Isn't that special?

Every now and then a commenter at this or any number of other climate-oriented blogs spews out the phrase "the height of arrogance" and uses it in a way that defies logic. For example, one "Bruce" recently wrote

"It is the height of arrgoance [sic] to suggest a trace gas like CO2 has anything to do with the climate cycles."

No, Bruce, it's not arrogant to accurately portray the chemistry and thermodynamics of climatology. This morning, however, I did find a case to which the phrase might be applied with some degree of accuracy:

Alberta's oil sands producers should be allowed to significantly increase their greenhouse gas emissions, even if that means forcing other sectors to take on additional expensive obligations to meet Canada's climate change targets, an industry executive says.

That's from the Globe and Mail. If you're still capable in sustained breathing after reading that, here's some excerpts from an editorial board interview with Marcel Coutu, CEO of Canadian Oil Sands Trust, which owes a significant portion of the northern Alberta tar sands extraction project.

"That's the math and there is no escape from that," he said. "What we have to do is prioritize what is most important to the economy and our quality of life. At the end of the day I don't think there is a single element of our economy that is more important than energy."

The math is clearly daunting.

Driven by its need to keep the oil industry growing, Alberta has set regulations that will see emissions continue to grow between 2006 and 2020, even as Ottawa attempts to cut levels by 20 per cent over that period. With Alberta representing more than a third of Canadian emissions in 2006, the failure by that province to cut back will require the rest of the provinces to reduce their emissions by more than 35 per cent from 2006 levels over the next 10 years.

...

Mr. Coutu said it's necessary to look at those figures from a global perspective, because additional Canadian petroleum production from the oil sands would be replacing production - and emissions - from elsewhere in the world.

The fact that Canada is a net exporter of energy must also be taken into account, Mr. Coutu said, because Canada could end up taking the environmental responsibility for a product that is eventually purchased by a foreign user.

While it is up to the government to make the call on carbon policy, the oil sands industry needs to "emphasize the importance of energy [and] the importance of crude oil in the mix," he said.

I was going to write something pithy at this point, but can't think of anything. Suggestions?