We visit the tar sands in Alberta, Canada

tar-sands-visit

Colin (on the left!) and Len Benson – at Beaver Lake Cree, the owner of the ranch and a proper cowboy!

Colin Baines, our Campaigns Adviser her at The Co-operative Financial Services, recently led a press trip to the Albertan tar sands in Canada. He went to see first-hand the environmental impacts of the tar sands developments, the world’s largest fossil fuel project, and to hear about the consequences for the Beaver Lake Cree, local wildlife and the planet as a whole. Although he has researched and campaigned on the issue for a couple of years as part of our Toxic Fuels campaign, this was his first trip to see the devastation for himself.

After reading these entries, you can get involved with our Toxic Fuels campaign or consider fund raising or donating to the Beaver Lake Cree ’s legal fighting fund.

This is a diary of his trip…

Day 1: Beaver Lake

I’m staying at a lodge on a buffalo ranch at the edge of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation’s reservation, close to the town of Lac La Biche in north-east Alberta. It’s beautiful, and it’ll be my home for the next few days.

I’m here as a guest of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, a small indigenous community that still hunts, fishes and gather plants and medicines within its ancestral lands. However, this land is being threatened, degraded or destroyed by tar sands developments to the north and east of the reservation. Licenses for tar sands developments have been granted right up to their reservation boundary.

Tomorrow we’ll be looking at the tar sands developments to the north. But tonight, after my 17-hour journey to get here, I need to sleep.

Posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 in Campaigns, Customers Who Care, Toxic Fuels, Uncategorized

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21 Comments. What do you think?

Your comments

  1. I think that it is insulting & counter productive for the co-op to interfere in Canadian affairs. Canada is afterall, a thoroughly civilized & caring nation which does not need lessons in behaviour from anyone. We should concentrate on domestic issues such as caring for the homeless drop-outs in our society.

    by John at 9:36 pm on October 29th, 2009

  2. Hi John, thanks for you comment, in addition to the toxic fuels campaign we also do a lot of work in our local communities, to numerous to mention. If you take a look at our recent sustainability report (in particular pages 57- 61) it tells you all about our community initiatives. Including The Co-operative Group Volunteer Programme which allows staff to support their local communities through opportunities such as mentoring homeless people back into employment. I believe that our chariry of the year a couple of years ago was Shelter and we raised a significant amount of money for the charity, as we are doing this year for RNID.

    I’ve forwarded you comment on to the campaigns manager for Toxic Fuel, please see her reply below:

    “We are campaigning against toxic fuels because we know tackling climate change is important to our customers. The Co-operative Bank has had an Ethical Policy position on the extraction of fossil fuels and renewable energy since 1998. Since then, we’ve declined over £108 million worth of business that conflicts with this position. This policy was extended to ‘unconventional fuels’, such as tar sands and shale oil, in the Bank’s most recent Ethical Policy review supported by 90% of customers. The Co-operative Insurance has also had an Ethical Engagement Policy since 2005, which includes a statement on environmental sustainability, supported by 94% of customers.

    Our current Toxic Fuels campaign, which you refer to, is focused on the tar sands developments in Alberta, Canada, because this is currently being the biggest energy project in the world. The scale of this project is so huge, the potential damage these developments have will reach far beyond the Canadian border and affect us right here in the UK.

    Part of the impact of the developments is to disrupt the traditional way of life of indigenous populations who have been living in these areas for thousands of years. The other impact is on climate change. The oil is trapped in the tar sands and a very energy intensive process is used to extract this oil, with the whole process emitting on average three times more carbon dioxide than conventional oil extraction. In fact, if fully exploited, the potential carbon dioxide emissions in the tar sands for this project alone have the power to trigger what is termed as ‘runaway climate change’.

    This is very much an issue that people in Canada, as well as the UK and elsewhere in the world, are concerned about. And, referring to our Ethical Policy positions above, it is something our customers have voted on as an issue for us to address.

