Overview

Why have democratic governments failed to take serious steps to reduce carbon emissions despite dire warnings and compelling evidence of the profound and growing threat posed by global warming? Most of the writing on global warming is by scientists, academics, environmentalists, and journalists. Kevin Taft, a former leader of the opposition in Alberta, brings a fresh perspective through the insight he gained as an elected politician who had an insider's eyewitness view of the role of the oil industry. His answer, in brief: The oil industry has captured key democratic institutions in both Alberta and Ottawa.Taft begins his book with a perceptive observer's account of a recent court casein Ottawa which laid bare the tactics and techniques of the industry, its insiders and lobbyists. He casts dramatic new light on exactly how corporate lobbyists, politicians, bureaucrats, universities, and other organizations are working together to pursue the oil industry's agenda.He offers a brisk tour of the recent work of scholars who have developed the concepts of the deep state and institutional capture to understand how one rich industry can override the public interest.Taft views global warming and weakened democracy as two symptoms of the same problem - the loss of democratic institutions to corporate influence and control. He sees citizen engagement and direct action by the public as the only response that can unravel big oil's deep state. AUTHOR: KEVIN TAFT holds a Ph.D. in Business and is the author of four best-selling books and many research studies and articles on political and economic issues in Alberta. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta with the Alberta Liberal Party from 2001 to 2012, and Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2008. He has extensive public policy experience in the Alberta government, private sector, and nn-profit sector, particularly in health, energy, and economic policy. He lives in Edmonton.

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9781459409972

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Reviews

Taft offers a full-throated denunciation of the politicians in both countries who align themselves with energy companies and appear to do their bidding on climate-change policy. Such secretive collaboration, he writes, has led to the embedding of oil's deep state in the key institutions of democracy in Alberta, but also in Ottawa and in Washington. -- (10/06/2017) Deep states cement their power in darkness, Taft writes; shine a light and they recoil. Exposing how the sector undermines the environment to further corporate greed, he notes, can restore public faith that energy regulators and governments work for us--not big oil. -- (12/21/2017) This book is a wonderful surprise...once I started I could not put it down. This story contains so much information and is rounded out in such a way that you will soon find something that will pique your interest and take you down the rabbit hole. -- (04/09/2018) Taft argues that the oil and gas industry has developed a stranglehold over federal and provincial governments, as well as large swaths of academia and the media, corroding Canadians' ability to meaningfully address the threat of climate change. --Jeremy Appel The Monitor (12/01/2018) Taft meticulously details the impact powerful forces from the oil industry had over Alberta during the long-reign of the old Progressive Conservative government and the influence it still exerts over Rachel Notley's New Democratic Party government in the never-ending debate over oil pipelines. --Dave Cournoyer Daveberta (blog) (09/26/2017) Detailed and prosecutorial. --Vit Wagner Quill & Quire (09/07/2017) It's a challenging and insightful read, one that will likely spark many debates about how we talk and think about the oil and gas sector. --James Wilt DeSmog Canada (10/11/2017) A must read for every Albertan. --Sharon Bodnarchuk, Librarian, Calgary Public Library CBC Alberta: CBC Listen, Alberta@Noon (12/28/2017) It really inspires a different kind of conversation about the future of oil, about how we manage our land, about government. --Rosemary Griebel CBC Alberta Kevin Taft brings a fresh perspective through the insight he gained as an elected politician who had an insider's eyewitness view of the role of the oil industry in Alberta. --Maria Alejandra Ottawa Life Magazine (12/14/2017) Has the federal government -- along with certain provincial governments -- been captured by Canada's energy sector? Kevin Taft, a former leader of Alberta's Liberal Party (2004-08) believes so. --Bruce Livesey The Tyee (05/22/2018) So, here we are, a tiny community in the big scheme of things, looking for ways to help our world crumbling under plastic, waste and climate disaster, and we have a prime minister, for all his big talk on climate change and signing the Paris Accord, basically telling us that we are still going to promote fossil fuels no matter what the cost. It's depressing and discouraging. -- (10/06/2017)

Detailed and prosecutorial. --Vit Wagner Quill & Quire (10/01/2017)

Detailed and prosecutorial. --Vit Wagner Quill & Quire (10/01/2017) Taft offers a full-throated denunciation of the politicians in both countries who align themselves with energy companies and appear to do their bidding on climate-change policy. Such secretive collaboration, he writes, has led to the embedding of oil's deep state in the key institutions of democracy in Alberta, but also in Ottawa and in Washington. --Shawn McCarthy, The Globe and Mail (10/06/2017)

