ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN A -STATE: THE RESOURCE CURSE AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY IN ’S OIL FRONTIER

A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

by Angela V. Carter August 2011

© 2011 Angela V. Carter

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN A PETRO-STATE: THE RESOURCE CURSE AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY IN CANADA’S OIL FRONTIER

Angela V. Carter, Ph.D. Cornell University 2011

This dissertation analyzes environmental policy trends in frontier oil developments in two major Canadian oil dependent provinces: ’s tar sands and Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil fields. It attempts to account for how the environmental policy systems in these cases permit or do not prevent the environmental impacts of oil development. The theoretical frameworks of the resource curse and political ecology literatures guide this analysis within the broader context of work on petro-capitalism. I use qualitative methodologies, primarily semi-structured interviews and a review of scholarly, government, and publicly oriented literature, alongside basic economic data analysis to understand the impact of oil on these provinces. I argue that petro-political dynamics in these cases result in weak environmental policy regimes that, in turn, lead to undesirable environmental outcomes. The provinces I study are marked by the symbiotic relationship between governments and oil companies. Given shared economic interests in oil development, the provincial (and also federal) government ensures the continuation of the industry via financial subsidies, by actively defending and promoting the industry at home and abroad, and

by abrogating its regulatory responsibility and authority. The oil industry simultaneously reinforces the governmental approach through coordinated lobbying efforts. The shared interests of government and industry amount to strong consent for oil developments and translate into biased environmental policy regimes: the petro- politics at work forward rapid, extensive oil development while not meaningfully restraining the resulting environmental impacts. Notable ways in which regulatory structures are weak or underdeveloped involve critical gaps in regulations and research as well as ineffective public consultation, monitoring and enforcement. However, there are viable policy alternatives available and growing oppositional movements are pressing for these changes. Building from those perspectives, the dissertation closes by presenting two paths forward. The first adjusts current policies to avoid the worst outcomes of the resource curse and to reduce environmental impacts. The second challenges the petro-political system more profoundly, suggesting alternatives that are environmentally sustainable and politically and economically just.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Angela V. Carter commenced doctoral work at Cornell University’s Government Department following a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Communication from the University of Ottawa in 2001 and a Master of Arts in Political Economy from the Institute of Political Economy at Carleton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs and Management Program in 2003. In the Government Department, she specialized in the fields of comparative politics and political economy. Carter focuses her research on environmental policy using a political economy approach. She is currently a collaborator on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Strategic Research Grant, “The Environmental Assessment Processes of Canadian Frontier Oil and Gas,” with Dr. Gail Fraser (principal investigator, York University) and Dr. Anna Zalik (York University). Since 2008, Carter has worked in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Political Scien