Only 10 years left for oilpatch?

New federal energy policies and a moratorium on projects are desperately needed to protect Canada’s energy security, says an industry think-tank report released yesterday.

In conjunction with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Polaris Institute, the Parkland Institute yesterday released a report entitled Fuelling Fortress America: A Report on the Athabasca Tar Sands and U.S. Demands for Canada’s Energy.

The report says the Athabasca oilsands need a five-year break from new leases to keep social, economic and environmental chaos at bay.

“Albertans and Canadians are in a time warp and we need to change the era in which we are thinking,” said Parkland Institute director Gordon Laxer.

He said the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks changed the focus of U.S. policy from trade to security.

Edmonton Sun