The Northern Economics Student Society (NESS) at UNBC will be hosting a half-day symposium on the economics of Northern Gateway pipelines on April 5. The symposium will feature two world class speakers offering different analyses on proposed oil and gas pipelines in Northern B.C. "We hear a lot about the environmental issues associated with pipelines", said Nasser Albishi, president of NESS, "but this is a chance to hear about the economics. It's actually a complicated issue and we will hear two experts speak about whether the economics behind the pipelines make sense or not."
The speakers are Michael Holden and Nathan Lemphers. Holden , is a senior economist at the Canada West Foundation in Calgary. His work with the Foundation focuses primarily on policy issues related to energy and natural resources in the western Canadian economy. His talk is entitled Looking Overseas: Market Potential and Policy Considerations for West Coast Pipeline Development. Nathan Lemphers is an oilsands technical and policy analyst at the Pembina Institute. Nathan has held internships with USGS and UNESCO and has previously worked internationally as a consultant for NGOs, municipal and state governments, as well as First Nations and industry clients. He will talk about his recent report Pipeline to Nowhere?
Chair of the Economics Program, Dr. Fiona MacPhail, said "this should be a Symposium of interest to many in Northern B.C. The pipelines are controversial projects and it's important that all aspects and sides of the debate are considered."
The symposium will take place in the conference centre rooms 6-205/211 from 1 - 4 p.m. and this is a free event.
