National Energy Program Research Articles

Perspectives on 40‐year careers—University of Calgary Chemical & Petroleum Engineering graduating class of 1983

AbstractOnly a few of the students who graduated from Chemical & Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary found jobs in 1983 because of a severe recession and the National Energy Program artifically deflating the oil price. Despite the slow start to their careers, the graduates have made substantial contributions to industry, government agencies, and academia. They worked on over 60 projects in more than 40 countries, many of which were valued in the billions of dollars (excluding projects in Canada). Because of the volatility in the petroleum industry, the graduates often moved from one company to another: 6 individuals worked for 10 or more companies, while only 2 spent their entire career at a single company. In 1981, we were told that the half‐life of an engineering career was 5 years, but while many did take up senior management positions and business roles, most remained very close to the engineering profession throughout their careers. Here, we summarize the career paths in broad terms, like how frequently graduates changed jobs, how much time they averaged in each company, and mention the role of education in their work. Of the 60 students who graduated in 1983, this perspective article excludes seven engineers who passed away prematurely, and another seven who could not be reached.

A Decomposition Analysis of Algeria’s Residential Energy Consumption Change: (2000–2020)

Between 2000 and 2020, the residential sector’s share of Algeria’s final energy consumption was 62.20% and 46.05% respectively; this was much higher than the global average of 31%. This enables us to comprehend the factors that contribute to the rise in energy consumption in the residential sector and to carry out a quantitative analysis to determine the extent to which energy efficiency reduces energy consumption in the sector between 2000 and 2020. To accomplish this, we employ the decomposition analysis approach by using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). The results of the study showed that the energy subsidy factor had a strong impact on increasing residential energy consumption in Algeria, compared to the population growth factor. In addition, the energy intensity factor and the economic structure factor did not help reduce energy consumption levels. According to these findings, Algerian public policymakers should strictly implement the national energy program Horizon 2030 by rationalising energy use, eliminating subsidies gradually, and monitoring the implementation of energy efficiency measures in the residential sector.

The View from Langley: The cia and Pierre Elliott Trudeau in the Era of “Canada First” Economic Nationalism

Postwar Canada-us relations have been punctuated by conflicts of political and economic interest. Declassified us Central Intelligence Agency (cia) documents reveal that Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s nearly sixteen years in power (1968–84) were an especially turbulent chapter in this history. Against the backdrop of the demise of the Bretton Woods system, oil shocks, and stagflation, the cia paid close attention to Canadian policy and regulatory changes that threatened us economic and energy interests. The American intelligence community attributed the Foreign Investment Review Agency, Petro-Canada, oil export controls, and the National Energy Program to the rise of a menacing “Canada First” brand of economic nationalism. From the American vantage point, these bilateral irritants became urgent foreign policy issues in the midst of the neoliberal revolution. Thecia concluded that Trudeau was an obstacle to positive Canada-us relations and briefed policy-makers right up to the president accordingly.

LMDI decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions in Algeria during 2000-2019 and the role of energy policy in reducing emission

This study aims to determine the forces and factors driving the change in CO2 emissions in Algeria in 2000-2019. The analytical decomposition methodology used is the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI), which enables us to know the role and magnitude of the impact of economic activity, structural changes, energy intensity, energy mix, and emission factors on the change in CO2 emissions. The results revealed that the total emissions are rising during the period 2000-2019 and that economic activity is the primary driving force for the increase in CO2 emissions in Algeria. Furthermore, the deterioration of energy efficiency and the trans- formation of the Algerian economy into an energy-intensive sector (the service sector at the expense of the industrial and agricultural sector), the energy intensity factor, and the economic structure factor did not help reduce the levels of CO2 emissions. Additionally, the energy mix factor contributed to a slight increase in emissions. In the context of following up on the im- plementation of the National Program for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and its role in reducing the levels of CO2 emissions, it was found that the program failed to achieve its objectives during the first half of its implementation 2011-2020. These results indicate that public policymakers in Algeria should be strict in implementing the National Energy Program by 2030 by dissolving the conflict between economic growth and climate change policy

Quantification and analysis of CO2 footprint from industrial facilities in Saudi Arabia

