Two days before U.S. President Barack Obama’s trip to Ottawa on Thursday, three Canadian groups placed a full page advertisement in USA Today highlighting environmental damage wrought by the Alberta oil sands.
Environmental group ForestEthics, the Mikisew Cree, and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations indigenous communities placed the ad to call attention to the Conservatives’ “flawed climate policy” which they say has been designed to allow tar sands expansion.
In its proposed joint US-Canada climate pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the government is “likely to seek special treatment” for the tar sands, the groups said in a press release.
“As if conventional oil doesn’t cause enough problems around the world, the tar sands are a Frankenstein of local and global environmental hazards,” said Todd Paglia, executive director of ForestEthics. “They have no part to play in the plan for a clean energy future.”
The groups say the tar sands are undercutting President Obama’s plan to spend $15 billion per year to catalyze investment in new jobs in the clean energy sector. In addition, “Alberta is spending $25 million to convince Americans that the tar sands are a solution to our energy needs.”
Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan said both the federal and provincial governments have failed his community for the sake of money, corporate interests, and increasing energy exports to the U.S.
“We are seeing disheartening toxicity levels in our animal life and have now received confirmation of unacceptable cancer rates in people in our community. As a people who have been here for thousands of years, we are sad that no one will listen and that government sits back and issues denials and publicity campaigns without substance.”
The release said local communities downstream from the tar sands are experiencing rare forms of cancer and that large tailings ponds are “bleeding dangerous chemicals” into the water.
In an effort to clean up the industry, earlier this month the Alberta government announced new regulations requiring companies to process all tailings water as well as using other disposal methods, such as pumping the tailings into abandoned bitumen mines.
The government also wants the tailings ponds—some of which are so big they can be seen from space—to be ready for reclamation within five years after they are no longer used, among other cleanup measures.
Alberta has long been criticized by environmental groups over the damage oil sands development is causing. The deaths last spring of about 500 ducks on a Syncrude Canada tailings pond sparked an outcry; and critics said the oil sands were giving the country a bad reputation.
Tar sands oil is “excessively dirty and toxic” because it is not produced in the same manner as conventional oil, the ForestEthics release said. Instead, the oil is squeezed out of the sandy dirt that lies below forested land, requiring vast amounts of fresh water and energy.
ForestEthics is urging Canada and the United States to “act quickly to invest in a clean energy economy.” The group is also calling on the Canadian government to clean up the tar sands and ensure that Aboriginal rights are upheld.
Environmental group ForestEthics, the Mikisew Cree, and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations indigenous communities placed the ad to call attention to the Conservatives’ “flawed climate policy” which they say has been designed to allow tar sands expansion.
In its proposed joint US-Canada climate pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the government is “likely to seek special treatment” for the tar sands, the groups said in a press release.
“As if conventional oil doesn’t cause enough problems around the world, the tar sands are a Frankenstein of local and global environmental hazards,” said Todd Paglia, executive director of ForestEthics. “They have no part to play in the plan for a clean energy future.”
The groups say the tar sands are undercutting President Obama’s plan to spend $15 billion per year to catalyze investment in new jobs in the clean energy sector. In addition, “Alberta is spending $25 million to convince Americans that the tar sands are a solution to our energy needs.”
Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan said both the federal and provincial governments have failed his community for the sake of money, corporate interests, and increasing energy exports to the U.S.
“We are seeing disheartening toxicity levels in our animal life and have now received confirmation of unacceptable cancer rates in people in our community. As a people who have been here for thousands of years, we are sad that no one will listen and that government sits back and issues denials and publicity campaigns without substance.”
The release said local communities downstream from the tar sands are experiencing rare forms of cancer and that large tailings ponds are “bleeding dangerous chemicals” into the water.
In an effort to clean up the industry, earlier this month the Alberta government announced new regulations requiring companies to process all tailings water as well as using other disposal methods, such as pumping the tailings into abandoned bitumen mines.
The government also wants the tailings ponds—some of which are so big they can be seen from space—to be ready for reclamation within five years after they are no longer used, among other cleanup measures.
Alberta has long been criticized by environmental groups over the damage oil sands development is causing. The deaths last spring of about 500 ducks on a Syncrude Canada tailings pond sparked an outcry; and critics said the oil sands were giving the country a bad reputation.
Tar sands oil is “excessively dirty and toxic” because it is not produced in the same manner as conventional oil, the ForestEthics release said. Instead, the oil is squeezed out of the sandy dirt that lies below forested land, requiring vast amounts of fresh water and energy.
ForestEthics is urging Canada and the United States to “act quickly to invest in a clean energy economy.” The group is also calling on the Canadian government to clean up the tar sands and ensure that Aboriginal rights are upheld.
