Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
The Grinch. Warner Bros
Well, it’s nearly Christmas. I’m not the November Twelve kinda guy that goes Christmas crazy the second that poppy is off my coat. Early December is more my speed. But I do get excited about Christmas, mostly for the spoiling of the grandchildren. This is much to the chagrin of my children who must deal with the post-Christmas toy and sugar barrage. Not my problem, I’m the grandparent. Like most of us, eating too much and binge-watching way too much television is my next favorite part. I also love my Christmas shows. First, of course, is “Die Hard.” Do not argue this with me; I will die on that hill. Yippee Kai Yay Mother——!
There are the others, the Hallmark shows I pretend to enjoy with Val put us in the Christmas spirit. I also enjoy Elf, A Christmas Carol; it’s a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas and many others. But one of my top picks is of course “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” (Not the Jim Carey movie, that thing freaked me out) I love the old Dr. Seuss cartoon version that came out in 1966. It’s just the best. Sadly, it kind of makes me picture a new version of the Grinch lately.
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Our dear leader in Ottawa, Justin Trudeau and his sidekick Steven Guilbeault, continue their assault on the Canadian energy industry. Despite the fact that we have been constantly improving how we produce the cleanest, most ethical oil in the world, they are still hell bent on shutting it down. This, in spite of the fact the world needs more fossil fuels to assist with the transition to cleaner forms of energy, which do not yet exist in quantities that will work effectively. I sort of picture it like this: Since Boris Karloff is gone, let’s use Morgan Freeman as the narrator. That man can narrate the ingredients on a cereal box and make it sound fascinating.
The oil-workers in Who-Ville loved working with crude oil a lot, but the Grinch in Ottawa, most decidedly DID NOT! The Grinch hated oil and gas, don’t ask the reason, no one knows why. Maybe his hair gel was not right; perhaps his designer socks were just a little too tight.
“Look at those Oil-workers in Who-Ville!” said the Grinch most perturbed. “Earning a good living, to have money for giving!”
“They are busy working, working and working.”
“They are not lazy, their duties they’re not shirking.”
He hated those Whos, every last one, “They must not produce oil, but what can be done?”
He grabbed his pet Steve, and looked in his eye, “I must stop them all, and only we know why!”
“I will write some new laws, and pass them today!”
“Help me with this Steve, we must not delay!”
“We will set up roadblocks, legal and other.”
“They will be overwhelmed, their resolve we shall smother.”
He wrote and he wrote, and with Jagmeet’s help it was no trouble, and with this majority it was passed on the double! They passed carbon taxes, and new industry rules, they passed more bills that took away their tools. The Saudi’s watched from great distance with glee, the one Sheik cried out, “A new yacht for me!”
So he passed his new laws, and sat back in his chair, “with all these new obstacles, they will find it unfair!” So he waited and waited, and waited a bit more, the Grinch was excited to see what was in store. The Grinch got ready, and he dressed in his best, he got on a jet plane and flew to the West.
He flew in his plane, so high in the air, burning jet fuel, he had not a care. With Steve on his lap he looked down below, he could see rig activity. It was not slow.
“What are they doing?” He said in a huff, “They are still working, producing that stuff!” The rigs were still drilling, turning to the right. They drilled through the day, and all through the night. The Grinch looked at Steve and said, “They are still successful, in spite of my meddling; they ignored my efforts, and did not buy what I was pedaling.”
They were still getting oil, because there was a need. But they also drilled geothermal to harness the steam. They drilled for gas, and lithium too, then potash and helium, they knew what to do. They could not be stopped, they were clever and smart. The Grinch underestimated them and the size of their heart. They worked very hard, making brave new advances, they studied the potential, and they weren’t taking chances.
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The Whos were all happy, not a care were they giving, and they were all satisfied just to make a good living. They are building the future, and doing it with care; and they will be successful, it was not on a dare. The Grinch cried out; “I don’t understand!” “They are still working; it’s not what was planned.” “I was certain the oil patch would be banned.”
This is the part of my little Christmas tale where I would tell you how the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day or his fashionable socks just fit a bit better or something like that. Then he would come to his senses and promote our clean, ethical energy to the world. But we all know better. For whatever reason, he and his buddies believe that we can be off of fossil fuels by 2035. But you and I, and even my friends in the green energy field, know that this is a fool’s errand. To produce the replacements for fossil fuels cannot be done without fossil fuels at this time.
All of us want a clean future. All of us. But for the leader of our country, to intentionally prevent us from doing this transition in the right way is confusing to most of us. They are steering our great country into energy poverty. To continue to stop the most ethical, cleanest operating energy on the planet makes no sense. We have just missed our chance to supply Europe with LNG, which could have been a factor in getting Putin out of Ukraine. In so doing, Canada would also be providing funding to create a truly “green” energy transition.
The Whos kept on working and supplying us all, with clean ethical energy, so our economy won’t stall. The Whos sang out to everyone’s delight, “A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Brian Crossman is a partner at Independent Well Servicing in Estevan. He offers up his sincere apologies to the family and friends of Dr. Seuss, along with the many fans of the beloved children’s author. Sorry about the butcher job on the story. And yes, you and I know Diehard is a Christmas movie. As his friend Greg’s niece once said, “Yippee Kai Yay coffeemaker!” (true story)
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