Filed under: Legislation and Policy, Oil Sands, North America, USA
U.S. mayors call for oil sands boycott
Oil sands mining transforms the landscape Photo: David Dodge, Pembina Institute
American mayors attending their annual meeting in Florida this week adopted a resolution that "supports federal legislation that prohibits government use of unconventional or synthetic fuels" derived from CO2-intensive sources such as oil sands or shales and "encourages" mayors to boycott the use of these fuels in their own municipal fleets. Although it seems to have gone largely unmentioned in the American press, the same can not be said of the Canadian media. There, newspapers and and other media outlets are crammed with articles and editorials denouncing the decision with headlines such as, "Oilsands boycott bad for U.S., premier warns" and "Critics say US mayors ignoring energy reality".
Already on the defensive on the domestic front after the deaths of hundreds of ducks from mining pollution and opposition to the Conservative-led federal governments willingness to sacrifice over a dozen lakes to tailings contamination, advocates for the mega-money oil sands projects seem none too happy to hear criticism emanating from South of the border. Their reminders that China and India would be only too happy to buy their "dirty" oil do seem a little over the top though since the resolution was more of a toothless wish than an actual ban. Text of the resolution after the jump.
[Source: CTV]
Resolution No. 57
Submitted By:
The Honorable Kitty Piercy
Mayor of Eugene
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Marty Blum
Mayor of Santa Barbara
The Honorable T. M. Franklin Cownie
Mayor of Des Moines
HIGH-CARBON FUELS
1. WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong policy resolutions calling for cities, communities, and the federal government to take actions to reduce global warming pollution; and
2. WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has declared that climate change could have severe economic and environmental impacts on U.S. cities in the coming decades; and
3. WHEREAS, the production and burning of conventional fuel such as gasoline, and diesel by motor vehicles, contributes to air pollution, and increased carbon dioxide emissions that have been linked to global climate change; and
4. WHEREAS, the health of the planet, including its oceans, wildlands, rivers, air, and climate, faces increasing threats from our continued dependence on fossil fuels; and
5. WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong resolutions to encourage clean, renewable energy sources and discourage our dependence on fossil fuels; and
6. WHEREAS, the production of fuels derived from unconventional sources, such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale, emits even greater amounts of global warming pollution than conventional petroleum sources; and
7. WHEREAS, the production of tar sands oil from Canada emits approximately three times the carbon dioxide pollution per barrel as does conventional oil production and significantly damages Canada's Boreal forest ecosystem--the world's largest carbon storehouse; and
8. WHEREAS, the continued production and purchase of these higher-carbon unconventional or synthetic fuels slows the United States' transition to clean, renewable energy sources,
9. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports federal legislation that prohibits government use of unconventional or synthetic fuels, such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale, with lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions greater than fuel produced from conventional oil sources; and
10. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors encourages the use of life cycle analyses that evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions from the production-including extraction, refining, and transportation-of fuels, including unconventional and synthetic fuels; and
11. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the creation of clear Federal and State guidelines for tracking the origin of various types of fuel in order to facilitate life cycle analysis; and
12. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors encourages mayors to track and reduce the lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions from their municipal vehicles by preventing or discontinuing the purchase of higher-carbon unconventional or synthetic fuels for these vehicles.
Project Cost: Unknown
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Z 5:38PM (6/27/2008)
I wonder if tar sand oil fueled any of the airplanes that got them there.
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meme 5:43PM (6/27/2008)
My comment to the mayors: Get used to it. As long as we keep using oil, we're going to be using more and more dirty syncrude. We can also get syncrude from other sources, mind you, but I doubt you'll like coal liquefaction, oil shale extraction, and so on either.
Don't like it? Buy electric.
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Dad 5:43PM (6/27/2008)
"Their reminders that China and India would be only too happy to buy their "dirty" oil "
Oil is a zero sum game. Imagine the impact of having to ship Canadian oil to China instead of using near by in the USA? But the Mayors don't really care. This is all for show.
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Dad 5:44PM (6/27/2008)
""Oilsands boycott bad for U.S., premier warns" and "Critics say US mayors ignoring energy reality". "
Yes, what else is new? We need to develop every energy source that can be developed until "alternative" sources come online.
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sensitive_man 6:43PM (6/27/2008)
To nay sayers.. I suppose you prefer the Do Nothing approach to life? Limiting oil use, especially from oil sand or other highly destructive acquisition methods will move us out of the oil economy that much faster.
