At noon today, a coalition of environmental groups, including Oil Change International and 350.org will blow the whistle of “Big Oil’s corruption” on Capitol Hill, hours before Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address. Activists will be gathering at the Capitol dressed in referee uniforms and then heading to our old friends at … Read More
Pipelines
A Road Map to Renewal or Ruin?
The oil boys from Houston must be wriggling with delight after President Obama’s official jobs council called for an “all-in approach” to energy policy that includes expanded oil-and-gas drilling as well as more pipelines. “We should allow more access to oil, natural gas and coal opportunities on federal lands,” argued the President’s Council on Jobs … Read More
“It would be the end of our history”
Since the beginning of the year there has been a concerted campaign by the oil industry and Canadian government to convince people that the debate over the Northern Gateway project will be hijacked by environmental groups. Instead of trying to demonise legitimate international organisations, the Canadian government should start listening to the voices of its … Read More
Oh the Canadian hypocrisy..
For over two years now the Canadian and Albertan governments have engaged in one of the most extensive public relations campaigns ever seen at the EU. They have been trying to undermine European efforts to tackle climate change through the Fuel Quality Directive. They even set up a secret task force to push their pro-tar … Read More
New Year: Old Dirty Tricks
It might be a new year but it’s the same old dirty tricks from the folks at the very unethical EthicalOil.org They are running an advertising campaign accusing leading Canadian environmental groups of being “front groups” paid by “Foreign special interests”. At the same time they have launched a highly misleading website called www.ourDecision.ca, which … Read More
“Time to Leave ‘Fossil’ Canada Behind”
As Canada continues to push its pro-tar sands message out across North America, Europe, Asia, it was greeted by protests at the COP17 Climate talks in South Africa. Yesterday members of the Canadian Youth Delegation were ejected from the meeting as Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent delivered his opening address. Just as Kent began his … Read More
Tar Sands: “No Safe Way to Market”
The top brass of BP and Shell will have not been amused this morning when they opened their Financial Times to see a half page advert staring at them about the ecological cost of the tar sands. The advert, entitled: “Tar sands – 23 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil” demands that … Read More
Dead-End Oil
So the Europeans don’t want it. And by delaying the decision on Keystone XL for eighteen months, it looks like Obama and America doesn’t want it either. Despite one of the most aggressive marketing and public relations campaigns ever seen by the oil industry and Canadian government to try and sell the dirty tar sands, … Read More
The Conflict of Interest that Should Stop Keystone
Note: See our new infographic on Keystone XL here! At Friday’s electric final hearing into the proposed controversial Keystone XL pipeline, one of the recurring themes was that the US State Department has consistently taken sides with TransCanada, the company building the pipeline, even before the consultation has finished. Such was the clamour of accusatory … Read More
Oil markets and pipelines: the big picture
Oil Change International released a report yesterday asserting that much of the oil to be delivered by the proposed Keystone XL pipeline will be refined into diesel and exported. We seem to have touched a raw nerve with some people as we have been accused of all sorts, from untruths to being unfamiliar with the … Read More