Green Christians tackle Canadian prime minister over tar sands

Keep Tar Sands Out Of Europe campaigners at Houses of Parliament, Westminster

Christian Ecology Link (CEL) members attended the No-tar-sands demonstration at Westminster on 13 June. Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, addressed Parliament that day, ahead of the G8 meeting in Northern Ireland. This is an honour usually reserved for the most highly-respected foreign dignitaries such as Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela. Harper was promoting the tar sands industry which, if allowed to keep expanding, according to its critics, is predicted to tip the planet into runaway climate change. He is also trying to sell the oil from tar sands to Europe and muzzling climate scientists that are trying to speak out against the plans.

Ruth Jarman, a CEL member from Hampshhire who was there, said: “I joined this demo because I feel angry that Harper has been given this honour of addressing Parliament when he is such a blatant climate criminal. Jesus may forgive him, but will his children?”Canada has some of the largest oil sand reserves - also known as tar sands - in the world. They are saturated with a dense form of petroleum which can be used as fuel, but its extraction generates higher greenhouse gas emissions than pumping from oil wells. The European Commission has proposed labelling oil from tar sands as "highly polluting" - which would deter EU countries from importing it - and campaigners want the UK government to support this. Campaigners also support many of Canada’s indigenous people who feel that tar sands extraction is destructive of their environment and way of life.

Extracting crude from the clay-like oil sands requires more energy than conventional oil production and Christian Ecology Link says that oil sands is a top target for the green movement. Six MPs from four different political parties have tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the UK government to resist Canada’s lobbying campaign and discourage future tar sands imports. All other MPs will now be encouraged to sign, in the run-up to an EU Member States’ vote later this year.

Short video of the protest can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb1JI-759AY&feature=youtu.be

For more information see: www.greenchristian.org.uk