Early drought has led Alberta government to restrict water withdrawals & warn industrial users of worse to come. Yet while oil companies warn their shareholders of risk of climate change-induced water shortages, the #ableg Minister responsible remains in denial. The evidence:

2. In November, AB Ministry of Environment & Protected Areas said river flows and reservoir levels were ~50% of normal and that “spring water levels are expected to be dire.” They will “plan for extreme drought and hope for rain/snow.”

3. We will come back to ‘Hope for rain’ as a strategy while ignoring climate change, but worth noting that in that same presentation, the government is already ordering some users to stop withdrawing water.

4. El Nino years tend to have very low snowfall levels, so not much water for Spring melt. El Nino’s occur regularly but last year’s incredible heat & dryness means reservoirs (that'd normally tide us through a dry year) are already depleted. That’s climate change playing out…

5. On Dec 12 (while Premier & Environment Minister were busy blasting feds over methane regs designed to limit future warming / drought), @AER told oil & gas companies it regulates to prepare contingency plans in the event that they can’t withdraw water

@aer 7. In its 2023 disclosure of climate-related risks to shareholders, CNRL estimated the risk of “Changing precipitation patterns and types” as “likely” & cost of not begin able to withdraw water as $27M/day to their oil sands facilities

@aer 8. To mitigate risk, CNRL built a reservoir to hold 28 days worth of water. Someone should ask them how confident they are re that reserve given recent events. Plus: lots of questions re allowable industrial withdrawals vs base flow levels req'd for healthy river ecosystem

@aer 9. The Alberta government, on the other hand, is in denial. The Nov AB govt drought presentation, AER bulletin & AB gov webpage on drought management are all silent on the link between climate change & drought. I'd love for someone to find somewhere they make this link...

@aer 10. In her op ed “Taking Action on Drought”, AB Environment Minister Schulz doesn’t even mention climate change but ends with untended pathos: “We cannot make it rain or snow, but all of us have a role to play.”

@aer 11. In her relentless attacks on federal climate action & refusal to take significant action at home, @rebeccakschulz is doing her best to make it not rain or snow, worsening the outlook for agriculture, industry and raising the risk of another round of destructive wildfires.

@aer @rebeccakschulz 12. When it comes to climate change and drought, hope is not a strategy. But it seems to be the only one the Government of Alberta is prepared to offer.