Oil Sands Letter to AB Gov't

NOTE: This letter will be sent from Foothills Presbytery to the addresses as shown (ref. approval at the June 09 mtng). Congregations and individuals are encouraged to also write to the Alberta government using this letter as is, or amending it to suit your preferences. Cut and paste the text into your document.

Premier Ed Stelmach

Office of the Premier

Room 307, Legislature Building 10800 - 97th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6

Hon. Rob Renner

Minister of Environment

#425, Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB Canada T5K 2B6

Hon. Mel Knight

Minister of Energy

#404, Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB Canada T5K 2B6

Hon. Ron Liepert

Minister of Health and Wellness

#323, Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB Canada T5K 2B6

July 1, 2009

Honourable Ministers of Cabinet

We wish to draw your attention to an issue which we believe has significant impact on Alberta, our Nation and our world's future. This issue is Oil Sands development and the management of environmental, health and social consequences of such development. With the world price of oil once again on the rise, it is inevitable that the pace of development will pick up in the Oil Sands. It is imperative that as activity ramps up, we manage the environmental, social and health consequences better than we have in the past.

We are aware of the Provincial Energy Strategy released by the Alberta Government in December of 2008. While this document says all the right things, we believe that it is insufficient in several key areas. For example it is silent on managing the health consequences of oil sands development. Specifically it does not address the persistent reports of unusual patterns of cancer occurrence and other health issues amongst the inhabitants of Fort Chipewyan, downstream of Athabasca oil sands development projects. These concerns have been repeatedly swept under the carpet by the Alberta Government and industry, but we do not believe that they have been thoroughly and properly investigated. We strongly urge that a comprehensive study of health issues resulting from oil sands be immediately undertaken. If the Oil Sands are a resource belonging to the people of Alberta, then the people of Alberta have full responsibility to ensure that development of this resource takes place without degrading the health of some Albertans. The Government of Alberta, as agent of the people of Alberta, has the obligation to discharge this responsibility.

The Provincial Energy Strategy falls short in another area. Much is said about what we will do, but nothing is said about specific quantitative objectives, and the timeline by which they will be achieved. While this component is not necessarily a required part of the original document, six months have passed since its introduction – sufficient time to begin attaching specific deliverables. We request that the Alberta Government commence publishing a timeline of concrete, quantitative objectives around the Strategy, objectives around which the management of environmental, social and health issues can be measured.

We concur that we as Albertans can manage the consequences of energy development and specifically Oil Sands development better than we have in the past. However we believe that the Strategy has to be expanded to cover health and social issues, and that specific deliverables must be incorporated. Please respond with the Alberta Government's plans to deal with these crucial issues.

Yours respectfully,

Your Name and Contact Information Here

Cc Nora Sanders, General Secretary, General Conference, United Church of Canada

Cc Barbara Lloyd, Public Witness Division, United Church of Canada General Council Office

Cc Dorothy McDougall, Program Coordinator-Ecological Justice, Kairos Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barbara Lloyd

Public Witness Division

The United Church of Canada,3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4 Canada

Tel: 416-231-5931

Toll-Free: 1-800-268-3781

Fax: 416-231-3103

Email: blloyd@united-church.ca

Nora Sanders

General Secretary, General Conference

United Church of Canada

3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4 Canada

Email: nsanders@united-church.ca

Tel: 416-231-5931

Dorothy McDougall

Program Coordinator – Ecological Justice

Kairos Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

200 – 310 Dupont Street

Toronto, ON M5R 1V9

Tel: 416-463-5312 x 222

Email:

concluding statement: Kairos delegation to tar sands

Concluding Statement: KAIROS Ecumenical Delegation to the Athabasca Tar Sands.  11 June 2009

An ecumenical delegation of ten leaders from Canadian churches and church organizations, a hereditary Indigenous chief from British Columbia and partners from Ecuador and Nigeria traveled in Alberta from May 21 to 27 to learn more about the tar sands and their impacts on people and the earth.

The delegation was organized by KAIROS (www.kairoscanada.org), which does social justice work for eleven churches and church-related organizations. As Christians, we seek a positive role in the care of God's creation, right relations among peoples, and economic justice – all of which raise questions about the Athabasca tar sands.

We came to Alberta to listen and learn from the people who live and work in the tar sands, Indigenous people who live downstream from them, church and community groups, the industry itself, unions, government, and environmental groups. At the end of our journey, we are left with enduring images and questions. Local churches and communities in Alberta are deeply engaged in the tar sands and see great benefits from these projects. They don't want to lose jobs, and they are also concerned about the environment. 

The people of Fort McMurray are rightly proud of their vibrant, multi-faceted community and its generous spirit. Our experience there has shown us that while the pace of tar sands development and the influx of workers have overburdened the town's infrastructure, the community itself is working hard to solve problems.

On our journey, we met with Indigenous peoples from Fort McMurray and Fort McKay First Nations. For a day and a half, we stayed in Fort Chipewyan, meeting with members of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan Cree First Nation and the Metis. Some spoke of the economic benefits of the tar sands, of not wanting to damage that economy. Some mentioned receiving compensation for the use of their traditional territories. Companies owned by Indigenous peoples contract services to the tar sands sector.

