Alberta’s Coal Moratorium

October 13, 2025 By: Jeff van der Ploeg

When I first read about the Alberta government’s decision to lift the coal mining moratorium on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, it reminded me of conservation efforts that prioritize economic benefit or resource extraction over preserving natural landscapes. It strikes me that the government appears to be bending the knee to coal companies, which threatened the Alberta government with $15 billion in lawsuits following the original moratorium. Reading Worster (1990) reminds us that environmental conservation is always political; it is never just about protecting nature. Instead, the debate revolves around who gets to use what and for what purpose. In this situation, is the land so pristine and beautiful that naturalists or the public have the right to enjoy its beauty, or can ranchers continue to benefit from clean water and grazing pasture? Or are foreign-owned entities allowed to profit from our resources to boost their quarterly returns? It is no surprise that the same questions asked centuries ago continue to arise today.

References

CBC News. (2025, January 16). Alberta government lifts ban on coal exploration in eastern slopes. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/aer-grassy-mountain-eastern-slopes-brian-jean-1.7436871

Worster, D. (1990). Transformations of the Earth: Toward an agroecological perspective in history. The Journal of American History, 76(4), 1087–1106. https://doi.org/10.2307/2936586