Joel Wood

Credentials

• Ph.D., Economics, University of Guelph (2010).¹Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• M.A., Economics, University of Guelph (2005).²Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• B.A., Economics, University of British Columbia (2003).³Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.

Background

Joel Wood is an associate professor at Thompson Rivers University. Previously, he was the Fraser Institute‘s Senior Research Economist in the Centre for Environmental Studies and Centre for Risk and Regulation. A similar position was previously held by climate change skeptic Kenneth Green who now works with the American Enterprise Institute.⁴Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.

Wood completed his Ph.D. in Economics under the direction of Fraser Institute fellow and climate change skeptic Ross McKitrick.

Woods has three “working papers” to his name, and some of his recent studies have been criticized by the David Suzuki Foundation and DeepClimate.

Stance on Climate Change

April 28, 2011

In an article published in the Calgary Beacon and Canadian Manufacturing, Wood stated:

“Setting aside the questionable validity of the evidence suggesting a human contribution to climate change, both [Liberal and Conservative] plans would have only negligible impact on global greenhouse gas emissions.”⁵Joel Wood. “Liberals and Conservatives offer job killing climate policies,” The Fraser Institute, April 28, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uAlTm

Key Quotes

January 31, 2012

Wood published a policy study with the Fraser Institute on air quality regulations and the state of air quality in Canada. On the subject of lowering pollution levels through economic caps or household pollution control rules, he wrote:

“At a certain point, the benefits from reduced pollution no longer outweigh the costs of achieving them, which is why it rarely makes sense to aim for zero pollution.”⁶Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators—Air Quality,” (Policy Study), The Fraser Institute, January, 2012. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IPl2w

Key Deeds

October 22, 2012

Joel Wood published an environmental policy study under the Fraser Institute on water quality. (PDF).⁷“Joel Wood. “Lifting the Moratorium: The Costs and Benefits of Offshore Drilling in British Columbia,” Fraser Institute, October 22, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VHybo

The study looked at the potential economic benefits and environmental risks posed by offshore oil drilling and concluded that despite potential risk to the environment, “lifting the current moratorium on offshore drilling and proceeding with offshore exploration and development for oil is expected to provide substantial net benefits to BC and Canada.”

January 31, 2012

Joel Wood published a environmental policy study under the Fraser Institute on air quality (PDF).⁸Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators—Air Quality,” (Policy Study), The Fraser Institute, January, 2012. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IPl2w

The study, which looked at the concentrations of five major pollutants, concluded that “Canadians currently experience significantly better air quality than at any other time since monitoring of air quality commenced in the 1970s and that air quality continues to improve.”

Wood’s report accuses the Canadian Medical Association of trying to scare the public, and says that “the Canadian Medical Association’s report overestimates the future costs of air pollution in Canada.”

However, Environment Canada records and data compiled by the National Roundtable on Energy and the Environment (NRTEE) tell a different story on some of the assertions made by the Fraser Institute study, particularly the study’s claim that ground-level ozone is decreasing (see PDF).⁹“Environment Canada and NRTEE versus the Fraser Institute: An issue of quality,” DeepClimate, February 10, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WJREe

March 9, 2011

Wood opposed Canada’s federal Renewable Fuels Regulations which would mandate the minimum amount of renewable fuel content in gasoline.

Wood claimed the regulations “will result in large costs to the petroleum industry and
consumers, while providing very little verifiable benefit to society.”¹⁰Joel Wood. “Canada’s federal Renewable Fuels Regulations: An example of poor decision making,” Fraser Forum, March/April 2011. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zSBOg

This article was among a number by Wood that were critiqued by DeepClimate. In this case, Wood cites an outdated number Canada’s 2020 GHG reduction target.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the Fraser Institute is encouraging the Canadian government “to maintain the status quo when it comes to this country’s air pollution policies.”¹¹Evan Duggan. “Fraser Institute gives passing grade to Canada’s air pollution policies,” Vancouver Sun, January 31, 2012. *Article no longer available online.

The David Suzuki Foundation took a critical look at the Fraser Institute report and found that it ignores the rising emissions from certain sectors. The Foundation explains that there is no “safe” threshold level for exposure to key pollutants.¹²Lisa Gue. “Action still needed on air quality (Gasp! Fraser Institute has it wrong)”, David Suzuki Foundation, February 1, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2Uxi6

Affiliations

• Fraser Institute — Senior Research Economist.¹³“Joel Wood,” Profile at the Fraser Institute. Accessed April, 2012.

Social Media

• @JoelWWood on Twitter.

Publications

According to his resume (PDF), Wood has three “working papers” in economics that appear to be related to his Ph.D. thesis.

Wood has published a number of articles and policy studies with the Fraser Institute. Some of these include:

• Canadian Environmental Indicators : Air Quality
• Lifting the Moratorium: The Costs and Benefits of Offshore Oil Drilling in British Columbia
• Canadian Environmental Indicators – Water.¹⁴Joel Wood. “Canada’s federal Renewable Fuels Regulations: An example of poor decision making,” Fraser Forum, March/April 2011. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zSBOg ¹⁵“Joel Wood. “Lifting the Moratorium: The Costs and Benefits of Offshore Drilling in British Columbia,” Fraser Institute, October 22, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VHybo ¹⁶Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators – Water,” Fraser Institute, August 29, 2013. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jaf94

Other Resources

Resources

• 1
  Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• 2
  Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• 3
  Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• 4
  Joel Wood. CV from joelwood.ca (PDF). Accessed January 21, 2017. Archived on Desmog.
• 5
  Joel Wood. “Liberals and Conservatives offer job killing climate policies,” The Fraser Institute, April 28, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uAlTm
• 6
  Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators—Air Quality,” (Policy Study), The Fraser Institute, January, 2012. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IPl2w
• 7
  “Joel Wood. “Lifting the Moratorium: The Costs and Benefits of Offshore Drilling in British Columbia,” Fraser Institute, October 22, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VHybo
• 8
  Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators—Air Quality,” (Policy Study), The Fraser Institute, January, 2012. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IPl2w
• 9
  “Environment Canada and NRTEE versus the Fraser Institute: An issue of quality,” DeepClimate, February 10, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WJREe
• 10
  Joel Wood. “Canada’s federal Renewable Fuels Regulations: An example of poor decision making,” Fraser Forum, March/April 2011. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zSBOg
• 11
  Evan Duggan. “Fraser Institute gives passing grade to Canada’s air pollution policies,” Vancouver Sun, January 31, 2012. *Article no longer available online.
• 12
  Lisa Gue. “Action still needed on air quality (Gasp! Fraser Institute has it wrong)”, David Suzuki Foundation, February 1, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2Uxi6
• 13
  “Joel Wood,” Profile at the Fraser Institute. Accessed April, 2012.
• 14
  Joel Wood. “Canada’s federal Renewable Fuels Regulations: An example of poor decision making,” Fraser Forum, March/April 2011. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zSBOg
• 15
  “Joel Wood. “Lifting the Moratorium: The Costs and Benefits of Offshore Drilling in British Columbia,” Fraser Institute, October 22, 2012. Archived April 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VHybo
• 16
  Joel Wood. “Canadian Environmental Indicators – Water,” Fraser Institute, August 29, 2013. Archived on Desmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jaf94