Yet we also heard that their way of life, as fishers, hunters and trappers, is being negatively affected, as well as the health of water and land. We heard that their concerns about the impacts of the tar sands developments have been largely ignored, how Treaty and Indigenous rights have not been respected, and of the need for greater involvement of Indigenous communities in tar sands planning.

In Fort Chipewyan, people told us of rare illnesses, the growing number of deaths from cancer and frightening changes to local ecology. We saw how rapidly the graveyard is filling up. People in Fort Chipewyan need answers about why this is happening and how it can be prevented.

Environmental groups point to the pace of ecological damage that needs bold action. Land reclamation lags far behind stripping and mining of the boreal forest.

Tar sands industry spokespeople are aware of and concerned about the ecological impacts of tar sands extraction, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and possible impacts on water. Regarding possible aquifer or river contamination from extraction, greenhouse gas emissions and other dangers, they believe that the protections they are constructing will help considerably. In response to Indigenous health concerns, they reply that there is no proof these issues are related to tar sands development. They argue that tar leaches naturally from the soil into the river and for hundreds of years this has not been a problem. They state that 70 to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions are from cars and other consumer uses of oil and gas. Although Carbon Capture and Storage is much talked about in the media and by government, industry representatives note that it can only work in very limited situations.

We are concerned about the industry's response to the serious questions that have been raised, its determination to keep up the pace of development, and its confidence in what has been done to mitigate damage to people and ecosystems. The current pace of development along the Athabasca River is very different than what has occurred naturally for hundreds of years. Synthetic crude production is the most GHG-intensive form of fossil fuel production. In the face of climate change and the cumulative impacts of environmental toxins, we believe that all responsible parties – individual consumers, industry, and government – must take a greater role in creating solutions.

Industry plans to increase the pace and expand the scope of tar sands development. It will adapt to more government regulation if it happens. Alberta government representatives emphasized the economic importance of the tar sands, and gave no indication they would strengthen government's role in regulating industry to protect the common good.

These are the conclusions we reached as a delegation:

• As citizens, we all need to reduce consumption and help generate solutions.

• We believe the tar sands pose serious, complex questions for Alberta, for Canada and beyond. These questions deserve public discussion and we will encourage this in our churches.

• We agree with Indigenous peoples' and environmentalists' calls for independent studies on the cumulative impacts of the tar sands development, especially concerning water and ecosystems. These studies need to be accessible to the Canadian public.

• We agree that tar sands development must respect and protect Indigenous peoples' rights.

• We question the pace of tar sands development and the sustainability of the tar sands industry and the communities on which it has an impact. There is need for more regulation by the Alberta and Canadian governments to protect the common good.

• Our delegation hopes to meet with elected federal government officials at the highest level. We believe Canada needs a sustainable energy policy, including targets for more renewable energy and sustainable livelihoods.

Our delegation thanks all who met with us for their kindness and honesty, and we hold their perspectives as important. Our faith inspires love for God's creation and a passion for protecting the most vulnerable - both peoples and ecosystems. We seek positive directions that will protect jobs, people and the earth.

June 11, 2009

Members of the Delegation

Church/Organizational Leaders

• The Rev. Bruce Adema, Director of Canadian Ministries, Christian Reformed Church in North America

• Dana Bush, Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (The Quakers)

• Abe Janzen, Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee Alberta

• The Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

• Sr. Anne Lewans, osu, Ursulines of Prelate, Vice-President of the Canadian Religious Conference

• The Right Rev. Thomas O. Morgan, Retired Archbishop of Saskatoon, Anglican Church of Canada

• The Rev. Cheol Soon Park, Moderator of the 134th General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church in Canada

• Donald Peters, Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee Canada

• The Very Rev. Bill Phipps, Former Moderator of the United Church of Canada

• The Most Rev. V. James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg, President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Indigenous and Southern Partners

• Fabricio Guamán, Accion Ecologica/Oil Watch South America, Ecuador

• Ray Jones, Hereditary Chief, Gitxsan First Nation, British Columbia

• Michael Keania Karikpo, Oil Watch International, Nigeria

KAIROS Staff

• Ed Bianchi, Indigenous Rights Program Coordinator

• Mary Corkery, Executive Director

• Sara Stratton, Education and Campaigns Coordinator – Sustainability

Hearts & Hands Stove Building Project

This is the info about the next Hearts & Hands Stove Building Project received from Jan Townsend.

September 20-October 3, 2009

Cost approximately $3000 inclusive

Project in department of Uspantan
Village to be determined
Website: heartshands.ca
Contact Joan lawton 403-609-3532
Please make contact by July 1st
This will be the 16th stove building group. H&H have installed 2500 stoves thus far.

