Post by unleashed on Oct 5, 2009 1:44:16 GMT -5
MONTREAL (AFP) – Authorities arrested 16 people Sunday after Greenpeace activists scaled three smoke stacks at a Shell operation in their latest action protesting the exploitation of Canada's vast oil sands.
Activists from Canada, France, Australia and Brazil occupied part of an upgrader machine Shell is building at its Scotford site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta to convert oil sands into fuel, the group said in a statement.
By the time the protest ended Sunday authorities detained 16 members, Greenpeace said.
Producing tar sand oil takes more energy and emits more greenhouse gases than exploiting liquid oil wells.
Greenpeace has warned it would increase its protests ahead of key UN-sponsored climate talks in Copenhagen this December.
The well-publicized actions especially target Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, which is seeking to lower targets for greenhouse gas emissions, citing national economic concerns.
"The tar sands represent the bleak future that awaits the world if we refuse to listen to science and fail to make significant commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Mike Hudema.
At an estimated 175 billion barrels, Alberta's oil sands are among the largest in the world behind Saudi Arabia, but they were neglected for years, except by local companies, because of high extraction costs.
Since 2000, skyrocketing crude oil prices and improved extraction methods have made exploitation more economical.
Activists from Canada, France, Australia and Brazil occupied part of an upgrader machine Shell is building at its Scotford site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta to convert oil sands into fuel, the group said in a statement.
By the time the protest ended Sunday authorities detained 16 members, Greenpeace said.
Producing tar sand oil takes more energy and emits more greenhouse gases than exploiting liquid oil wells.
Greenpeace has warned it would increase its protests ahead of key UN-sponsored climate talks in Copenhagen this December.
The well-publicized actions especially target Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, which is seeking to lower targets for greenhouse gas emissions, citing national economic concerns.
"The tar sands represent the bleak future that awaits the world if we refuse to listen to science and fail to make significant commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Mike Hudema.
At an estimated 175 billion barrels, Alberta's oil sands are among the largest in the world behind Saudi Arabia, but they were neglected for years, except by local companies, because of high extraction costs.
Since 2000, skyrocketing crude oil prices and improved extraction methods have made exploitation more economical.
