From Resource Works

By Stewart Muir

What if the secret to understanding Canada’s energy future lies not in spreadsheets but in storytelling?

When I think about who has done the most to make sense of Canada’s energy story — not just in charts and forecasts but in human terms — Peter Tertzakian sits near the top of that list. He’s an energy economist, author, and communicator who has spent decades helping Canadians understand the world beneath their light switches and fuel gauges — and why prosperity, energy, and responsible development are inseparable.

Peter is the founder and CEO of Studio.Energy. He is also widely known as the founder of the ARC Energy Research Institute and co-host of the ARC Energy Ideas podcast, alongside Jackie Forrest. Week after week, they unpack what’s happening in the markets, in technology, and in policy, always with the rare gift of clarity. He’s also the author of two influential books, A Thousand Barrels a Second and The End of Energy Obesity, both written long before “energy transition” became a household term.

When we sat down for our Power Struggle conversation, I mentioned how remarkable it is that someone with Peter’s credentials — an economist, investor, and advisor to industry — is also an exhibiting artist whose photography can regularly be found in a gallery in the Canadian Rockies. That’s when he smiled and said what has become one of his signature lines: “I’ve always said a picture is worth a thousand spreadsheets.”

What followed was a fascinating discussion about how visual storytelling can bridge the gap between data and understanding. Peter explained that what began as a hobby has evolved into a personal quest to communicate complex energy subjects more effectively. His photographs, which range from industrial scenes to landscapes shaped by human activity, help connect the emotional and analytical sides of the energy story. The pictures, he said, reveal the same truths that his spreadsheets do — only in a way that more people can feel.

That resonates deeply with what we do at Resource Works — translating complexity into clarity so that Canadians can see how responsible resource development strengthens communities, funds public services, and opens doors for Indigenous partnerships. Like Peter, we believe that understanding energy isn’t about choosing sides; it’s about understanding systems, trade-offs, and the people behind the numbers.

Peter’s concern — and one I share — is how difficult it has become to find truth amid the noise. “People are bombarded by noise, especially today. And not all of that noise is true,” he said. “The challenge now is extracting the signal.” Whether you’re a policymaker, a corporate leader, or just someone trying to make sense of global change, Peter’s approach is to step away from confrontation and toward comprehension. His ability to blend visuals, narrative, and numbers makes complicated issues accessible without oversimplifying them.

Prosperity, Not Population, Drives Energy Demand

Our conversation also turned to the forces shaping global energy demand. Peter reminded me that the biggest driver isn’t population growth — it’s prosperity. “When a person moves from a rural setting to a city, their energy consumption goes up twentyfold, sometimes more,” he said. The story of urbanization, particularly in China, explains much of the past few decades of energy growth. Renewables have slowed that curve, but as Peter points out, “our use of fossil fuels is still growing.”

What I most admire about Peter is that he doesn’t preach. “I don’t have all the answers,” he told me. “My role is to discuss treatment options — not to perform the surgery.” It’s a refreshingly honest stance in a world where too many experts claim certainty.

On Power Struggle, Peter Tertzakian reminded me why he’s so respected across the energy world: he brings intelligence without ego, curiosity without ideology, and a deep respect for the audience’s ability to think. His work reminds us that Canada’s resource story — when told with honesty and creativity — is one of innovation, community, and shared prosperity. And that storytelling — visual, verbal, and numerical — remains our most powerful tool for navigating change.

• Power Struggle audio and transcript
• Peter Tertzakian in Arc Energy Research Institute podcasts
• Peter Tertzakian on X
• Peter Tertzakian on LinkedIn
• Stewart Muir on X
• Stewart Muir on LinkedIn

Power Struggle on social media

• Power Struggle on LinkedIn
• Power Struggle on Instagram
• Power Struggle on Facebook
• Power Struggle on X

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Bill Flaig And Tom Carter

The recent leadership changes at Paramount Skydance suggest that the company may finally be ready to correct course after years of ideological drift, cultural activism posing as programming, and a pattern of self-inflicted financial and reputational damage.