    For more information about the campaign and our reasoning behind it, please visit: http://www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/toxicfuels”

    We are always interested in what people think about the work we do in the community and globally, so please continue to let us know your thoughts. Also if there is something in particular that you would want the Co-op to be involved in please let us know and we can forward it on to the relevant people. Does this help and answer your question?

    Kedren@CFS

    by kedren at 1:14 pm on November 2nd, 2009

  3. How can you justify sending someone out to Cananda just to “see the devastation”. Sounds like a glorified holiday to me. Maybe you should donate the money to charity that you are spending on Air Travel (which causes more CO2 to be released into the atmosphere) and Accomodation.
    What experience does this person have negotiating with the Canadian or any other governments to help overturn planning application decisions. In short what do you expect to get back in return for your outlay other than a couple of paragraphs on this page. Or is this just for publicity for your company?

    by Malcolm at 8:53 am on November 12th, 2009

  4. Actually… as a Canadian I really appreciate the fact that the Co-operative Bank is willing to invest the time and money into learning about the implications of the tar sands.
    The money going into those projects comes from all over the world, and the oil flowing out is going all over the world (although, at this point, largely to the US market).
    If people around the world are using the product and making money off the industry, then taking responsibility for the impacts of the industry should also be considered a global responsibility.

    by Meribeth at 5:21 pm on November 12th, 2009

  5. Hi Malcolm,

    Colin Baines as mentioned above, is our Campaigns Adviser here at The Co-operative Financial Services, and has researched and campaigned toxic fuels for a number of years now.

    As mentioned in the blog Colin was leading a press trip to the tar sands development for the recent BBC Inside Out North West programme to help raise awareness of the devastation being caused. As well as the BBC coverage, this trip included mainstream journalists who have also since written about the issue and our campaign – all going towards raising awareness of the issue to the UK audience. Response to the campaign since the BBC programme and news reports has been very positive.

    In answer to your questions about the Air Travel and accommodation, here at the Co-op we have very strong approach as a business to offsetting our C02 emissions and have gone beyond carbon neutral – offsetting 110% of our emission. Plus Colin stayed at the ranch near the Tar Sands Development.

    Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) has already given the Cree £100,000 to help towards their fight. We’ve chosen to do this because as a business we believe that these developments contribute to causing potentially an ecological disaster that could prove the tipping point into uncontrollable global warming.

    You can find out more about Toxic fuels and why we are campaigning on our micro site.

    Thank you for your comment and I hope this answers your questions.

    by kedren at 5:58 pm on November 13th, 2009

  6. On the face of things, it appears to be a good idea, however, would it not been far better, for the representative of the CO-OP Bank, to first, find out what support his company could offer. Instead, of coming across in a way, that is insulting and offensive. Perhaps, they need to go back to the drawing board!

    by Lynnette Gater-Pearce(Mulatto) at 8:19 am on December 2nd, 2009

  7. Hi Lynnette,

    It’s Ben here from CFS.

    As Kedren stated, we have researched and campaigned toxic fuels for a number of years now and have also given the Cree £100,000 to help towards their fight.

    In her comment above Kedren also explained the reasons for the trip and its positive outcome.

    Thanks for your comment – let us know if there is anything else you’d like to know.

    by Ben at 5:28 pm on December 2nd, 2009

  8. I cannot believe that so many replies were so negative, well doe to the coop for all your ethical policies and the effects of global warming.

    by vron at 3:12 pm on December 29th, 2009

  9. Arguing about the methods of approach seems petty and counter productive to the urgency of the cause, well done COOP Bank your a leader! By extracting this oil the way that it would have to be done is a short term fools paradise. The global availability of ALL oils is depleting faster than new supplies can be identified and developed, simply due to growing demand and older oil field capacity depletion. If not stopped it will accelerate climate change by destroying forests and make refugees of the Cree nation. I think all protest methods should be included at this stage until a focussed global effort can be set up to maximise it.