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Cervus 7:28PM (6/27/2008)
I'm in favor of "Do Everything", including renewables and more oil drilling.
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armmat 9:46PM (6/27/2008)
CERVUS....
Then go live right next to oil sands areas and tell us how you like it....then let us know how you like and are for all DO EVERYTHING.
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Peter L 9:03AM (6/28/2008)
Ostrich like mayors!
Without Canada's oil the USA economy would not work. USA imports more oil from Canada than the Middle East. USA imports more oil from Canada than any other country. Wake up mayors
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Paul Sallmen 2:28PM (6/28/2008)
As a Canadian, on the one hand, I have to applaud those American mayors, because getting oil from the tar sands is not without its controversy - it takes so much energy to extract, and the environmental ramifications could be substantial. Even some people in Alberta (where most of the tar sands are) are starting to question whether they are selling off the province's resources too fast and at any cost. Some even question whether the royalties the provincial government receives are too low. I guess everything needs to be balanced.
Still, there is a lot of oil in Canada, but it shouldn't be viewed as something that can be used incessantly. I think Canada and America should step back and take a look at their wasteful lifestyles. Perhaps expensive oil will be a good thing. It'll achieve what the Kyoto Accord could only dream of doing: Expensive oil will reign in waste, and encourage efficiency.
What I find quite scary is that North America is gravely ill-prepared for $200 or $300 oil, let alone anything higher. Governments need to develop a sustainability plan. We could start by looking at Europe or Japan which have cities based on compact urban development and a close proximity for all amenities. Correspondingly, Japanese and European use about half the energy as North Americans.
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Oil Hater 7:54PM (6/28/2008)
Bravo to the Mayors for having some ethics and speaking out against the Life Destructive, Ugly and Dirty aspects of oil production.
It seems like some of the people who commented above me are cynical about speaking out against oil.
Too each their own. I would prefer that the people of the world get off our crack like addiction to oil ASAP.
I would prefer that the future generations have a planet that isn't a burning hot ball of CO2 gas and instead would have plenty of greenery and enough sustainable solar power to run all of humanities silly little electric gadgets and mass transit.
Good bye to Oil spills and Gas pollution and hello to Fresh Air, Electric Bullet Trains and Solar power.
If i were king i would tax oil to death and use the money to subsidize development of EV's, trains and solar :)
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007baf 9:54AM (6/30/2008)
I normally just quietly read these articles, but these mayors are criminals and proverbial enemies of the state and people. I would gladly sacrifice ducks and lakes if it means we take the money out of the pockets of terrorists while we develop responsible alternative technologies.
The good news is that 70% of Americans support drilling on the OCS, and about 50% support drilling in ANWR. I imagine they won't tolerate such lunacy from the green fringe.
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motorman 9:57AM (6/30/2008)
most all big city mayors are liberial dems so what do you expect ??
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Nobody Special 12:22PM (6/30/2008)
Caution,,,,Warning,,,,,. Certain short-sided people are willing to make short-sided profit motivated decisions to make money and stay in power over what is best for the planet. They'll do it for years instead of planning ahead for a gradual transition.
Now children, have you become so forgiving and believers in lies and deceptive practices that you would stand beside them, shake hands and join their game? Yes, we need to do something - so let us all join hands and keep doing the same thing - those who like extravagant lifestyles and who give themselves under the guise of individual rights of freedom, democracy and have lived in an overly irresponsible way probably, really, don't give a dang.
'It's not MY fault, it's theirs',,,wrong it's everyone's. Enough - yes, by all means, get used to it - because this country sold itself down the river because weak-minded people in Washington took money instead of responsibility, as their goal. Stop by and have a look at the BP Oil Refinery in Northern Indiana on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Read for the last 16 months how they wanted new permits to 'ramp-up' production for 'our energy needs' to the objections of SCIENTISTS, MAYORS, and on and on. Read last week how after they influenced officials, didn't file the proper documents, stacked public meetings with industry people, and got the permits, they announce that the new emissions will be dirtier than 'we previously thought' - oops - to late now.
Makes one wonder how much more they lied about the water discharge back into the Lake, but let's not get 'off track'.
That's 'right' - let us not tolerate the lunacy - come on down and stand ten miles and more downwind and smell the stench or wake as it wafts through your windows at night - yep, those who oppose these kind of continual lies etc...well, they just aren't REAL 'Mericans' like so many of the Naivete'.
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