We obsess about pipelines here in Alberta. And greenwashing. And sands-tarring. Sometimes, I write about it, as in this very odd little piece, Is greener oil the ticket to Keystone XL? for Canadian Business (April 25, 2013). Here’s the meta-point:

The big question for those connecting the dots: How far will Alberta, and the oilsands industry, bend to get it built? The discussion around 40/40 suggests that the province, at least, is willing to bend quite a bit further than it has in the past. (The carbon levy established in 2007, by comparison, sits at just $15 a tonne over mandated levels.) And as one insider notes, on this issue, where Alberta goes, Ottawa will follow—not the other way around.

Names dropped–er, mentioned: Alison Redford, Alberta premier, Barak Obama, Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen, Avery Shenfled, chief economist at CIBC, Northern Gateway Pipeline, Keystone XL, Statoil, Cenovus

• Full text at Canadian Business

Photo credit: Josh Lopez via Wikipedia