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Province needs stronger defence of oilsands industry

Recently an ad campaign delivered a message to U.S. residents. The campaign, so-called "Rethink Alberta," placed billboards in a handful of American cities to discourage tourism to Alberta.

Recently an ad campaign delivered a message to U.S. residents. The campaign, so-called "Rethink Alberta," placed billboards in a handful of American cities to discourage tourism to Alberta. The proposed boycott would last until Alberta "takes meaningful steps" to transition from "dirty Tar Sands" to "clean energy alternatives."

First of all, the campaign makes no effort to distinguish open pit mining from in-situ bitumen, confusing cyclic steam stimulation and steam assisted gravity drainage methods for the less picturesque open pit methods of oilsands development.

Second, the campaign, ignores the fact that lands disturbed by oilsands development are required by law to be reclaimed. The Rethink Alberta campaign is so chalk full of factual inaccuracies and misrepresentation of one of Canada's most important industries, it can only be considered as crude propaganda.

Alberta has fired back with a denunciation of the campaign. Rethink Alberta was forced to take down billboards after realizing they had some of their facts wrong, but that hasn't stopped the campaign from continuing. Craig Copeland is right, a more aggressive response is required to dispel the myths and lies being propagated south of the border about Alberta's oilsands.

For too long Alberta has ignored the problem of negative publicity in the U.S. and Eastern Canada. As an economic and energy powerhouse in North America, Alberta has perhaps more power than Ontario or Rethink Alberta would like to acknowledge. One might even speculate that the negative advertising has more to do with Alberta's increasing prestige in North America than with any sort of genuine environmental concern.

It's time for the province to start throwing its weight around. Certainly the money could be found to launch an effective public response to the outrageous misrepresentation of Alberta's energy sector. Public relations will become a more important component as oilsands continue to develop, providing jobs and prosperity to the province.




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