Media Room News and UpdatesPress ReleasesBackgroundersReports/MaterialsAdvertismentsMultimedia

Fortune 500 Fuel Announcements Rock Canadian Tar Sands Industry

by Matthew
February 16th, 2010

Canadian headlines leading up to Vancouver's Winter Olympics were dominated by the news that Whole Foods has rejected Canada's Tar Sands and Bed, Bath & Beyond has requested cleaner fuel from its transportation carriers. In collaboration with ForestEthics, both businesses have developed new fuel policies aiming to reduce consumption of high-carbon fuels such as oil from the tar sands.

 

The FinancialTimes broke the story on February 11 in its article "Suppliers of oil sands fuel shunned": "the decisions...underline how industry is moving to fill the void left by inaction at Copenhagen and the failure of the US Congress to limit carbon emissions."

The Toronto Star said, that the announcements "mark a turning point in environmental activism against synthetic crude from Alberta, as climate campaigners work company by company to discourage consumption of Canadian energy.." The Guardian UK, the London Free Press, Macleans, the Calgary Sun, Fast Company, Treehugger, and the Canadian Press all weighed in, and Canada's largest papers made space for editorials here, here, and here.

ForestEthics launched its US Tar Sands campaign in July 2009, mailing letters to more than a hundred Fortune 500 companies. The strong response from these two has forced industry representatives and the Canadian government to take notice of our efforts.

Government Response

Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice replied to the news in a Calgary Herald article. "The oilsands, at the end of the day, are an essential part of the overall supply-demand balance in North America," Prentice said. "But they do have to be developed in an environmentally responsible way. Industry in particular is going to have to tell its story and explain the real facts."

FAIR USE NOTICE. This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. ForestEthics is making this article available in our efforts to advance the understanding of environmental and social issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.