Nowhere was this problem more visible than at CBS News, which for years operated as one of the most partisan and combative news organizations. Let’s be honest, CBS was the worst of an already left biased industry that stopped at nothing to censor conservatives. The network seemed committed to the idea that its viewers needed to be guided, corrected, or morally shaped by its editorial decisions.

This culminated in the CBS and 60 Minutes segment with Kamala Harris that was so heavily manipulated and so structurally misleading that it triggered widespread backlash and ultimately forced Paramount to settle a $16 million dispute with Donald Trump. That was not merely a legal or contractual problem. It was an institutional failure that demonstrated the degree to which political advocacy had overtaken journalistic integrity.

For many longtime viewers across the political spectrum, that episode represented a clear breaking point. It became impossible to argue that CBS News was simply leaning left. It was operating with a mission orientation that prioritized shaping narratives rather than reporting truth. As a result, trust collapsed. Many of us who once had long-term professional, commercial, or intellectual ties to Paramount and CBS walked away.

David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount marks the most consequential change to the studio’s identity in a generation. Ellison is not anchored to the old Hollywood ecosystem where cultural signaling and activist messaging were considered more important than story, audience appeal, or shareholder value.

His professional history in film and strategic business management suggests an approach grounded in commercial performance, audience trust, and brand rebuilding rather than ideological identity. That shift matters because Paramount has spent years creating content and news coverage that seemed designed to provoke or instruct viewers rather than entertain or inform them. It was an approach that drained goodwill, eroded market share, and drove entire segments of the viewing public elsewhere.

The appointment of Bari Weiss as the new chief editor of CBS News is so significant. Weiss has built her reputation on rejecting ideological conformity imposed from either side. She has consistently spoken out against antisemitism and the moral disorientation that emerges when institutions prioritize political messaging over honesty.

Her brand centers on the belief that journalism should clarify rather than obscure. During President Trump’s recent 60 Minutes interview, he praised Weiss as a “great person” and credited her with helping restore integrity and editorial seriousness inside CBS. That moment signaled something important. Paramount is no longer simply rearranging executives. It is rethinking identity.

The appointment of Makan Delrahim as Chief Legal Officer was an early indicator. Delrahim’s background at the Department of Justice, where he led antitrust enforcement, signals seriousness about governance, compliance, and restoring institutional discipline.

But the deeper and more meaningful shift is occurring at the ownership and editorial levels, where the most politically charged parts of Paramount’s portfolio may finally be shedding the habits that alienated millions of viewers.The transformation will not be immediate. Institutions develop habits, internal cultures, and incentive structures that resist correction. There will be internal opposition, particularly from staff and producers who benefited from the ideological culture that defined CBS News in recent years.

There will be critics in Hollywood who see any shift toward balance as a threat to their influence. And there will be outside voices who will insist that any move away from their preferred political posture is regression.

But genuine reform never begins with instant consensus. It begins with leadership willing to be clear about the mission.

Paramount has the opportunity to reclaim what once made it extraordinary. Not as a symbol. Not as a message distribution vehicle. But as a studio that understands that good storytelling and credible reporting are not partisan aims. They are universal aims. Entertainment succeeds when it connects with audiences rather than instructing them. Journalism succeeds when it pursues truth rather than victory.

In an era when audiences have more viewing choices than at any time in history, trust is an economic asset. Viewers are sophisticated. They recognize when they are being lectured rather than engaged. They know when editorial goals are political rather than informational. And they are willing to reward any institution that treats them with respect.

There is now reason to believe Paramount understands this. The leadership is changing. The tone is changing. The incentives are being reassessed.

It is not the final outcome. But it is a real beginning. As the great Winston Churchill once said; “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning”.

For the first time in a long time, the door to cultural realignment in legacy media is open. And Paramount is standing at the threshold and has the capability to become a market leader once again. If Paramount acts, the industry will follow.

Bill Flaig and Tom Carter are the Co-Founders of The American Conservatives Values ETF, Ticker Symbol ACVF traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Ticker Symbol ACVF

Learn more at www.InvestConservative.com