• Quantify CO 2 emissions from all major stationary industrial sources in Saudi Arabia. • Provide an open-access database of the estimated CO 2 emission sources. • The developed database is crucial for assessing the CCUS potential in Saudi Arabia. • The work helps in addressing the energy and environmental challenges in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is among the countries that committed to taking measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. KSA has rolled out the 2030 Vision aiming at creating a more diverse and sustainable economy that cascaded into a series of initiatives, including the circular carbon economy, Saudi green initiative, and the national renewable energy program. Furthermore, KSA has recently announced an ambitious goal to reach net-zero goal by 2060. In its updated nationally determined contribution (NDC), the Kingdom committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 278 million tons of CO 2 eq (equivalent) annually by 2030. This ambition is more than a two-fold increase versus the previously announced target (130 million tons of CO 2 eq). With no current plans to change its hydrocarbon production rates, this reduction in emissions would be achieved mainly through diversifying its energy mix, increasing the efficiency of industrial processes, and deploying carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). To achieve this goal, it is vital to establish a detailed register for CO 2 emissions from stationary industrial sources to design optimum and effective CCUS applications. This register includes details about the emission source locations, rates, and characteristics. For the first time, this paper provides a country-wide extensive study that maps out CO 2 emissions from stationary industrial emitters associated with the leading six industries in the country, which are electricity generation, desalination, oil refining, cement, petrochemicals, and iron & steel. Moreover, CO 2 concentrations within the emitted flue gas from these resources are estimated, which is crucial to determine the capture cost. This study aims to provide a vital resource for researchers and policymakers who seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting renewable energy, improving the efficiency of existing fossil-fuel-based industries, and evaluating the potential of CCUS in KSA.

The Landscape of Flywheel Energy Technology in the Philippines

A 20-year Philippine energy roadmap was released by the Department of Energy that covers national renewable energy program, and a framework of energy storage systems. The energy plan entails increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the power mix and the use of energy storage systems to further increase efficiency and effectiveness of electric power delivery in the country. A flywheel-based energy storage system is emerging in the country and in this paper, the landscape of flywheel energy technology is discussed which includes the components of the flywheel system, other energy storage systems, development, and innovations in the local energy sector, as well as the opportunities and impact of flywheel energy technology in the Philippine economy. Moreover, flywheel technology implementation poses challenges in terms of research and development towards reaching its full potential and growth in fabrication, manufacturability, deployment, quality assurance, data analytics, and systems integration.

Toksyczne przedmieścia. Radioaktywne dziedzictwo St. Louis w soczewce projektów Allany Ross

The article follows the radioactive history of St. Louis featured in the works of the artist and activist Allana Ross. Her artistic practice presents an interesting, interdisciplinary approach to the social and environmental problems connected to the radioactive contamination of the city. The aforementioned contamination (apart from the workers directly involved in the processing of the uranium ore) affected mainly the lower middle-class families living in the outskirts. From the early 1940s until the late 1960s St. Louis based chemical company Mallinckrodt was the major manufacturer of uranium utilized in the Manhattan Project and later on in the development of the American national atomic energy programme. As the result of the negligence of many social and political actors, the radioactive waste produced by Mallinckrodt spread over the city’s suburbs contaminating air, soil and water. These facts, however, were not publicly known for many years. Just recently they received the publicity that they demanded. Even though the radioactive contamination of St. Louis dates back to the 1940s, the affected areas had not been taken care of till the late 1980s, when the city was included into FUSRAP and Superfund programmes, which were established by the U.S. government to “clean the radioactive mess”left recklessly in the American landscape some decades ago. The author of the article adopts the notion of negative heritage introduced by Lynn Meskell (2002) to interpret the significance of the radioactive contamination of the region and contextualize the works of Ross. The artist herself understands her projects, which may as well fall into the recently established category of artivism, as adaptive strategies for the slowly approaching environmental catastrophe. In a more general sense Ross calls out not only for the redefinition of St. Louis negative radioactive heritage, but also for the new culture of nature and new modes of human –environment relations.

