Okay, that's gotta hurt. A group in the States has put up a billboard image comparing the "disaster" of the Alberta Oil Sands with the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of a Rethink Alberta ad campaign which is certainly not encouraging people to visit the province. The Alberta government is furious, as are those who depend on tourism in the province. Everybody is being tarred (oiled?) with the same brush they say. And besides, how bad are the oil sands anyway?
Americans are highly dependent on Canadian oil. We are the number one source for our neighbours to the south and we are really dependable as well. But the oil sands are dirty, as oil goes. The oil must be extracted in a process that uses massive amounts of water and produces plenty of pollution. So we are being targetted as a menace.
God knows --literally -- that we are addicted to oil. Here we are, two supposed enlightened nations, both of which honour the Judeo-Christian God and show reasonable respect for other religions. But we seem to look the other way when it comes to any environmental issues that don't work to our financial benefit.
Do you feel this campaign is fair? If the shoe fits, wear it? What sort of rethinking do we need to do?
Shoe fits, for sure.
ReplyDeleteWas watching CNN's "American Morning" at the gym today, and there was a "journalist" from Time magazine who was attempting to downplay the perceived damages of the oil spill today. Not sure which lobby group has this dude in its pocket, but climate change apologists are really starting to tick me off.
Those tarsands folks must have a hard time looking in the mirror every morning.