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May 8, 2008 The Natural Resources Defense Council sent a letter to U.S. Senators this week urging them to oppose amendments to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Bill that would repeal a major environmental initiative to ban the purchase of dirty fuel from sources like Alberta’s tar sands. "Section 526 protects our nation’s national security interests,” writes the U.S. environmental group in its letter, which was also signed by over 25 organizations, including the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace Canada, the Sierra Club and Environmental Defence. “High-ranking military officials have already warned Congress that global warming is a serious national security threat. Any steps taken by the federal government to address our dependence on oil must not exacerbate the very real national security risks posed by global warming. “In this regard, section 526 serves an important national security purpose. Production of unconventional fuels, such as CTL, tar sands and oil shale emit more than twice the global warming pollution per barrel as conventional oil at a time when we must be reducing our CO2 emissions." According to a Globe and Mail article today, “The fuel ban has drawn the ire of Canada and has caused both the Harper government and Alberta to engage in intense lobbying in Washington to have the measure rescinded.” Ron Stevens, Alberta’s Deputy Premier, was just in Washington trying to convince legislators that the tar sands were environmentally sustainable. Part way into his trip, 500 birds were killed after landing in one of Syncrude’s massive tailings ponds. As the Calgary Herald reported yesterday, “Whether the oilsands consortium known as Syncrude wants to admit it or not, the public relations disaster surrounding the death of 500 ducks in one of its tailings ponds has become the symbol for everything that's wrong with the oilsands.” Prime Minister Harper called the incident “a tragedy” but the Federal Government is still hoping Washington will forget about it so the tar sands project can continue pumping nearly 100 per cent of its dirty oil to the U.S. "Canada would not want to see an expansive interpretation of (the legislation), which would then include commercially available fuel made in part from oil derived from Canadian oilsands," wrote Michael Wilson, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., in a letter dated February 22 that was copied to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman. As reported in the Calgary Herald on April 30: "Liz Barratt-Brown, a coalition member with Washington-based Natural Resources Defense Council... hopes an energy bill passed last year will remain intact, potentially preventing the U.S. government from buying unconventional fuels that produce more greenhouse gas emissions than other sources. (Alberta's Deputy Premier Ron) Stevens, however, is optimistic section 526 of the bill will be changed or clarified to accommodate the oilsands." The full NRDC letter is here. The NRDC also has an 'action alert' on this issue here.
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