Strong Public Witness June 09 Notes

Strong Public Witness Division notes for June 9/09 FH Presbytery meeting at Acme, AB

Present: Ed, Mary, Ron, Dorothy, Karl, Paula

Oil Sand Development: Ed drafted a letter responding to the Dec/08 provincial government report on the oil sands, “Launching Alberta’s Energy Future”. MOTION: that a copy of the letter be posted to the JustUs blog and made available to congregations as a template for congregational or individual use. Mary/Dorothy/C. The letter was also approved by the court to be sent by the Chair of FH Presbytery.

United For Peace: 6 months remaining of the 2 year education, action and fund raising program. Congregations encouraged to make good use of the time.

Hearts and Hands: A trip to Guatemala is planned for September 22 – October 7^th. Contact Jan Townsend rivrrd@shaw.ca or 403.609.2725

Fair Trade coffee MOTION: that we request that only Fair Trade coffee be served at presbytery gatherings. Dorothy/Mary/Carried. Motion presented to the full court and carried.

KAIROS blanket exercise information shared with the division; and we will do the full exercise at the September presbytery meeting. Congregations encouraged to use the resource for June 21 First Nations Sunday.

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Sharing the journey ...

PaulaTheScribe

“BE the change you want to see in the world” Ghandi

First Nations Blanket Exercise

this 'blanket exercise' was created by Kairos and modified for use within Alberta. Please consider downloading this document and using this to educate and raise awareness on First Nations Sunday, June 21. The scrolls will be posted as well.
http://suchurch.ning.com/profiles/blogs/first-nations-sunday

Oilsands and ethical choices

Father Raymond J. De Souza: Oilsands ethics are a sticky issue

Posted: June 04, 2009, 9:00 AM by the National Post

 The oilsands may be back sooner than expected. Oil prices are rising from their low late last year. Labour costs are down. Steel is cheaper. And today the shareholders of Suncor and Petro-Canada are expected to approve a merger of the two companies, creating Canada’s largest energy company, valued at some $46-billion.

Suncor, which was an oilsands pioneer back in the early 1960s, is betting that the new larger company will be able to accelerate oilsands projects recently thought not to be viable. The merged company will be a genuine Canadian energy giant, not only producing oil and natural gas upstream, but with refining and retail downstream.

This will not be greeted as good news by all, particularly those who judge the oilsands to be morally troublesome. Suncor has been named by environmental groups as an egregious greenhouse gas emitter, and oilsands production in general is considered by many — not just those in the environmental movement — to despoil the Earth and irresponsibly waste water and energy. Those questions will likely return with greater force as oilsands production recovers in the years ahead. All of which makes the oilsands a fascinating example of competing moral agendas.

For a long time, increasing energy independence — more oil produced and refined in Canada — was thought to be a national good. Indeed, the very Petro-Canada that is about to be taken over by Suncor was created precisely to favour that public policy outcome. In recent years, security and human rights concerns have been added to the mix. Most places where oil is plentiful, cheap to produce and relatively less environmentally damaging are home to rather unsavoury regimes. Pumping oil out of the Arabian desert doesn’t leave much of an environmental footprint; stick a straw in the sand and up it comes. However, the human environment is rather less benign in Saudi Arabia — or Iran or Russia or Venezuela — and what such regimes do with their petro-dollars foments instability and insecurity around the globe.

On other issues of trade and investment such points are often taken into account, as they should be, for investment decisions are always, at least in part, moral decisions. Where to invest is a choice, and choices manifest our values, our principles and our ethics. That’s the argument made by those who inveigh against goods made in Chinese sweatshops or in favour of fair trade Latin American coffee. It is the argument made by activists who try to persuade pension funds and university endowments not to invest in ethically suspect regimes. It was fashionable 20 years ago in regard to South Africa. One hears similar exhortations today in regard to companies working in the West Bank, Latin American mining operations, or African producers of bottled water. Of course the oilsands themselves have become a symbol in some quarters of ethically suspect energy production.

What then to make of the counter-argument that Canadian oil is ethically cleaner than Russian or Iranian or Saudi oil? It’s an argument heard mostly at the margins of the debate today, and as long as the oilsands are limping along it will remain at the margins. Should the oilsands return to greater production in the face of vigorous environmental criticism, this counter argument will be amplified. How does one stack up tailing ponds in northern Alberta against human rights violations in the Saudi desert kingdom? Can one compare carbon emissions in Canada to the slave-like labour conditions in the Gulf states?

From a strictly economic point of view, one does not really get to choose. Oil is sold at a world market price, and the laws of economics do not permit customers to buy the more costly oil first. Higher oil prices give us the option to produce oil in Alberta; those same high prices mean superabundant returns to the oil sheiks and oligarchs. Low prices mean fewer Canadian jobs; they also mean less Russian bullying or state-sponsored terror in the Middle East.

 For commercial reasons, the new Suncor is widely expected to sell off Petro-Canada’s holdings in Libya and Syria in order to focus on Alberta production. Does that make Suncor a better company on moral grounds? That’s a question we will be asking more often in the years ahead, for ethical questions about the oilsands are sticky too.
National Post