Oilsands 'much worse' than BP spill: U.S. campaign

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Anyway, if the comparison is as false as is being claimed, then the Alberta government should sue them for damages. If any arise at all.

Sue them for what? On what basis?

Edit: I'll assume you mean for some sort of defamation action - unfortunately, they are savvy enough to hide behind "an opinion" or what the group "thinks" is going on. If they make statements of facts (the size of the strip mining going on) likely this group is not an entity that is going to have any assets to pursue (therefore, no collection on "damages"). If you're thinking of an injunction, the Alberta government will have to prove that the statements are not true and show why an injunction is necessary to stop any harm (tourism)... that's if the Alberta government even has standing to sue. By the time an injunction is in place, the damage will either already be done, or people will have forgotten about it. Best bet, counter attack and spend the money outlining the extent of the gulf disaster while educating the masses on the "limited" environmental impact of the Alberta tarsands.

[killer_carlson]

Cow, the wait and see attitude is what has got us well behind the ball on this one.

Quite frankly, I disagree with the suggestion that people should "come and see for themselves" is an effective response to this type of attack.

There is far too much at stake as a taxpayer in this province for that type of response.

[CaptainCrunch]

Maybe we should just get ads showing baby turtles and birds dying in the gulf of mexico with the byline

"Really?"

[Slava]

I would just like to see the Alberta government pursue a "Champagne of the Oil Industry" type of initiative. Basically hold the oil industry to the highest environmental standards to produce in Alberta and then market it that way to the rest of the world.

I'm sure that this is something even big oil could get behind; they pay a little more to get it out of the ground (perhaps, perhaps not) and yet they instantly turn the stain of environmentalism and its pursuit into a brand worth marketing.

[mykalberta]

Personally I think the Alberta government is doing fine with the PR.

Some cash goes into the right briefcases and things stay the same. You are never going to win a media battle against the Greenpeace types or a group of dickless mayors who want to ban Alberta oil. You need to fight their ridiculous notions with money.

When push comes to shove you will see billboards in the US saying the following:

Alberta oilsands didnt finance 9-11, Saudi Arabian oil money did.
Alberta oilsands might not be clean, but no Albertans flew planes into the World Trade Center.

Eventually if things get serious enough the gloves will come off, not by the province but by people who have a financial interest in the oil sands.

As an aside they should be foccussing alot more on China and Japan, and thankfully plans are in place for a pipeline to the west coast, now we just have to get the native groups on board - I wonder who is more difficult to deal with, them or green peace?

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

what this does prove though, is that our provincial government has failed completely in the public relations campaign with respect to the most important industry in the province.

Give me a freakin break.

[burn_this_city]

We already produce the most expensive barrel of oil in the world. Adding additional regulations only increases the cost of production and drives away investment.

On the mining side when dry tailings becomes the standard, which is a new regulation coming into effect next year, you'll see the tailings ponds disappear. The oil companies have recently developed the technology to reclaim the existing ponds. Last year they reclaimed some of the oldest ponds dating back to the 60's.

Carbon capture is coming soon, the companies are basically waiting for those regulations to arrive. Most new facilities include land marked for future carbon capture process areas.

If we ratchet up the cost we'll kill investment in the industry. Canada produces some of the lowest amounts of GHG for an industrialized nation. Let these hypocrites clean up their own backyard before telling us how to run ours.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

We already produce the most expensive barrel of oil in the world. Adding additional regulations only increases the cost of production and drives away investment.

On the mining side when dry tailings becomes the standard, which is a new regulation coming into effect next year, you'll see the tailings ponds disappear. The oil companies have recently developed the technology to reclaim the existing ponds. Last year they reclaimed some of the oldest ponds dating back to the 60's.

Carbon capture is coming soon, the companies are basically waiting for those regulations to arrive. Most new facilities include land marked for future carbon capture process areas.

If we ratchet up the cost we'll kill investment in the industry. Canada produces some of the lowest amounts of GHG for an industrialized nation. Let these hypocrites clean up their own backyard before telling us how to run ours.

Well I guess this is kind of my point though....if we're already taking all of the viable steps and already holding these companies to the best of the best in terms of standards then why not market it as such? Market it as the most rigorously environmentally sound option and these issues disappear completely.

[burn_this_city]

Unfortunately its never going to be the cleanest product. You're still going to have some water usage, and burning natural gas to produce a dirtier fuel isnt the most attractive idea environmentally. We'll never be able to claim its the cleanest oil produced.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Unfortunately its never going to be the cleanest product. You're still going to have some water usage, and burning natural gas to produce a dirtier fuel isnt the most attractive idea environmentally. We'll never be able to claim its the cleanest oil produced.

Isn't all oil faced with this however? Pretty clearly the deep water drilling isn't the most environmentally sound way either!

[HOZ]

We should all refuse to use petroleum based products and live on faerie dust and unicorn power!

[burn_this_city]

All the so called unconventional oils have their costs environmentally. But I also still believe the BP accident was entirely preventable. As demand climbs in the coming decades, we're going to have to pay an environmental cost to produce and consume the most readily available energy source. The only hope realistically is to shift away from oil as a transportation fuel and use it mainly for plastics and petrochemicals.

[Slava]

^ Well the technology and innovations are already there for transportation and things like that. The plastics and petrochemical reliance is the most troubling without a doubt.

[GGG]

Its time that Alberta fight back with the most Racist adds they can produce. A billboard with thousands Muslim women wearing Nijabs in the desert with the slogan underneath: Canada Terrorism Free Oil.

or pictures of child soliders in africa: Canada: Blood Free Oil.

Or pictures of the Planes Crashing into the Twin Towers with the Slogan Piloted by terrorists, Fueled by Saudi Arabia.

We know from political campaigns that positive campaigning doesn't work. We have to make the rest of the world realalize that other oil is worse than canada. Envriomentalists have successfully branded alberta oil as 'Dirty Oil' we need to brand other oil as 'terror oil' or 'blood oil' or oppression oil.

Essentially alberta is the only in the world that is produced with exceedingly fair wages paid to all employees

[Pastiche]

If we ratchet up the cost we'll kill investment in the industry. Canada produces some of the lowest amounts of GHG for an industrialized nation. Let these hypocrites clean up their own backyard before telling us how to run ours.

Unless you clarify, that is categorically false.

[burn_this_city]

As a percentage of the global total.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Frankly I'm happy about the smear.
If it stops them from coming up here, then I am all for it.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

As a percentage of the global total.

How about per capita?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Frankly I'm happy about the smear.
If it stops them from coming up here, then I am all for it.

Sometimes I think you just play up to your username for laughs.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Sometimes I think you just play up to your username for laughs.

I would never do that......