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Media Roundup: US city stands with companies against Tar Sands

by Will Craven, Media Officer
June 15th, 2010
An example of the notorious "Tar Sands PR machine." Like peanut butter? Seriously?

The resolution passed last week by the Bellingham, Washington city council was the latest in a series of actions taken by companies or municipalities to address their use of fuel from Canada's controversial Tar Sands. Passed by a unanimous 7-0 vote, the resolution resolves to find lower carbon alternatives to Tar Sands and other fuels, and decrease overall fossil fuel consumption.

The Canadian press took notice of this latest signal of an increasingly uncertain marketplace for the Tar Sands south of the border. The Globe & Mail noted that the resolution was "another volley fired at the oil sands over their emissions profile", while CBC TV went down to the city to talk to residents and local politicians. The Province took a dim view of the anti-Tar Sands movement and the effort by Bellingham to mind its carbon footprint, but quoted our own energy campaigner, Nikki Skuce, as saying that "cities and companies are not buying Canada's Tar Sands PR machine". At left, check out a ridiculous example this "PR machine" >>

"As It Happens," a widely-syndicated radio program of CBC Radio interviewed resolution sponsor Jack Weiss, who talked of Bellingham's tragic history with oil. Listen to it here:

CBC Radio also interviewed Weiss on a separate news program, while CBC World found Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach desperately trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Or is that oil out of dirt? MetroNews Calgary also quoted the Premier, while the Edmonton Journal noted that the Bellingham resolution expressed concern over the health impacts of Tar Sands operations in Alberta.

The Tyee quoted Nikki talking about starting down the path to a clean energy future, while Vancouver weekly Georgia Straight found the mayor of North Vancouver "quite impressed" with the action taken down south.

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