Excellent points Jeffrey J.

And you're correct about Albertans too.

Still, as Dr Naidoo says: 'We would expect better."

Boycott Alberta

The oil companies backed by Harper and Stelmach are polluting the Athabasca river which drains into the Arctic. Oil companies and their stooges from all the Conservative parties are salivating over the idea that global warming is causing the ice caps to melt so they can explore and plunder that region just as they are doing to northern Alberta. Pollution is something the Conservative movement denies as a harmful activity because to acknowledge it would cut into their profits.

The religious nature of the Conservative movement believes in Armageddon so they have no concern for the well being of the planet. After all, why should they care when God is going to come down and take them to heaven. The condition of the planet means nothing to them.

Who should we fear more? The religious right wing Conservatives led by Harper, Stelmach, and their US Republican partners or the fanatical wing of the Muslim religion. Both seem intent on destroying anyone or anything that stands in their way.

No supporter of corporate Greenpeace

but I do not support the tarsands either!

If the good Doctor wants to

If the good Doctor wants to do a report on the Tar-sands he should have an accountant do an audit on the whole project. That report will tell how much the Federal/Provincal Governments subsidizes the project and its one big ponsi scheme. While Geenpeace is at it, they should have in the report on how much it would cost to clean up that whole ecological mess. The Canadian tax payers will be paying for it for generations.

Apartheid? OK. Now we are getting silly.

Uhhh.... Israel's actions against Palestinians is more like apartheid.

Alberta's exploitation of the Tar Sands is more like the new model of corporatism as practiced by Alberta and BC. Albertans are welcome to try to vote in a government less apt to exploit the Tar Sands and/or mitigate the effects of Tar Sands exploitation.

On the subject of corporatism, Greenpeace is no different from any other pseudo-charity corporation. Out to make a buck.

NEP

We need a National Energy Program that all Canadians can work with. Renewable energy is the emediate goal. The tarsands project has reached a critical mass and everyone knows it. Justin Trudeau brought up the issue recently about why hasn't the tarsands industry been inovating/adapting with the times? I think the answer is that the sun is setting on this resource industry. Why inovate when you are about to become extinct? As an Aboriginal Canadian citizen, I have seen the effects of apatheid first hand. Kumis' comments are always welcomed but, in my opinion, come after the horses have left the barn. Appropriate comments though, don't get me wrong.

Im for whatever means are

Im for whatever means are needed by letting the world know Canadas lost its integrity. Even if its Greenpeace. While you may not agree with the method. At least he gets the message out. I sense in his apartied statement he refers the total lack of respect by gov to head the warnings and listen to the people.

Greenpeace is Responsible for the Tar Sands Disaster

The ONLY alternative to Oil is Nuclear Energy. Greenpeace’s RABID opposition to Nuclear Energy has ensured the development of EXTREME Fossil Fuel Energy Sources like the Tar Sands and Deepwater Offshore Oil Wells.

Curious how Greenpeace’s website has a complete heading on Nuclear Energy but NO HEADING on OIL or COAL or the NG fracking / CO2 / Methane disaster. Interesting how the chair of Greenpeace Inc, is also a director of the Rockefeller Family Fund. Yep, he works for the Rockefeller OIL BARONS!

And Greenpeace gets huge donations from Foundations that get their money from Fossil Fuel Corporations & the Super-Rich Families that control them. Like $1.2M from Rockefeller Big Oil Family Foundations, $1.4M from the Turner (the NG King) Foundation, $200k from the Joyce (Coal) Foundation. They get that money because they effectively oppose Nuclear Energy, and any & all anti-Nuclear groups get similar funding from Fossil Fuel controlled foundations. Pro-Nuclear Environmental Organizations get ZIP for funding from the same foundations. Why? It is really simple stupid. Fossil Fuel knows very well that the ONLY substitute for their noxious product is Nuclear Energy, so as long as they block the growth of Nuclear Power: we will have NO CHOICE but to burn Fossil Fuels. In the Words of Exxon CEO, Rex Tillerson "...the age of fossil fuels would last 100 years because there is no alternative...".

Greenpeace can have their token little protests against Tar Sands & Oil Pollution, but they won’t do ZIP. As long as there is no alternative to Fossil Fuels, the World will continue burning them like there is No Tomorrow.

And Renewable Energy is a Sick Joke. The only reason for the HYPE and Enormous Funding of Renewable Energy is it's part of a highly successful SUCKER TRAP, A BAIT-AND-SWITCH Campaign promoted by Fossil Fuel companies to misdirect resources and capital away from the Nuclear Alternative.

Nuclear is not the ONLY solution

There are lots of solutions, and putting all your eggs in the Tar Sands basket, or the nuclear basket, is frankly dumb.

Also, painting Greenpeace and renewable energy as part of some vast conspiracy run by Big Oil doesn't help your credibility.

I'm liking the idea of thorium/liquid Na reactors though.