Automatic Tariff Controller

The growth in the demand for electricity in Libya during the last decade witnessed a dramatic growth in the national's annual residential development has played a major role in boosting the demand for electric power. The domestic sector in Libya already accounts for approximately 39 percent of electricity demand. To meet the projected demand for electrical power to cope with, the development plans, increases in the population and the rising in the living standards, government will have to accomplish new power generating units. Comparing with the high budget of constructing new generating power units, load management system it would be attractive resource that should be seriously considered as an important part of national energy program, where demand growth rate exceeds the supply since it is playing an increasing role around the world as a valuable and cost effective energy resource. Hence, was light projecting on power load management program, for its benefit in reducing the energy demand at peak timeown

Current State and Prospects of Development of the Fuel and Energy Complex of France

This article examines the current state and features of the functioning of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) in France and its development prospects for the period up to 2050 as well. The author paid particular attention to the issues of nuclear power in this country and the possibility of replacing it with alternative sources in the medium and long term. The point of ensuring energy security in the use of nuclear power plants, which is solved thanks to effective state regulation of this industry, is considered. Separately, the author presented the analyses of energy problems of France in the interaction with the supranational structures of the European Union and considered the participation of this country in the development of a common energy policy for the integration. The author determined the advantages of the French fuel and energy sector in comparison with other EU member states. The results of the study substantiated conclusions about the prospects for further development in the context of the transition to a low-carbon economy. These prospects the author outlined in the country’s national carbon reduction strategy and long-Term energy program. Currently, achieving the targets set out in these documents is a difficult task, hence the inconsistency that is evident in the state energy policy. It is primarily due to the future of nuclear energy, which France has disagreed with the EU leadership and leading member States.

Ideas, federalism and policy feedback: an institutionalist approach

ABSTRACT Federalism and policy feedback are central issues within the institutionalist tradition, but scholars who study the role of ideas within that tradition have paid surprisingly limited attention to these two issues. More specifically, within the public policy literature, little has been published about the relationship between federalism and the ideational dimension of policy feedback. The objective of this article is to explore this relationship at the theoretical level before illustrating basic analytical claims about it through empirical work. The empirical sections draw on two case studies from Canada to illustrate the interaction between federalism and ideational policy feedback over time: provincial social policy, with a focus on Quebec, and the federal National Energy Program, with a focus on its impact on Alberta. The analysis stresses the role of identity formation in mediating the connection between ideational and institutional processes in federal political systems.

The Constant Liberal: Pierre Trudeau, Organized Labour, and the Canadian Social Democratic Left by Christo Aivalis

