Latest weapon for oil sands pipeline backers – Oprah Winfrey

EthicalOil.org, which stated goal is countering inaccurate and unfair criticisms of the oil sands, this week launched their first television ad as debate about the Keystone pipeline intended to carry Canadian crude to refineries on the US Gulf coast intensifies.

The treatment of women in Saudi Arabia is the focus of the new ad running exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada and comes on the heels of demonstrations in front of the White House where celebrities had themselves arrested to persuade President Barack Obama, who has the final say, of oil sands’ dangers and influential environmental voice Al Gore calling oil sands the “dirtiest fuel on the planet.”

Al Gore’s blog entry from last week reads in part: “The tar sands are the dirtiest source of fuel on the planet… Gasoline made from the tar sands gives a Toyota Prius the same impact on climate as a Hummer using gasoline made from oil. This pipeline would be an enormous mistake.”

At the end of August MINING.com reported approval for Keystone took a step closer when the US State Department the proposed $7 billion extension of the Keystone pipeline to US Gulf Coast refineries would not likely boost the amount of crude produced from Alberta’s oil sands, suggesting it would have limited impact on the environment.

Last week MINING.com reported China is pouring more money into the oil sands other big pipeline project to Canada’s west coast. Slowing demand in the US is adding pressure for a go-ahead on the Northern Gateway pipeline that will stretch for more than 1,100km at a cost of $5.5 billion affording Canada world prices for its oil, currently priced against heavily discounted US crude. Regulatory hearings are scheduled to start in January.

EthicalOil.org TV ad:

Image of Oprah Winfrey in 2004 by Alan Light.

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