I came across this story today and felt it was worthy of being discussed. Since the energy boom started to make waves in Canada with the discovery of untapped natural gas reserves, reactions have been mixed to say the least.

While certainly a boon to the local economy – according to the Economist: “They have brought a bonanza of jobs and wealth to the area and to the province. In 2008 the provincial government netted C$2.66 billion in sales of land and drilling rights, and a further C$1 billion in royalty payments.” - tapping into these new sources has proven disruptive, with many locals upset at the increased traffic, construction, and pollution brought about by the drilling.

Encana, the company with the most established drilling operation, has suffered setbacks to its infrastructure in the form of eco-terrorists attempting to shut down the project. The latest attack on July 4th of this year created a 500 meter fissure in one of the natural gas pipelines which was still in repair from an attack four days prior. The bomber who took credit for the attack wrote a letter to Encana asking them to cease drilling operations or suffer even more serious attacks. In response, Canadian authorities have beefed up security and patrols, and even went so far as to bring in counter-terrorist experts.

In my mind, natural gas provides a stable, clean alternative to fossil fuels, and should represent – even to locals affected by natural gas drilling – both an economic and environmental opportunity. While it’s true that there needs to be limits in place on how and where this gas can be accessed, I think it’s necessary that businesses take the lead on discussing their practices openly and honestly before anyone feels compelled to resort to potentially dangerous and destructive acts.

Companies have to recognize their impacts on communities, both positive and negative, and be committed to working with local residents to set address any doubts or issues that may arise in all cases, but especially when they’re reaping significant windfalls. It’s the intelligent and responsible approach and will ultimately benefit everyone involved.

[image via Sam Beebe/Ecotrust]