Climate Change Activists to Stage Protest at Reception at Canadian Embassy for Alberta Premier, Ed Stelmach in DC Promoting World’s Dirtiest Fuel

Activists Declare: “Hey Canada: Keep Your Dirty Fuel - More Global Warming Equals Less Security”

WASHINGTON, DC - January 15 - Oil Change International, ForestEthics, and other environmental activists will stage a protest outside the Canadian Embassy starting at 6 p.m. during a reception for Ed Stelmach, premier of Alberta, on his first visit to the US on Wednesday, January 16th. WHO: Oil Change International, ForestEthics, Environmental and Climate Change Activists WHAT: Action Against Global Warming at Reception for Alberta Premier Promoting World’s Dirtiest Fuel – Creative, Visual demonstration to call attention to climate change causing resource extraction WHEN: Wednesday January 16th at 6 p.m. WHERE: Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20001 The Canadian province of Alberta is in possession of a rare natural resource known as the Alberta Tar Sands, which can produce a very small amount of low-grade petroleum only after undergoing an extremely energy intensive and wasteful process. This process produces three times as many greenhouse gases as conventional oil production through extreme localized degradation, and is being referred to as the most environmentally destructive petroleum endeavor of all time. On his first visit to the U.S. the Canadian Embassy will host a talk by Ed Stelmach promoting the extraction and use of Alberta Tar Sands. Activists will gather in a creative, energetic and visual demonstration to send a strong message to Stelmach and the US government that nether the U.S. or Canada, nor the planet can afford or tolerate such environmental degradation. To arrange an interview with protest organizers or for comment on the tar sands please contact Steve Kretzmann of Oil Change International at 202-497-1033 or Liz Butler of ForestEthics at 202-487-4908 For further Information, go to: www.priceofoil.org or www.forestethics.org

Alberta crude may be too dirty, U.S. law says

MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail

January 15, 2008 at 5:43 AM EST

Alberta’s oil sands are taking a hit from new U.S. energy legislation passed last month that has an unusual wrinkle suggesting that Canadian crude might be too dirty for the U.S. government.

The legislation won’t allow any U.S. federal agencies to buy vehicle fuel derived from non-conventional sources unless the life cycle of its greenhouse-gas emissions is the same or less than that of conventional petroleum.

The sticky bitumen in Alberta’s tar sands is considered one of the world’s biggest potential sources of energy, but it’s also one of the dirtiest in terms of carbon dioxide emissions because it takes so much power to wring it out of the soil in which it’s trapped, putting it in the crosshairs of the new rules.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: alberta government, climate change, global warming, kyoto, oil sands, tar sands | No Comments »