Abstract
The Canadian province of Alberta contains the third-largest proven reserve of oil on earth, yet the disconnect between politics and the sciences has never been more severe or as consequential. A right-wing party given to authoritarianism has recently been elected in Alberta that is taking actions to ensure the continued extraction and transport of bitumen from the tar sands in the north. Despite the three recent warnings by scientists (beginning in 2017) concerning global climate change tipping points—and specifically that fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground—the government of Jason Kenney continues Alberta’s carbon-intensive extractive activities while waging destructive political engagement with Canada and the world. This essay documents Alberta in terms of the model provided by classical tragedy and highlights three acts: 1. The Great Flood of 2013; 2. The Great Fire of 2016; and 3. The Orphan Wells of 2020. In the tragic denouement currently underway here, Alberta’s reckless actions impact the global commons and affect all earthlings.
Highlights
Robert Boschman is professor and chair in the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Troubling is the current trajectory of potentially catastrophic climate change due to rising GHGs from burning fossil fuels . . .1 —William J
Given the gravity of the written warnings by global scientists beginning in 2017 (Ripple et al 2017), and given Alberta’s long-standing proud identity as a maverick oil producer, the province’s 2019 election of a right-wing government determined to extract and transport heavy oil from its northern oil sands means that the global environmental hazards posed by fossil fuel here will go on
Summary
The traumatizing flood that in one night and one day ruined Alberta’s southwestern cities and towns and farms in 2013; the fire that consumed the northern oil sands capital of Fort McMurray three years later; the abandoned wells in their thousands, so beautifully termed orphans by those who study such things, from which all Alberta’s wealth has gushed for a century—these three are symbols representing an untenable future for the global commons.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities, Cappadocia University
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