    by Greg Dance at 5:46 pm on December 29th, 2009

  10. At the height of the Irish famine one of the Indian Nations send over much needed aid. It is now my turn to offer assistance to another Indian Nation. The Cree Nation need our support and the whole world will benefit if we stop the expansion of Toxic Fuel. I will be adding my miserable pennies to help them fight the big money boys.
    Keep up the good fight.

    by Celtic Queen at 12:07 am on January 17th, 2010

  11. I think the Coop are to be congratulated for taking this position. Not only will extracting oil in this way exacerbate climate chaos but it steals the land of indiginous peoples and destroys an ecosystem that seves everyone on the planet. So well done Coop – keep up the good work.

    by Terry Hobday at 12:33 pm on January 19th, 2010

  12. the canadians stole the land from the indians and sold it off to fellow canadians for a pittance because they wanted the oil,now look what these big wigs have created in their greed, they forced the indians off their land and forced them to move on.

    by luke at 6:13 pm on January 29th, 2010

  13. I cannot believe that some of you are annoyed and moan about the Co Operative at least they are trying to look into toxic fuels and the devastating effect this has on our environment as a whole.
    Our environment is very important as hopefully it is to yourselves, this needs to be addressed as soon as possible, the changes we have already seen all over the world is worrying make it your priority please.

    by Amanda Saunders at 2:42 pm on February 6th, 2010

  14. I too think that any effort, be it that of the Co-op or otherwise to stop the deployment of ‘Toxically extracted fuels’is to be applauded. In a sense the rush to grab this particular resource is nothing new. We are not far from a last ditch stand by those with vested interests to grab what they can (because it makes money for them and NO OTHER REASON) until there is none left. The new thinking on this – our future – needs to happen now, to reduce and ultimately remove OIL DEPENDANCY.

    by ciaran mc ferran at 4:59 pm on February 6th, 2010

  15. Thanks Amanda and Ciaran for your positive comments. I’ve passed your comments over to our Toxic Fuels campaigns manager.

    by kedren at 5:43 pm on February 8th, 2010

  16. I am an Aboriginal consultant working with another First Nation located in Alberta (Michel First Nation) in their lawsuit against the Canadian Government. Two mega-projects (a 500 kV transmission line, and a 30″ oil sands pipeline) are proposed on former reserve land that was illegally seized in 1958. We are currently seeking financial support (as the Nation has none) to assist the Nation in their effort. If you can offer any insight, please contact me. We would be grateful.

    by Tracy Campbell at 11:45 pm on March 11th, 2010

  17. I too fully support the Co-Operative bank in this cause. I have banked with them for many years and am proud to be part of such a green thinking society. Well done.

    by Chris Dooley at 1:17 pm on April 8th, 2010

  18. Well done Co-op. I believe we should always stand up for truth, righteousness and justice, wherever there is an issue. God gave man stewardship of the earth and we need to take action when our earthly resources are misused and where people, especially those who are trusting in an established agreement, are abused.

    by Mary Horne at 11:23 am on May 13th, 2010

  19. As a Member of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation i am amazed at how i find out about information on what is happening on our land. Thank goodness for the internet.

    by vernon gladue at 8:14 pm on May 17th, 2010

  20. The native American and Canadian tribes have suffered enough since 1800’s. Full marks to my bank for nigh on forty years – the Co-op for their generous support for the fighting fund against the Tar sands monster!

    by Barry French at 3:50 pm on July 28th, 2010

  21. A Cree Saying from James Bay N.E. Canada that says it all…
    “Only when the last tree has died
    And the last river poisoned
    And the last fish caught
    Will we realise we cannot eat money.”
    They keep in mind the 7th Generation to come, to leave the World no worse than it is now.
    Greedy ‘Fat Cats’ have no morals.

    by Mary Allan at 7:49 am on August 10th, 2010

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