I love it!
From the Forest Ethics campaign to slow Tar Sands development
The explanation:
“Canada is desperately seeking climate leadership,” said Merran Smith, Director of Climate with ForestEthics. “President Obama has already shown that he’s serious about building a clean energy future while the Canadian government is still missing in action.”
The ads come a week before Obama’s first presidential trip to Canada, where he is widely expected to discuss climate and energy issues with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper, a strong proponent of expanded Tar Sands development, has proposed a North American Climate Pact and is likely to seek special treatment for the tar sands, Canada’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.
“This tongue and cheek approach doesn’t diminish the seriousness of the issue,” said Gillian McEachern, Senior Energy Campaigner with ForestEthics. “Dirty tar sands oil truly is a ‘fossil’ fuel that has no place in North America’s green energy future. We’re urging both governments to move quickly towards a green economy and not give shelter to the tar sands.”
The ads cap a week of increasing pressure from environmental groups on both sides of the border who are seeking to raise awareness of the tar sands in the lead up to President Obama’s visit to Canada.
The ads will also run in the ‘Strictly Platonic’ section of Craigslist across North America and can be found by searching for the word “sands” on the site.
One Blue Marble readers can send their own personal message directly to President Obama as Canadians or Americans. As of Tuesday morning, more than 2500 letters had been sent.
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The Globe & Mail has comment from Jim Prentice, Canada’s “Environment” Minister on the pressure that environmental groups have brought to his doorstep this week.
I’m sure that I’m the only one who can’t understand why our Minister for the Environment is taking up the fight on behalf of oil companies.
I love it too, Richard! Very well done ad with a terrific use of humor. I’d like to see them go even further and post personal ads like this on Yahoo, Match.com and other dating sites too.
Last night I attended a workshop on climate change communication at UCLA put on by the Climate Action Institute and the Sustainable Urban Network. It was called, “A Spoonful of Sugar Hels the Medicine of Climate Change Go Down.” One of the key lessons they passed on is how important the use of humor is in the work we do. I couldn’t agree more and it’s a lesson I have to keep learning over and over again. My single most popular post on my blog, “Funniest. Candidate. Ever. McComedian In the House” is something I wrote on August 11, 2008. It’s had over 600 views and is still averaging 5 hits a day.
As angry as we get and as serious as the news we learn everyday is, we must remember that in the circus full of clowns we live in, humor is our most powerful weapon when we come fully loaded and we aim it at the right target.
All of which reminds me of the the joke about the Zen Master visiting NYC for the 1st time who goes to a sidewalk hotdog cart to enjoy himself a weiner. “Make me one with everything,” the Zen Master requests. The vendor under the umbrella puts the extra laden dog together and hands him his hotdog and the Master gives the guy a ten dollar bill. “Thanks a lot,” says the vendor and he turns to take the next customer’s order.
“Excuse me, I thought there would be change with that,” says the the now agitated Zen Master, to which the hotdog vendor replies, “But Master, everyone knows all change must come from within.”
Dear President Obama,
Please take action to help eliminate nuclear weapons. The invention and use of nuclear weapons has been and is a form of psychological terror. That terror has hung over our heads since 1945. Nuclear weapons and their by-products is the greatest threat to humanity and all other forms of life on our planet. Join with me and countless others to abolish these weapons of mass destruction so we may one day all live free from the fear of nuclear annihilation. Life is a precious gift.