Sands shifting under Alberta oil sector

CALGARY — Environmental organizations in Canada and the United States are stepping up their campaign to derail Alberta’s oil sands and seeking funding from deep-pocketed endowments including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Presentations made to the Fund and other potential donors obtained by the Financial Post show a multitude of green groups, including the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council, Oregon-based Corporate Ethics International and Alberta-based Pembina Institute, have formed a coalition to broaden their attack on the Canadian sector, targeting politicians, regulators, investors, communities and the media.


In the July presentations, made over the Internet and co-ordinated by the Rockefeller Fund, the groups said they are looking for $7-million a year for activities such as lawsuits, organizing and education.

They said they want to raise the negatives of the oil sands industry, boost the costs of producing them, stop infrastructure development and enroll key decision-makers.

Financial Post