Detailed and prosecutorial. --Vit Wagner Quill & Quire (10/01/2017) It's a challenging and insightful read, one that will likely spark many debates about how we talk and think about the oil and gas sector. --James Wilt, DeSmog Canada (10/11/2017) Taft meticulously details the impact powerful forces from the oil industry had over Alberta during the long-reign of the old Progressive Conservative government and the influence it still exerts over Rachel Notley's New Democratic Party government in the never-ending debate over oil pipelines. --Dave Cournoyer, Daveberta (blog) (09/25/2017) Kevin Taft brings a fresh perspective through the insight he gained as an elected politician who had an insider's eyewitness view of the role of the oil industry in Alberta. --Maria Alejandra, Ottawa Life Magazine (12/14/2017) It really inspires a different kind of conversation about the future of oil, about how we manage our land, about government. --Rosemary Griebel, CBC Alberta (12/28/2017) A must read for every Albertan. --Sharon Bodnarchuk, Librarian, Calgary Public Library, CBC Alberta: CBC Listen, Alberta@Noon (12/28/2017) Deep states cement their power in darkness, Taft writes; shine a light and they recoil. Exposing how the sector undermines the environment to further corporate greed, he notes, can restore public faith that energy regulators and governments work for us--not big oil. -- (12/21/2017) Taft offers a full-throated denunciation of the politicians in both countries who align themselves with energy companies and appear to do their bidding on climate-change policy. Such secretive collaboration, he writes, has led to the embedding of oil's deep state in the key institutions of democracy in Alberta, but also in Ottawa and in Washington. -- (10/06/2017) Why are ostensibly environmentally friendly governments ... still so attached to oil sands extraction, with its disproportionate impact on carbon emissions? ... Taft argues that the oil and gas industry has developed a stranglehold over federal and provincial governments, as well as large swaths of academia and the media, corroding Canadians' ability to meaningfully address the threat of climate change. -- (01/02/2018)

Taft offers a full-throated denunciation of the politicians in both countries who align themselves with energy companies and appear to do their bidding on climate-change policy. Such secretive collaboration, he writes, has led to the embedding of oil's deep state in the key institutions of democracy in Alberta, but also in Ottawa and in Washington. -- (10/06/2017) Deep states cement their power in darkness, Taft writes; shine a light and they recoil. Exposing how the sector undermines the environment to further corporate greed, he notes, can restore public faith that energy regulators and governments work for us--not big oil. -- (12/21/2017) It's a challenging and insightful read, one that will likely spark many debates about how we talk and think about the oil and gas sector. --James Wilt DeSmog Canada (10/11/2017) A must read for every Albertan. --Sharon Bodnarchuk, Librarian, Calgary Public Library CBC Alberta: CBC Listen, Alberta@Noon (12/28/2017) Kevin Taft brings a fresh perspective through the insight he gained as an elected politician who had an insider's eyewitness view of the role of the oil industry in Alberta. --Maria Alejandra Ottawa Life Magazine (12/14/2017) Has the federal government -- along with certain provincial governments -- been captured by Canada's energy sector? Kevin Taft, a former leader of Alberta's Liberal Party (2004-08) believes so. --Bruce Livesey The Tyee (05/22/2018) So, here we are, a tiny community in the big scheme of things, looking for ways to help our world crumbling under plastic, waste and climate disaster, and we have a prime minister, for all his big talk on climate change and signing the Paris Accord, basically telling us that we are still going to promote fossil fuels no matter what the cost. It's depressing and discouraging. -- (10/06/2017) Taft meticulously details the impact powerful forces from the oil industry had over Alberta during the long-reign of the old Progressive Conservative government and the influence it still exerts over Rachel Notley's New Democratic Party government in the never-ending debate over oil pipelines. --Dave Cournoyer Daveberta (blog) (09/26/2017) Detailed and prosecutorial. --Vit Wagner Quill & Quire (09/07/2017) It really inspires a different kind of conversation about the future of oil, about how we manage our land, about government. --Rosemary Griebel CBC Alberta This book is a wonderful surprise...once I started I could not put it down. This story contains so much information and is rounded out in such a way that you will soon find something that will pique your interest and take you down the rabbit hole. -- (04/09/2018) Taft argues that the oil and gas industry has developed a stranglehold over federal and provincial governments, as well as large swaths of academia and the media, corroding Canadians' ability to meaningfully address the threat of climate change. --Jeremy Appel The Monitor (12/01/2018)

Author Information

Kevin Taft holds a Ph.D. in Business from the University of Warwick. He has extensive public policy experience in the Alberta government, private sector, and non-profit sector, particularly in health, energy, and economic policy. He is the former CEO of the ExTerra Foundation as well as the author of four books and many research studies and articles on political and economic issues in Alberta. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta with the Alberta Liberal Party from 2001 to 2012, and Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2008. He lives in Edmonton.

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