Reviewed by: The Constant Liberal: Pierre Trudeau, Organized Labour, and the Canadian Social Democratic Left by Christo Aivalis Thirstan Falconer Aivalis, Christo – The Constant Liberal: Pierre Trudeau, Organized Labour, and the Canadian Social Democratic Left. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2018. Pp. 278. The enigmatic Pierre Elliott Trudeau has been the focal point of significant works in Canadian history and political science since his ascent to the height of Canadian politics in 1968. Trudeau's life before and after his political career, as well as his 15 years in the prime minister's office, has drawn ample interest from scholars, journalists, and popular writers alike. Christo Aivalis's The Constant Liberal adds a leftist critique to the existing Trudeau literature and orients its examination to the labour and left movements that the prime minister interacted with between the mid-1940s through to his retirement in 1984. Aivalis challenges the "great man" narrative and argues that Trudeau was "equally the product of societal forces, intellectual currents, and personal relationships" (p. x), breaking with earlier biographers such as Christina McCall and Stephen Clarkson who portrayed the former prime minister as an intellectual and political marvel. Aivalis's investigation of the fifteenth prime minister is a welcome and fresh addition to a body of literature that has increased in popularity since Trudeau's death in 2000. Though Aivalis's book is not a ground-breaking work on Trudeau, it is a must-read for historians interested in the political left since 1945 in Canada. The Constant Liberal argues that though Trudeau fought for a modern liberal order in Quebec and across the country, his views on liberalism were fundamentally different than the workers and democratic socialists he occasionally aligned with. Aivalis writes that instead of abandoning liberal capitalism during economic crises, Trudeau bolstered it by "absorbing leftist programs" and refashioned them as "benevolent liberalism" (p. xi). Aivalis challenges two core assertions about Trudeau : that he was a socialist bent on upending capitalism and that he was a pragmatic leftist who sought to contain the most negative characteristics of the capitalist system. Aivalis argues that in Quebec Trudeau built alliances with labour and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) to transform the province into a modern and democratic state, while in the federal arena he weakened labour and leftist voices to further his vision of individual rights and freedoms. Aivalis examines Trudeau's relationship with the left-wing political parties in Quebec and Canada as well as his government's public policy approaches with the "Just Society," the Foreign Investment Review Agency, National Energy Program, wage and price controls, as well as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms during his tenure as prime minister. In the first chapter, Aivalis challenges the historiography and argues that Trudeau was a liberal since his time at Harvard University. It was at Harvard, Aivalis argues, that Trudeau "learned the importance of constitutions, the dangers of extremism, the virtues of Keynesianism, and the celebration of liberal [End Page 477] democracy" (p. 3). Trudeau spent the 1950s building alliances with prominent members of the CCF and its Quebec wing, the Parti social démocratique du Québec (PSD). It is these relationships, Aivalis argues, that mislead historians searching for Trudeau's socialist credentials. In regard to Trudeau's intellectual expressions, Aivalis cites Denis Monière, who argued that while Cité libre authors were "concerned with elements of capitalism," they were ultimately pro-capitalist (p. 10). Aivalis argues that Trudeau believed that recognizing and negotiating "with workers and by taking an open approach to the communist bloc, liberal capitalism would stand a better chance of preserving its dominance" (p. 20). His analysis of the 1949 Asbestos strike directly challenges the intentions of Trudeau. Aivalis argues that the strike was Trudeau's chance to "champion a strike pitted against a political regime that he deemed undemocratic" (p. 23) and was an opportunity to weaken the Duplessis government. It was in Asbestos that the future prime minister unleashed fiery rhetoric extolling "the values of democracy and liberty" and urged the workers to keep fighting (p. 23), beginning a turning point in the anti-Duplessis movement. While Aivalis makes compelling arguments that contest Trudeau's socialist...

A framework for sustainable utility scale renewable energy selection in South Africa

A range of varying criteria with trade-offs need consideration when selecting a suitable renewable energy technology (RET) for a specific area or location. In this study RETs in South Africa, in accordance with the national renewable energy program, were assessed to compare and highlight feasible technology options. A key objective of the study was to develop a framework that could be used to assess the various RETs at utility scale. Important criteria contributing toward the assessment of RETs were identified from literature. The criteria were used within the framework for analysis which consisted of the following factors: technical, economic, environmental, social and political. The goal of assessing RETs in South Africa was located at the top of the framework hierarchy. A total of 15 criteria were identified to use as part of the assessment. A decision-making matrix based on both qualitative and quantitative data was used to score the criteria. The RETs (solar PV, wind, CSP, hydro, biogas and biomass) in South Africa were evaluated with respect to each criterion. The study aims to contribute towards - from a developing country perspective - highlighting key barriers to technology adoption, assist in investment decisions, and ultimately contribute toward a sustainable energy infrastructure. From the analysis performed, solar PV and wind were favoured due to technology maturity and financier perception while CSP also scored favourably due to the potential to meet the baseload energy requirements. The key policy barriers identified that require attention include improved knowledge transfer and better maintenance skills across all technologies while site suitability was identified as a major barrier for hydro and biomass RETs.

Plan and progress of the fusion neutron sources development at KAERI for fusion and fission applications

In accordance with the national fusion energy program of Korea, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has established a road map for the development of a volumetric fusion neutron source (V-FNS) and begun development of a compact fusion neutron source (C-FNS) for fusion, fission, and industrial applications. Regarding the C-FNS development, KAERI has developed a radio frequency (RF) ion source inclusive of an RF driver and generator, and has designed, fabricated, and tested a target at the “Korea heat load test facility with an electron beam (KoHLT-EB)” prior to assembly with an ion source for investigating the integrity of the target under a high heat flux condition. Test conditions such as heat flux, coolant flow rate, and pressure were prepared using a preliminary analysis and later compared against test results. From the comparison, the design of the target was optimized and its thermal integrity confirmed. Thus far, KAERI has been successful in its development of a C-FNS and has begun preparations for on-site C-FNS and V-FNS designs.

