one known case of water contamination. I suspect we will find the exception that proves the rule because I don’t believe we are perfect. I also believe that even as the best we have an obligation to continually improve with better technology.
In Alberta we are proud people just like Quebecers are. We love our nature, we love our world famous beef, we love our glacier fed water and we love our children. Sure they have eleven fingers and toes but we think they are adorable.