No, I don’t believe the malarkey that our oil is ethical. The only thing this argument does is compare our bad practices to the worse practices of other nations. Our oil is good because we aren’t Sudanese and killing our own people, or our oil is good because we aren’t Saudi and subverting the rights of women, or our oil is good because we regulate it better then they do in Niger. This argument would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. A proof is a proof and you know it’s a proof because it’s proven. Dirty oil is dirty because, duh, it’s dirty. Simply having a stronger stand on human rights, more democratic institutions and (I cannot believe I’m being forced to say this) a regulated industry doesn’t make the oil we are pumping out any less dirty, or the mechanisms we have in place to extract it any less harmful to the environment.
The corporatocracy will continue to trudge out it’s Levant’s, Kent’s and lord knows who else’s to try and convince us that simply because we are white, democratic (not really) and don’t stone women to death, that our oil is ethical. These arguments are straw men at best, and a burnt paper bag at the worst. How these idiots even get published is beyond me.
Cross Posted at Progress Now!
UPDATE…Just in case anyone didn’t know, the following is what Minister of the Environment Peter Kent has decided to use as his twitter bio:
As Canada’s new Minister of the Environment it is my job to support the oil industry in its efforts to clean up their image.
So, if it had been more subtle before, it’s far more clear now that the Harper government is simply schilling for the Oil industry. Have we ever needed more clear indication. If there was any doubt about whether or not the Harper government had an environmental poliy besides letting the oil companies do as they please, those doubts can be put to rest. The oil lobby now has their man in Ottawa…his name is Peter Kent.
![[small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WGczmWu7Wwc/SdCJyy2LN1I/AAAAAAAABWE/ABYCkbJaKaQ/s1600/small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg)
All oil is unethical due to the massive damage it is doing to the environment. Global warming will violate people’s live’s more than all of the worst regimes put together. Demand for oil is so high, that the tyrants will never have any problem selling their oil anyway, down to the last drop. Levant, of course, denies global warming. Of course, being that he’s now a known libeller, maybe he’s just lying.
Just a thought: This is a bit like an assassin claiming they’re ethical because their bullets are fair trade.
Peter is only told what to say. Those buggers do not want to do anything.going to do what the US does is a laugh…the EPA? I feel sorry for my young grandchildren..is isn’t going to be pretty.
Peter Kent’s appointment is another example of Harper’s ideology, baffle them with bullshit. Often. And at their expense. Thanks Logan
It’s kinda like the asbestos lobby in Quebec telling the masses that there’s a ‘safe’ way of using their product
Still waiting for that viable alternative to oil as a fuel source. Let me know when you find it. Until then, my preference will be to purchase oil from a liberal, western democracy. Thanks!
ck Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 10:39 PM
In the meantime, I dare you and your ol’ pal Ezzy to eat the fish out of the Athabaska River.
Cam, what’s the difference between Venezuela, where they have an elected democratic government that was overthrown, momentarily, by the CIA? I’d say that we have much more to fear from our “liberal, western democracies” then you might thing. We aren’t even democracies anymore. States in Latin America that actually have elections where the majority party, over 50%, run the country. Not this false majority crap we have in Canada. At the meantime, I’d love to have run offs like they do in France.
The difference with asbestos is that all we are doing is taking it our of the ground. It’s the Indian government that is to blame for allowing it in their country. If countries around the world boycotted the asbestos the mine would be shut down in an instant and then the entire town of Asbestos would have to find an alternative. All that governments of the past have been doing is taking it out of the ground. To me, this is where my Libertarian side kicks in and says let people work where they want to work. If you want to risk your health by working in an asbestos mine, then our healthcare system will do all it can, but you only have yourself to blame. It sounds harsh, I know, but that’s just me.
It’s too bad that the Liberal Party has to suck up to the short-sighted vultures in Alberta.
http://www.thetelegram.com/Natural-resources/2010-05-01/article-1440136/Justin-Trudeau-sticks-up-for-Alberta-oilsands-calls-for-more-research/1
ck Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 7:17 AM
How about because everyone else here seems to not care about finding alternative sources of energy, doesn’t care about nor want to attempt to make their lives greener; too inconvenient and expensive they keep hearing. The sad truth is no party in contention is going to touch those oil sands. We’re addicted to oil worse than junkies are addicted to heroin and folks don’t like the idea of losing jobs.
It doesn’t help that that whole solar panel experiment in Spain is said to have been an expensive failure.