Low Carbon Governance: Mobilizing Community Energy through Top‐Down Support?

AbstractCommunity energy makes an important contribution to sustainable energy generation, reduction and management, and is a desirable feature of a low carbon future. Renewable community energy is increasingly gaining momentum even in the centralized UK energy market. The challenge of low carbon transitions is faced by multiple territorial governments, and requires inclusive governance arrangements in which a combination of actors work together to implement community strategies towards a climate‐resilient future. Low carbon governance is a multi‐level and (co‐)evolving process, especially in the complex interactions between actors of the core, inner periphery and civil periphery. The devolution of power within the UK has enabled Scotland to establish an ambitious policy agenda for renewable energy. By exploring an established national community energy programme, this study examines the interplay among different actors and looks into how multi‐level governance can be strengthened. This paper combines multi‐level and evolutionary governance theory to understand the extent to which top‐down initiatives facilitate community renewable energy projects and help drive wider system transformations. It concludes that in an evolving policy environment, top‐down support for community energy is a necessary motivator. This requires the state to play a dominant role in directing low carbon transitions, while acting in concert with non‐state, local and regional actors. If communities are to benefit from energy transitions, wider policies must be aligned with community needs, otherwise community energy will be pushed to the margins of the next energy revolution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

The Smart Grid Technology Development Strategy of Taiwan

In Taiwan, in corresponding to the policy of reducing CO2 emission, reforming current energy structure, and saving energy, the National Energy Program (NEP)-Smart Grid General Project Phase 1 was implemented. The objectives of this project are meant to enhance the robustness of the power grid, reduce greenhouse gas emission, increase the penetration rate of renewable energy and develop smart grid industry in Taiwan. This study will introduce the positioning of the Smart Grid General Project among overall smart grid development, the results of Phase 1, the smart grid technology commercialization process of Phase 2, and the promotion model with collaboration between industry, universities and research units.

SEMERGY.net: automatically identifying and optimizing energy-efficient building designs

A central goal of European and national climate and energy programs is to reduce the greenhouse gas emission of buildings. SEMERGY is a web-based optimization environment, which supports users in decision-making regarding energy-efficient building designs. Taking the user-specified criteria investment costs, final energy demand of the building, and environmental impact of used building products into account, the system identifies efficient building designs and retrofit options. The following steps were taken: (i) development of a comprehensive building data model, (ii) creation of an ontology of linked building product data, (iii) development of a rule-based system to automatically identify valid construction alternatives for building components, (iv) development of a multi-objective optimization procedure, and (v) creation of a web-based Graphical User Interface to enable data entry and user interaction. The present contribution provides an overview of the progress made in the above mentioned domains.

Integrated and realistic approach to energy planning – a case study of Slovenia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present how multi-criteria methods can be used in the process of National Energy Programme development and analysis of the electricity generation planning in relatively small energy systems. Design/methodology/approach – Due to dependence on many input and output parameters which can be very complex and uncertain, energy systems have become extremely difficult to analyse and use of multi-criteria decision-making methods is essential. This paper presents and compares results of the analysis of electricity generation scenarios with three widely used multi-criteria methods, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) and multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT). Findings – AHP, due to its transparency and simplicity in comparison with PROMETHEE and MAUT, is the most suitable method for the analysis of the electricity generation decision alternatives in a small energy system, such as Slovenian. The case study proposed in this research confirms that transition from environment unfriendly fossil-fuelled economy to sustainable and climate friendly development requires a realistic approach, which must be based on excellent knowledge of alternative possibilities of development and especially awareness of new opportunities in exploitation of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Originality/value – The case study presented in this research represents a repeatable and practical application of three widely used multi-criteria methods in the process of national energy policy development. It provides a methodological approach for finding realistic solutions to the problem of the future development challenges in small energy systems.

