The Alberta government has been trying, with little success, to improve the image of the oil sands. A recent campaign has talked about carbon sequestration, a method presently being tried near Redwater, Alberta.
A recent poll conducted on behalf of the Environmental group, Environmental Defence, found that 52% of Canadians want tar sands development slowed and investments directed toward the development of green energy. 29 % want oil sands production to increase and 19% don.t know.
Canada's Premiers (similar to Governor's of States) will be meeting in Regina, Saskatchewan this week. The Environment is expected to be on the agenda. Premier Campbell of British Columbia is sure to engage Premier Ed Stelmach of Alberta. There has been a recent uproar that British Columbians are paying for the clean-up of Alberta's dirty oil. B.C. has recently introduced a carbon tax.
Some Premiers are also interested in attending the Environmental Conference in Copenhagen later this year.
Provincial premiers will meet in Regina this week amid new poll results that show a majority of Canadians think oil sands production should be cut as Canada grapples with reducing greenhouse gases.
The poll, conducted for the group Environmental Defence, finds that 52 per cent of those surveyed want to slow down oil sands development and invest instead in clean-energy job creation. The poll, provided to The Globe and Mail, found that another 29 per cent believe oil sands production should be increased, while 19 per cent don't know.
The issue of global warming is expected to be on the agenda when the premiers gather for meetings in the Saskatchewan capital starting Wednesday. Canada is preparing to join in climate-change talks in Copenhagen later this year, and some provincial premiers have asked to be involved.