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Yes Men strike again in Canada
15/06/2007 12:51 - (SA)
Sam Wilson
Cape Town - A group of global activists have embarrassed ExxonMobil and the National Petroleum Council in Canada, with an outrageous identity-correction stunt aimed at highlighting the global impact of current Canadian energy policies, most significantly the massive, carbon-intensive exploitation of Alberta's oil sands.
Andy Bichlbaum of the notorious anti-globalisation group The Yes Men, posed as an NPC rep and delivered a keynote speech to 300 oilmen at Go-Expo, Canada's largest oil conference in Calgary, Alberta on 14 June.
He announced that current US and Canadian energy policies are increasing the chances of huge global calamities.
'Transforming people into oil'
But he reassured the audience that in the worst case scenario, the oil industry could "keep fuel flowing" by transforming the billions of people who die into oil.
"We need something like whales, but infinitely more abundant," said "NPC representative Shepard Wolff" (actually Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men), before describing the technology used to render human flesh into a new Exxon oil product called Vivoleum. 3-D animations of the process brought it to life.
The oilmen listened to the lecture with attention, and then lit "commemorative candles" supposedly made of Vivoleum obtained from the flesh of an "Exxon janitor" who died as a result of cleaning up a toxic spill.
The audience only reacted when the janitor, in a video tribute, announced that he wished to be transformed into candles after his death, and all became crystal-clear.
Security guards then dragged Bichlbaum away from reporters.
Canada's oil sand exploitation
Canada's oil sands, along with "liquid coal," are keystones of Bush's Energy Security plan.
Mining the oil sands is one of the dirtiest forms of oil production and has turned Canada into one of the world's worst carbon emitters.
The production of "liquid coal" has twice the carbon footprint as that of ordinary gasoline.
"If our idea of energy security is to increase the chances of climate calamity, we have a very funny sense of what security really is," said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Men.
"While ExxonMobil continues to post record profits, they use their money to persuade governments to do nothing about climate change. This is a crime against humanity."
"Putting the former Exxon CEO in charge of the NPC, and soliciting his advice on our energy future, is like putting the wolf in charge of the flock," said "Shepard Wolff" (Bichlbaum).
Go-Expo's response
"Exxon has done more damage to the environment and to our chances of survival than any other company on earth. Why should we let them determine our future?"
In response, the Gas and Oil Exposition (Go-Expo) 2007 posted a note to news editors on a Canadian newswire website.
They confirmed that the keynote luncheon speakers at this year's event were impersonators and "environmental and corporate ethics activists" as opposed to representatives of Exxon Mobil and the National Petroleum Council.
The post also stressed their continuing commitment to attempts to verify the legitimacy and credibility of intended speakers, as well as to ensuring the security of its conference venue.
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