선진 핵연료주기 기술 개발을 위한 핵연료주기 분석 기술

핵연료주기 분석 연구는 핵연료주기 단계에서 기술들을 분석하고 요건들을 도출하여 국가적 핵연료주기 정책 설정 및 추진을 체계적으로 수행하기 위한 연구이다. 시스템 분석 기술은 대상 시스템의 비교 분석 평가에 활용되며 핵연료주기를 대상으로 하는 경우 각 국가 또는 관심 범위에 따라 다양한 방법이 사용된다. 본 연구에서는 국내 선진 핵연료주기 개발을 위해 필요한 핵연료주기 분석 전략과 함께 이를 위해 사용될 수 있는 분석 기술들을 제시하였다. 핵연료주기 분석은 전략적으로 기술적 분석, 국내외 이해관계, 국가 에너지 프로그램과 연계되어야 한다. 이를 위해 다양한 핵연료주기를 비교하여 제시된 평가 지표에 따라 분석하는 연구는 트레이드 연구 방법을 적용하여 수행할 수 있다. 본 연구를 통한 조사 분석 결과 핵연료주기 분석 전략과 함께 방법적 측면에서 트레이드 연구가 선진 핵연료주기 도출에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 파악되었다. 트레이드 연구에 필수적인 평가지표를 선정하고 각 지표별 핵연료주기에 대한 정보를 얻기 위해서는 기술성숙도 분석 방법과 핵연료주기 시뮬레이터를 활용할 수 있을 것으로 제시하였다. 이들은 핵연료주기의 기술성, 경제성, 환경영향성 등을 비교 평가하여 기술개발을 위한 방향을 제시하고 체계적인 선진 핵연료주기 도출 및 실현에 기여할 것이다. The nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) analysis is a study to set a NFC policy and to promote systematic researches by analyzing technologies and deriving requirements at each stage of a fuel cycle. System analysis techniques are utilized for comparative analysis and assessment of options on a considered system. In case that NFC is taken into consideration various methods of the system analysis techniques could be applied depending on the range of an interest. This study presented NFC analysis strategies for the development of a domestic advanced NFC and analysis techniques applicable to different phases of the analysis. Strategically, NFC analysis necessitates the linkage with technology analyses, domestic and international interests, and a national energy program. In this respect, a trade-off study is readily applicable since it includes various aspects on NFC as metrics and then analyzes the considered NFC options according to the derived metrics. In this study, the trade-off study was identified as a method for NFC analysis with the derived strategies and it was expected to be used for development of an advanced NFC. A technology readiness level (TRL) method and NFC simulation codes could be utilized to obtain the required metrics and data for assessment in the trade-off study. The methodologies would guide a direction of technology development by comparing and assessing technological, economical, environmental, and other aspects on the alternatives. Consequently, they would contribute for systematic development and deployment of an appropriate advanced NFC.

Forgotten Partnership at 20-Something

Just days after the terrorist attacks of n September 2001, President George W. Bush gave one of the most important speeches of his presidency before a joint session of congress, reshaping the trajectory of American foreign policy. Seated in the upper deck of the house of representatives was British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had flown across the Atlantic just to attend. Bush declared, no truer friend than Great Britain. Once again, we are joined together in a great cause.Cue the hand-wringing in Canada. Suddenly, the decades of shared history that spawned the amorous cliches of thousands of speeches had been turned on their head. What had become of Canada's with America? Canadians, after aU, had taken in thousands of passengers stranded when American airspace was closed on 9/11. What happened to being each other's best customer? What about aU those trucks that cross the Ambassador Bridge? Don't we share the world's longest undefended border? What about the peaceful coexistence between elephants and mice?Doubts about the strength of the ties that bind Canada and the United States together have multiplied in recent years. Former US Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci's infamous quip that trumps or the cancellation of official visits to Ottawa by Bush in 2003 and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in 2005, reportedly over Canada's decision to stay out of Iraq and ballistic missile defence, respectively, left a chill on bilateral relations.North America, and Canada-US relations more narrowly, have not suffered from inattention in the last decade. However, the policy focus has been heavily dominated by a Faustian bargain between security and economics that has become more entrenched since President Barack Obama assumed office in 2009. Coupled with recent efforts by Obama and Britain's David Cameron to redefine the US-UK relationship as an essential one, many are left wondering whether there was ever anything special about CanadaUS relations. American officials openly praise the contribution and sacrificed being made by Canadians in Afghanistan, one could be forgiven for suspecting that the US talking points might actually read insert NATO ally here.In 1984, Charles Doran argued that Canada-U S relations were at a similar set of crossroads. Structural asymmetries, divergent interests, and both strategic and tactical missteps by Ottawa and Washington risked undermining the postwar comity and cooperation between the two countries. Through the 1970s, Canada and the United States had moved along divergent paths, abandoning many elements of cooperation, institution-building, deference, exceptionalism, and exemptionalism that had until then characterized Canada- U S relations. Such was the uncertain state of bilateral relations in the period that Ronald Reagan's ambitious call for a accord in 1979 seemed wildly out of step. Reagan's ascendancy to the White House dramatically reasserted America's role as leader and underwriter of a liberal global economic system. At the same time, Canada struggled to find its place in the world, trapped between the economic nationalism of initiatives like the national energy program and its dependence on an open global economy for its economic survival. It was a crossroads for the relationship, indeed.Yet only a year after publication of Forgotten Partnership: CanadaUS Relations Today, as Reagan and Prime Minister Mulroney sang When Irish eyes are smiling together in Quebec City, one might have concluded that Doran's assessment of the state of Canada-US relations was overly pessimistic.1 The two leaders had just committed to negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement, two thirds of the continental accord, which seemingly heralded the renewal of partnership. The dramatic reversal of Canada's economic posture in response to Reagan's chaUenge had set the two countries on a course for a dramatic deepening of the relationship through economic ties. …

