Well, those "ghouls" (seriously?) not only keep AB afloat, they make enough money so that we dont have to pay sales tax, which is a huge benefit to all Albertans. You only have to travel to other provinces to realize there is a MASSIVE difference to your wallet when you're only paying 5% GST instead of an additional 7 to 10% PST on top. That literally makes my life better every single day.
Secondly, those "ghouls" (eye roll) also provide a LOT of very well paying jobs in AB which is why we are a have province instead of a have not province with the highest per capita incomes (over $96,400) in Canada. I dont work in O and G directly but my son in laws do, and the people who use my services do, so O and G very directly enhances the lives of my family. Solar/wind/other powers are nice but they dont provide great incomes.
Thirdly I absolutely reject the whole 'climate killing' virtual signalling of those who decry O and G because I know that Canada only emits 1.5% of the worlds GHG's and the hypocrites who point a finger at O and G would not consider actually taking action against the 98.5% emitters, specifically China and the US. Have you stopped buying goods from China? Have you stopped traveling to the US or buying any goods from the US til they clean up their act? If you have, great, but 99% of Canadians haven't and they dont actually give a crap, they just like to point fingers at O and G and yell about the 'climate'.
Its far easier to point the finger at the thimble of pollution coming from Canada than it is to actually do something concrete about the shiploads and truckloads of pollution coming from the places where you cause it by buying all their goods. Take the plank out of your own eye and I'll take your argument seriously.