Canada’s oil to be valued

Mr. Haggin (Guest Opinion, May 15) is right. Americans should know as much as possible about where their gasoline and diesel come from. The more they know, the better they’re likely to feel about fuel from Canada, America’s most secure and friendly energy supplier.

Heavy oil from Canadian oil sands is much like heavy oil resources all over the world – harder to produce and requiring more energy and processing. However, all Canadian oil is sold in the U.S. at the prevailing market price. If anything, it tends to decrease the price Americans pay.

Canada faces issues similar to those facing many other major oil exporters. Other major sources of crude oil sold in the U.S. have comparable greenhouse gas intensities to oil sands crude.

Canada has also dramatically improved the carbon footprint of oil sands crude through significant investments in research and technology, thorough regulation and ongoing improvement.

Canadians and Americans are working together toward lower carbon emissions and less reliance on fossil fuels. But this will take time, and we all need reliable, responsible fuel supplies in the meantime. The more of this that can be safely and economically produced in North America, the better for all of us.

Denis Stevens

Consul General of Canada

Seattle