All in a days work

The conspiracy theory that is a good one as it helps explain why the fortune 500 hundred companies have come down on the oil sort of. It makes it easier to sell out to China as US is said to have had enough of Canada's tar sands. But what it dosen't explain is China who now has to deal with the controversy and BC who is still left holding the bag or rather 900,000 barrels of tar sands destinted for Endebrige pipeline each and every day . And 600 jobs created for the pipeline isn't that just amazing 600 crappy jobs for a lifeline of water that if there was a leak would devastate everything that is depend on the waters. Maybe we can get the Feds to hire the 600 instead as just laid off 600 who made it look like a recession wasn't taking place.

Nuclear could easily be

Nuclear could easily be least expensive using (LFTR) tech and with a Thorium cycle most abundant. Wind and solar will never meet the needs of speculated population growth topping out at I think about 11-13 billion souls. Im not gonna get into solars downside or windfarms as the internet is full of its already obvious failures in Europe. By your statement we are already dumb. As fossils fuils are the only basket our eggs currently reside. With more and more countries brining new reactors online, Id say a whole lot of smart people do see nuclear as the real solution. As far as weapons use. The LFTR doesnt creat a useable weapons grade product. In fact. It can be used to burn it. Solving storage issues for the next 10000yrs.
Greenpeace is against nuclear... but as already indicated..they too are on the payrole. As far a conspiracy...I think it really needs to be considered. What would happen if we started using LFTRS on a commercial scale? Dont tell me the political geography wouldnt change. Alberta would be done as the highest Thorium reserves arent in Alberta. We wouldnt need as much fossil fuels. How many projects are forecasted up there for the next five years? LFTR and Thorium would most certainly dwindle some bank roles. What does Big Oil gain on having us focus on failing supposed renewable resources? Its pretty simple.

Greg cannot give us any REAL ALTERNATIVES to Fossil Fuels.

Greg says:”There are lots of solutions, and putting all your eggs in the Tar Sands basket, or the nuclear basket, is frankly dumb..”

On the Supply side Nuclear Energy is the ONLY Solution. And Nuclear is a very large basket. It is a class of energy that includes Fission, Fusion & Exotic. It is not even remotely comparable to “the Tar Sands Basket”. As hakaakah correctly points out, all of our eggs are already in the Fossil Fuel basket ( at least 85% of the World’s Energy Supply). Nuclear is a much larger Class of Energy than either the Fossil Fuel Class of Energy or the Renewable Class of Energy. This is because Fossil Fuels must have a huge Oxygen Supply, and Renewables are severely diffuse & dependent on Geography. France has almost completed a transformation to a Nuclear Economy, with minimal effort from 1980 – 2000.

So Nuclear can do the job, no other low carbon energy source can. Wasting at least 10X the precious capital & resources, for each unit of Energy, on these NON-SOLUTIONS is frankly IDIOTIC.

On the Demand side, I would agree, lot’s can be done. I’m a big fan of cycling, dedicated bicycle lanes, and the electrification of transport would make a huge difference. Replacing incandescent lighting is a No-Brainer and better home insulation is helpful. And Heat Pumps & CHP make good sense in many areas. Although Demand Management is of little relevance to the Developing World where most of the World’s Energy Growth will be.

Greg says:”.. some vast conspiracy run by Big Oil…”

It ain’t a conspiracy – it is CORRUPTION. Don’t you even read TheTyee? Do you seriously believe that corporate vested interests aren’t the main determinants of Gov’t Policy? I guess you must believe that Campbell’s Clean Energy Act is all about helping out the suffering people of British Columbia.

The Oil Lobby managed to convince Bush & Cheney to invade a country so they can gain access to it's Oil, at a cost of $1.9 trillion and 3000 American lives. Or do you believe the Iraq War was all about “getting those WMD’s”? So this is for a total of 2.4 Million Barrels per Day of Oil. This is an energy equivalent of 1,500 GWh per year of primary energy. The primary energy production of US Nuclear is 2,400,000 GWh per yr or 1600 X Iraqi Oil Production. Any amount of Nuclear that is not used MUST be replaced by FOSSIL FUELS. Do you seriously believe that Oil will overthrow Gov’ts and start Wars to get access to Oil, but wouldn’t use much less extreme means to block any serious competition for their product?

@YCSTS. I agree. Anyone

@YCSTS. I agree. Anyone thinking the US went in for anything less than oil is seriously brain dead. To think they wouldnt pull the same on domestic soil where they have even greater control to protect their interest is just as insane.
Nothing wrong with my crediability. If anyone has THAT to justify right now its Stelsmack & PM Herpie. Wheres Guy Fox when you need him?
I seriously hope Canada gets its courage back and deals with these misfits swiftly.

@spritlifter. As far as

@spritlifter.
As far as inventing new tech in the oilsands. Why? They dont think they have a problem. The waters clean the air is fresh and unicorns are running gleefully through the tailings ponds.