Stelmach defends oilsands on foreign, domestic fronts
Premier calls protests 'unfortunate'
By Jason Fekete, with files from Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald, and the Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald June 10, 2010
Alberta's oilsands are facing a new cross-border assault, with a community in the U.S. boycotting the resource and a cosmetics store in Canada demanding development be halted.
The decision by a small city in Washington state to look for alternatives to oilsands petroleum suddenly thrusts new importance on a mission this weekend to the United States by Alberta's environment minister to trumpet the province's commitment to greening energy production.
Municipal politicians in Bellingham, Wash., earlier this week voted 7-0 in favour of "promoting energy alternatives to fossil fuels and, in particular, Canadian tar sands sources, and encouraging the use of alternative transportation techniques."
Premier Ed Stelmach downplayed the vote on Wednesday, saying it doesn't reflect what Alberta is doing to clean up oilsands development, nor does it recognize the "full-carbon footprint" of energy sources from other countries may be worse.
It is "unfortunate that the municipality made that decision, but it certainly gives me an opportunity to talk about what we have already accomplished with respect to oilsands development," Stelmach told reporters in Calgary. "I know we have a lot more work to do there, but we'll continue to do that."
Stelmach noted the oilsands sector has cut its per-barrel emissions by more than 30 per cent since 1990 (although overall emissions continue to rise as production increases), and is recycling more water in the production process.
Nevertheless, the motion in front of councillors in the 75,000-person city -- just south of the B.C.-Washington border -- outlined the environmental impact of "tar sands oil" on the Athabasca River and the northern boreal forest near Fort McMurray.
It also described the "destruction of scarce freshwater, generation of toxic waste held in open pits that leak, contamination of wildlife habitat and elevated levels of cancer in human communities downstream of tar sands operations."
The Alberta government and energy industry also faced a domestic attack on Wednesday, with members of Rainforest Action Network and staff from Lush Cosmetics stores across Canada -- many wearing oil barrels and carrying anti-oilsands placards -- calling for an end to the development of the resource.
"The whole point is to raise awareness of the need to stop one of the most destructive industries in the world, and change to renewable energy so there are jobs when the oil runs out," said Shanda Kunce, manager of the Edmonton store on Whyte Avenue.
Three staff members were wearing barrels with signs proclaiming Time For An Oil Change Or We'll Lose It. They waved at passing traffic and received the occasional honk of approval.
While protests were held in Edmonton and dozens of other stores in Canada, all was quiet at the Calgary store in Market Mall because the shopping centre wouldn't allow it to hold a demonstration.
Stelmach called the protest "an unfortunate decision" and stressed that disseminating accurate information on the oilsands is "a marathon," not a sprint.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the oilpatch's main lobbying arm, argued the decisions by both the Washington community and the cosmetics chain are based on misinformation.
CAPP officials said they plan to extend an invitation to Bellingham officials to visit Alberta and tour the oilsands.
Crude supplies to the Washington city are largely from Alaska, which is generating a carbon footprint quite comparable to the oilsands, the group noted.
"Certainly, as they look at their energy choices, we encourage Bellingham to look apples-to-apples at their choices," said CAPP spokeswoman Janet Annesley. "We know that Canadian crude can be competitive within those choices."
jfekete@theherald.canwest.com
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