May 19, 2010
Canadian First Nations and Investors Draw Line in the Tar Sands with Shell at Annual General Meeting
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
with reporting by Rebecca Sommer
Shell executives faced questions from investors, environmental groups and Canadian First Nations representatives over its involvement in the tar sands at the corporation's Tuesday, May 18, 2010 annual general meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, with a link to a meeting site in London, England.
FairPensions, a responsible investment charity, has coordinated a special resolution that shareholders will debate calling on Shell to report on the financial, environmental and human rights risks of tar sands, which make up a third of the company’s global resources. The Indigenous Environmental Network and Friends of the Earth Europe have sponsored representatives from the Lubicon Cree First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Duncan Lake First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation to be in attendance at the AGM to bring forward questions and concerns about the devastating impacts of tar sands development on Indigenous territory in Northern Alberta, Canada.
Many investors have welcomed disclosures made on current tar sands operations, but the company has not provided reassurance about the profitability and risk management of planned ‘in-situ’ projects, which have higher production costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In-situ production is required for the majority of Shell’s vast undeveloped tar sand resources.
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner and member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation attending the AGM stated: "While open pit mines are visually horrifying, the In Situ method of extraction is far more carbon-intensive, water-intensive, and energy-intensive. In Situ completely fragments the boreal forest in Canada, which is the largest terrestrial carbon sinks in the world.”
Melina went on to state: “Local communities are continually bearing the brunt of the detrimental effects of Shell's tar sands projects whether it be from toxic emissions and water contamination to the complete fragmenting and decimation of the boreal forest - tar sands development is completely altering our homelands and destroying the very foundation of who we are as Indigenous peoples."
George Poitras, former Chief of the Mikisew Cree Nation situated 250km downstream of major tar sands development has serious concerns about the unrestricted development. “Our people have inhabited Canada’s Athabasca region for thousands of years. In a short 40 years we have seen unfathomable environmental degradation coinciding with the onset of tar sands development. We have seen the waters of the Athabasca River polluted by heavy trace metals with cancer-causing carcinogens which according to prominent scientists are up to five times worse than what is being reported. Our waters and our lands are all intrinsically linked to our ability to survive, are all intrinsically linked to our ability to pass on our cultural and traditional ways of our lives. When you remove the land and pollute our waterways you are in effect causing the extinction of my people’s way of life, you are in effect causing cultural genocide of my people.”
Shell currently has three major operations in the area and has preliminary plans to expand. Many First Nation communities have responded with interventions in the environmental impact assessment and regulatory process. First Nations litigations have been launched to further delay or stop Shell’s illegal encroachment into their traditional territories.
Editor's Note: Shell shareholders rejected a resolution to review its exploration of tar sands development. Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100518-708508.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope
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Canadian First Nations and Investors Draw Line in the Tar Sands with Shell at Annual General Meeting
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
with reporting by Rebecca Sommer
Shell executives faced questions from investors, environmental groups and Canadian First Nations representatives over its involvement in the tar sands at the corporation's Tuesday, May 18, 2010 annual general meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, with a link to a meeting site in London, England.
FairPensions, a responsible investment charity, has coordinated a special resolution that shareholders will debate calling on Shell to report on the financial, environmental and human rights risks of tar sands, which make up a third of the company’s global resources. The Indigenous Environmental Network and Friends of the Earth Europe have sponsored representatives from the Lubicon Cree First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Duncan Lake First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation to be in attendance at the AGM to bring forward questions and concerns about the devastating impacts of tar sands development on Indigenous territory in Northern Alberta, Canada.
Many investors have welcomed disclosures made on current tar sands operations, but the company has not provided reassurance about the profitability and risk management of planned ‘in-situ’ projects, which have higher production costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In-situ production is required for the majority of Shell’s vast undeveloped tar sand resources.
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner and member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation attending the AGM stated: "While open pit mines are visually horrifying, the In Situ method of extraction is far more carbon-intensive, water-intensive, and energy-intensive. In Situ completely fragments the boreal forest in Canada, which is the largest terrestrial carbon sinks in the world.”
Melina went on to state: “Local communities are continually bearing the brunt of the detrimental effects of Shell's tar sands projects whether it be from toxic emissions and water contamination to the complete fragmenting and decimation of the boreal forest - tar sands development is completely altering our homelands and destroying the very foundation of who we are as Indigenous peoples."
George Poitras, former Chief of the Mikisew Cree Nation situated 250km downstream of major tar sands development has serious concerns about the unrestricted development. “Our people have inhabited Canada’s Athabasca region for thousands of years. In a short 40 years we have seen unfathomable environmental degradation coinciding with the onset of tar sands development. We have seen the waters of the Athabasca River polluted by heavy trace metals with cancer-causing carcinogens which according to prominent scientists are up to five times worse than what is being reported. Our waters and our lands are all intrinsically linked to our ability to survive, are all intrinsically linked to our ability to pass on our cultural and traditional ways of our lives. When you remove the land and pollute our waterways you are in effect causing the extinction of my people’s way of life, you are in effect causing cultural genocide of my people.”
Shell currently has three major operations in the area and has preliminary plans to expand. Many First Nation communities have responded with interventions in the environmental impact assessment and regulatory process. First Nations litigations have been launched to further delay or stop Shell’s illegal encroachment into their traditional territories.
Editor's Note: Shell shareholders rejected a resolution to review its exploration of tar sands development. Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100518-708508.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope
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