greenpeace tar sands action 7-24-08

Groups in five European cities have called for an International “Stop the Tar Sands!” Day on July 17:

“The tar sands of Alberta, Canada, are one of the world’s largest and dirtiest energy projects. Even though European oil companies and banks are financing this climate crime, the tar sands are relatively unknown in Europe. It is time the destructiveness of the tar sands receives the attention it deserves.

“We are organizing five demonstrations in five European cities (tentatively scheduled for July 17th) in support of shutting down the tar sands for good. Join us and help us raise awareness about this climate disaster!”

The tar sands have attracted widespread opposition for their contribution to global warming, contamination of the environment, and effects on local communities. The downstream First Nation community of Fort Chipewyan, for example, has suffered from sharply elevated rates of rare cancers since the Syncrude project began. The need for natural gas to process the sands into petroleum has also led to a boom in pipeline building.