Review: The Politics of Linkage Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada-US Relations

THE POLITICS OF LINKAGE Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada-US Relations Brian Bow Vancouver: UBC Press, 2010. 232 pp, $32.95 paper ISBN 978-0774816960It used to be, in the not very distant past, that the division between the study of politics and the study of history was a matter of dates. Very recent events, or subjects that had immediate and useful application, were the province of students of politics or political science. Older events belonged to historians, although it was well understood that practitioners of history or political studies could and would borrow freely from one another. This was especially true in the field of international relations, and indeed sometimes it was hard to distinguish the political scientists from the historians. Someone like James Eayrs, for example, could easily pass in either category, and it is likely that Eayrs will be remembered more for his historical works than as a political scientist.Times change. Both history and political science have become more theoretical. Few would now mistake a historian for a political scientist, or vice versa. History and political science remain adjacent pastures, but the academic herbivores grazing in their fields are unlikely to think that the grass or fodder is greener on the other side of the fence - though the products ofthe scholarly herds may in the end be indistinguishable to the untutored eye or nose.Brian Bow's book, The Politics of Linkage: Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada- US Relations, may seem to contradict this image of equal but separate fields. In the first place, Bow writes plainly and clearly, these days not a common academic characteristic. Next, his book is historically based, consisting of four case studies of notable events in Canadian-American relations: the nuclear weapons controversy ofthe early 1960s; the dispute over the free navigation of Arctic waters in the early seventies; the national energy program of the early eighties; and, skipping a decade, the different policies of Canada and the United States on the Iraq War of 2003.At a glance, the case studies are concise, lively, and apparenuy comprehensive. The nuclear issue, though a thrice-told tale, is handled in a manner that transcends its hackneyed origins. The fabled cruise of the Manhattan through the Northwest Passage is handily and usefully described. The repetitive and tedious diplomacy ofthe national energy program (which at the time seemed to be like the curse of Sisyphus to those caught up in it) has cried out for a summary - and here it is. The Iraq War and the aftermath of Jean Chretien's refusal to join it are very recent events, on which opinions sharply differ, and Bow certainly has his opinion, again, clearly expressed.For each of these events, Bow makes the point that American policy was forbearing - that is, that despite the great disparity on power and size and importance between Canada and the United States, the Americans did not coerce the Canadians in order to secure a favourable outcome. This will not be news to students of Canadian- American relations: the same point is made in various books, most notably Greg Donaghy^ Tolerant Allies (2002), where the titie is, essentially, the message.Bow early on raises the question whether Canadian- American relations could be considered special, and concludes that, in the generally accepted sense ofthe term, denoting closeness and compatibility and influence, they were in his first case and to some degree even in the early 1970s. As for the national energy policy and Iraq, the cases were special even if the underlying relations were no longer close or the respective political ouuooks compatible. …