Canada PoliticsStephen Harper touts ‘oil sands’ in New York, environmentalists slam ‘tar sands’ online
The Harper government is going all out in its attempts to convince the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
It seems, however, that the environmentalists are fighting back pound for pound.
On Thursday, Stephen Harper was New York City addressing the Council of Foreign Relations — an influential foreign policy think tank — where he spoke about the importance of the controversial pipeline which would transport up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day from northern Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico.
[ Related: Environmentalists’ worst nightmare: Majority of Canadians, Americans support Keystone XL pipeline ]
"This is an enormous benefit to the U.S. in terms of long-term energy security," Harper said, according to CBC News.
"I think this absolutely needs to go ahead but you can rest assured that making our emissions target including in the oil sands is an important objective for the government of Canada."
Harper told the crowd that greenhouse emissions from the oil sands have dropped by 25 per cent over the past the ten years.
"It's almost nothing globally," he said, comparing Alberta emissions to worldwide levels.
"I don't have to tell you there are probably reasons beyond just emissions why you would want to have your oil from Canada rather than Venezuela."
In addition to Harper's address on Thursday, several other cabinet ministers have made lobbying trips to the U.S. in recent weeks. The government has also initiated an advertising campaign, in Washington DC., with pro-Alberta oil ads in newspapers, political websites and metro stations.
[ Related: Joe Oliver accuses Al Gore of making “wildly inaccurate and exaggerated comments” ]
There's a very different narrative coming from the environmentalists.
Several environmental groups — including Greenpeace and the Sierra Club — have launched an information website titled Oil Sands Reality Check.
This website was created as a resource for citizens, media, investors and decision makers who wish to participate in a more informed debate about the impacts of oil sands development. It was created by a network of science-based environmental groups, working with First Nations. All facts are cited with sources and have been reviewed by a scientific advisory committee.
The site includes this YouTube video suggesting that the industry's claims of environmental responsibility are fiction.
The public relations war will likely continue until President Obama makes a decision about the pipeline. He's expected to make that decision later this year.
(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)
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