We all need a good dose of sarcasm from time to time.
We know that Canada’s tar sands are no laughing matter. They’re the fastest growing source of carbon pollution in Canada. They’re poisoning the Athabasca watershed and damaging the health of people who live downstream. The tar sands are decimating the boreal forest and they’re the largest impediment to Canada adopting any decent climate policy.
But we also know that more people will pay attention to a serious issue if we use a bit of humour. As unpleasant as the tar sands are, it’s our job to raise awareness about the damages they cause. And that means getting creative to get the message out.
With that, I’m proud to present our latest creative effort, the video “Great Canadian Migrations.“
Narrated by a British actor, with a striking resemblance to famous British naturalist David Attenborough, the video follows the path of tar sands oil as it makes its way from Alberta to an oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s an epic and harrowing journey. And it’s funny (trust me, the way we tell it is funny.)
The video juxtaposes the narrator’s rosy commentary about “the greatest of all Canadian migrations” against stark footage of the tar sands and news clips showing oil spills in Canada and the United States — making viewers chuckle at the narrator’s absurd optimism.
The tar sands are practically an iconic Canadian species. With all the love the tar sands get in Ottawa, it’s easy to imagine them depicted on a special commemorative coin from the Canadian Mint. For advertising dollars spent by Ottawa, they get more attention than the beaver, the loon, or the caribou, that’s for sure. And you can almost imagine them featured in a heritage minutes short they show on TV: “The Tar Sands, the fouling of a nation. Part of our history.”
In our video, the tar sands are attempting to make a massive voyage. Somehow, they must defy the odds and make their way from landlocked Alberta, to an ocean. Any ocean.
So that’s what the video’s about. The world’s pre-eminent naturalist takes us on a journey, following Canada’s iconic but not well understood specimen on a voyage of epic proportions.
Tune in, and watch what is likely the greatest of all Canadian migrations (wink.) And if you like it, share it with your friends so more people can learn about the tar sands risks.
Oh, and sign our petition, so we can stop this migration, stop the expansion of the tar sands and begin to move toward the clean economy Canadians want.
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Nick Seebruch, editor
