June 26, 2009
Tar sands "as they are" provoke negative press coverage
Here's an interesting admission from the first edition of the Canada West Foundation's Oil Sands Media Monitoring Report:
Positive stories on the oil sands and the environment are rarely defensive of the oil sands’ impact. Refusal to bow to pressure from environmental groups is a common topic, but more so is advances in technology that could reduce the impact of the oil sands: research into microorganisms that could aid in the reclamation of tailings pond water or carbon sequestration techniques. **Negative stories attack the oil sands as they are, while positive stories tend towards describing what they could be.**
(Emphasis mine). Considering CWF is a darling of Stephen Harper, there's something rather sweet about that admission.
