Editor:
I’m writing in response to Ethical Oil’s ads in the last two issues of the Lakes District News.
These ads, part of a larger ongoing campaign, have appeared in newspapers throughout the Northwest.
I am not disturbed that they were published. Our newspapers need to function and to encourage discourse in our communities.
But I am insulted because the producers seem to gamble that I, my family, friends and neighbours are either stupid, too apathetic or too busy to engage, or otherwise chose willfully to ignore some now obvious facts.
Reminiscent of past marketing by such lobbies as the tobacco industry, among others, these ads sow confusion, disinformation, division, diversion, and doubt.
These ads point out that special interest groups are using foreign funds to do their work, to ensure that air and water and food will be available for the next generations.
It is now common knowledge that this funding is only a small portion of these organizations’ budgets, and is minuscule compared with the funding poured into promoting these pipelines, tankers and tar sands.
We now know that Enbridge has amassed $100 million for its proposal campaign, from Cenovus Energy Inc., MEG Energy Corp., Nexen Inc., Suncor Energy Marketing Inc., a subsidiary of Suncor Energy Inc., Total E&P Canada, the domestic arm of French giant Total SA and Sinopec of China, among others.
Foreign investors in Canada’s oil industry include China, Thailand, Norway, France, Korea and the United States.
I am disgusted that Enbridge and our government presume we will accept the latter as okay but the former as radical or worse.
I am deeply offended that these 'Canadian' companies expect me to believe that this and related projects are in the best interest of Canadians, all the people who live here.
I sincerely doubt that sending raw unprocessed bitumen to refineries in Imperial China is an urgent matter of Canada's national interest.
From the wealth of information available, I encourage you to read these two articles.
An open reply to Joe Oliver's propaganda for the petro-state by Andrew Nikiforuk: www.thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/01/11/Joe-Oliver-Propaganda-State
The Enbridge Pipeline: The largest and most insidious threat to our culture by Gerald Amos: www.huffingtonpost.ca/gerald-amos/northern-gateway-pipeline.
John Phair