A New Global Paradigm
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A New Global Paradigm: Understanding the Transnational Progressive Movement, the Energy Transition and the Great Transformation Strangling Alberta’s Petroleum Industry A Report for Commissioner Steve Allan Anti-Alberta Energy Public Inquiry Dr T.L. Nemeth April 2020 Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ 2 List of Tables .................................................................................................................. 2 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3 II. Background/Context ................................................................................................. 5 III. Transnational Progressive Movement..................................................................... 12 A. Definitions .............................................................................................................. 12 B. Climate Change Rationale for Revolution .............................................................. 17 C. Global Energy Transition ........................................................................................ 27 i. Divestment/Transforming Financial Industry ............................................. 31 ii. The Future of Hydrocarbons ....................................................................... 40 IV. Groups Involved...................................................................................................... 46 A. Mode of Operation and Communication ................................................................ 46 i. International Institutions .............................................................................. 48 ii. World Economic Forum .............................................................................. 49 iii. Club of Rome .............................................................................................. 51 iv. Open Society Foundation ............................................................................ 53 v. Knowledge Purveyors ................................................................................. 53 vi. Business groups and Corporations .............................................................. 54 vii. ENGOs ........................................................................................................ 55 viii. Foundations ................................................................................................. 58 B. Cultural Shift ........................................................................................................... 60 i. Youth Movement ......................................................................................... 60 ii. Media ........................................................................................................... 67 V. Facilitating the Great Transformation ..................................................................... 74 A. Green New Deals .................................................................................................... 74 i. Common Elements of Green New Deals ..................................................... 84 B. Implementing Green New Deals ............................................................................. 84 C. Life After the Great Transformation ....................................................................... 89 VI. The “Silver Lining” of the Coronavirus Pandemic ................................................ 92 VII. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 105 Works Cited…………………………………………………………………….108 1 List of Figures Figure 1 Crude Oil Spot Prices .......................................................................................... 5 Figure 2 Evidence of Natural Warming and Cooling Cycles .......................................... 19 Figure 3 Non-Tree Ring Data for 2,000 years Temperature Data. .................................. 20 Figure 4 Battle of the Graphs: Mann versus Ball............................................................. 21 Figure 5 Fossil Fuel Use and Human Progress ................................................................ 25 Figure 6 Climate Models vs Balloon Temps, 1979-2018 ................................................ 26 Figure 7 Conceptual Framework of Transnational Progressive Movement Network ..... 47 Figure 8 Common Elements of Green New Deal Plans................................................... 84 Figure 9 Common Silver Lining Coronavirus Media Themes ........................................ 95 List of Tables Table 1 Global Energy Consumption ............................................................................... 41 Table 2 Global Regional Energy Consumption ............................................................... 42 Table 3 Mega Multiple Funding Foundations…………………………………………...58 Table 4 Global Climate Action Summit Foundations ...................................................... 59 2 This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution. – Christiana Figueres, 2015 I mean, it’s the Great Transformation, it’s started, that's what I would say. It’s begun. Not the way we expected, but it’s begun. – Paul Dickinson, 27 March 20201 I. Introduction There is a transnational global movement to facilitate a fundamental paradigm shift, a Great Transformation, to a new energy economy that will halt fossil fuel use and development, initially in the western world, in order to create a new global low-carbon, net-zero civilization. The first major petroleum industry target being used to accelerate this global transition is the Alberta oil sands. The anti-oil sands campaign has so far been successful in land-locking production, preventing new pipelines for Canadian consumption or export markets, intimidating investors, and influencing the Canadian government to support these policies. However, the current evolved strategy is not confined to Alberta; it is not about making Alberta or Canada suffer per se; it is about transforming the world and creating a new civilization that is not based on fossil fuels, which means all western economies will be impacted at some point. The global movement is a psychological, political, and group process, rooted in progressivism, in order to get a critical mass of public support to fundamentally transform western industrial economies and societies. There are various ideas circulating for what will replace the current system, and although there are differences amongst the various interested groups, they agree on the ultimate goal of ending capitalism and our modern way of life. This has been called “The Great Transition”, “Paradigm Shift”, “Great Transformation”, “Global Phase Shift”, and many other labels. For the purposes of this report and consistency, Great Transformation will be the preferred description. Although this inquiry has been overtaken by recent events caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this report provides timely insight into the nature, motivations, objectives, and strategies of the Transnational Progressive Movement to force or manufacture an energy 1 Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Paul Dickinson, Outrage and Optimism Podcast, Season 2 #10 (45), 27 March 2020, “Corona and Climate (1): Coming Back Stronger,” 10:07. https://tunein.com/podcasts/News- Politics-Podcasts/Outrage-and-Optimism-p1217603/?topicId=140572973 . 3 transition using the rationale of climate change, cultivating a cultural shift through media and the youth, and implementing various Green New Deals around the world to fundamentally transform the western industrial capitalist economic system. This report also sheds light on the trajectory of changes proposed for the post-pandemic economic restructuring recovery, and how that will potentially impact Alberta’s energy industry and the viability of the province itself. Indeed, the very future of Alberta is at stake. In order to effectively address this comprehensive international assault on Alberta’s and Canada’s energy industry, it is important to understand the motivations, structure, and strategies that are being pursued in manufacturing a new global energy transition. This is a long-term international movement to facilitate a fundamental global paradigm shift. To contest it or resist it, one must understand it. To that end, drawing upon over a thousand website articles, newspaper articles, reports, speeches, video conference proceedings, academic journal articles, and books, this report is divided into six sections: the first establishes the background of the attack on Alberta’s oil sands within the context of the transnational movement to force an energy transition and a Great Transformation of the global economic system. The second examines the nature or motivation of the transnational progressive movement behind the Great Transformation, the climate rationale behind it, and the energy transition at its core. Next to be considered are the groups involved – how they work and communicate, the role of media organizations in shaping the narrative and promoting panic and a sense of emergency, the goals and processes for a cultural shift and the youth movement. The fourth section analyses