An editorialist in the Edmonton Sun said that, “universities at their most basic, should be a place to discuss and debate issues.”
They should also be a place to foster some common sense when it comes to discussing difficult issues and making decisions based on those decisions.
The University of Alberta (U of A) in Alberta has shown a complete lack of common sense in a decision to grant an honourary doctorate of science to David Suzuki.
He may be an accomplished scientist and broadcaster, but he has demonstrated a closed mind when it comes to climate change and Alberta’s energy economy.
As far as he is concerned the real cause of climate change is the exploitation of the Fort McMurray oil sands.
As a scientist, he should have studied the research science from meteorological scientists. These scientists have proven that C02 has never been a driver of climate change. The cause of climate change is solar activity of one kind or another.
Scientists at the U of A have done much of the research that has made the production of oil out of the oil sands viable.
It seems that as far as Suzuki is concerned, this is research that never should have happened because it is contributing to climate change.
Suzuki and Al Gore do not seem to understand that they are the definition of true hypocrites. They both live a lifestyle that produces far more C02 emissions than the average citizen that they criticize for being extravagant in energy consumption.
They are both consumers of large amounts of energy, as they own more than one expensive home, they travel all over the world in aircraft and live a lavish lifestyle.
If they expect everyone else to live a low energy lifestyle, perhaps they should lead by example instead of telling people to do as I say instead of as I do.
The U of A’s decision to confer a degree on Suzuki has really stirred up outrage with their own staff, graduates and especially the oil patch community that has donated millions of dollars in donations to the U of A.
For example, the Calgary law firm Moodys Gartner said it was cancelling its five year $100,000 funding commitment to the university’s law school. The deal would have run until 2020.
Semi-retired businessman Dennis Erker who has donated money to the U of A and helped with fundraising campaigns since the 1970s said “it will be the most expensive degree ever granted by the university when you consider the amount of money the university gets from people in the energy sector or related to the energy sector in our province.” He said, “we will probably lose 50 percent of those contributions.
What I find interesting about this controversy is that much of the criticism for this decision is coming from the universities own professors like Fraser Forbes, the dean of the universities engineering faculty.
This was a decision that was made by the University Senate. Talk about the left hand not communicating with the right hand.
The university doesn’t seem to understand which side of its bread has the butter on it.
In spite of all of the negative criticism and press this stupid decision has created, it seems the university is refusing to rescind its decision. Students will pay the price for the reduction of contributions in higher tuition fees.
David Suzuki is a biological scientist, not a meteorological scientist; however, in my opinion, he is not well known as a biologist, he is well known because of his narrow-minded bias on climate change and fossil fuels.
He has been told by experts in economics that his views on the economics of the industry are wrong, his response, “Why would I want to talk to economists?”
by Herman Schwenk
