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does not support the claims of anti-fossil-
fuel activists."
But he recognizes the need to acknowl-
edge the concerns of aboriginal groups.
"Aboriginal issues must be addressed if
Canada is to have timely access to markets
for its energy production. We continue
to support a collaborative approach
among governments, aboriginal groups
and industry. We encourage the BC and
federal governments to take a leadership
role in engaging with aboriginal groups
and industry to find solutions that enable
market access. British Columbia, aborigi-
nal groups and Canada as a whole will
benefit from diversifying our markets and
the resulting economic benefits from get-
ting full value for our oil and natural gas
resources."
But another concern is the availability
of water needed for shale gas extraction.
A study by the World Resources Institute
(WRI) warns that even as the indus-
try seeks new plays in China, Mexico,
Argentina and Britain, the lack of access
to freshwater needed for fracking could be
detrimental. The study found that while
large quantities of shale gas are located in
China, India, South Africa and Mexico,
those locations have limited freshwater
and many are in arid climates, while 368
million people live above them.
"These factors pose significant social,
environmental and financial challenges
to accessing water and could limit shale
development," WRI president, Andrew
Steer, said in the report, urging industry
and governments to cooperate to ensure
water security, environmental protection
and business risk avoidance.
Recently, the Western Canada
Wilderness Committee and the Sierra
Club filed a petition in BC Supreme Court
against the BC Oil and Gas Commission
and Encana Corp. [ECA-TSX] over the
commission's decision to grant repeat
short-term water approvals to the com-
pany. They asked the court to reverse the
approvals, citing increasing pressure on
water resources, the effect of chemicals
used in fracking, and fracking's effect
on underground water resources, but
