Greenpeace counters tar sands ads with satirical commercials.
from Greenpeace Canada
The federal government’s “Responsible Resource Development” ads depict the tar sands as environmentally friendly and have been running since 2012. Recently, Ottawa announced it will spend another $16 million this year to keep the ads running on television.
What this ad campaign doesn’t tell you is how the Harper government gutted Canada’s environmental laws in order to fast-track new tar sands mines and pipelines as part of the omnibus budget bills. And it certainly doesn’t tell you that tar sands development has made Canada one of the world’s biggest polluters and contributors to climate change.
In response, Greenpeace has crafted three satirical commercials, of which this is the first. The 30-second ad stars comedic actor Peter Keleghan, known for his work on shows like 18 to Life and The Red Green Show, as Environment Minister Peter Kent. In the ad he says “being the kind of environment minister who makes big oil companies clean up their mess isn’t easy – but buying ads is!”
We’re promoting the Greenpeace ad on social media before it airs on CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight the week of July 8. We are appealing to viewers to sign a petition aimed at Prime Minister Harper as well as to contribute a donation to run the ad more widely.
If enough people see our ads, the tar sands’ spin doctors will realize that the more of our tax money that they spend on public relations to sell the tar sands as environmentally friendly, the more ridiculous they are making themselves look. Our goal is that they will cancel their ads faster than you can say, “oil spills create jobs.”
“There is no throne so high that it can’t be shaken by laughter from beneath.”
Along with the television spot, we also made two longer skits featuring Sheila McCarthy as Harper’s sly assistant and Richard Blackburn as the prime minister. All three videos were directed by Michael Kennedy, who has successfully used comedy to address social issues in his films and television work, which includes the hit sitcom “Little Mosque on the Prairie.”
Kennedy said he jumped at the chance to direct the video project, entitled “Tar Sands Greenwash.”
“Serious issues deserve serious attention, but sometimes humour works best when you’re trying to reach people,” said Kennedy. “That’s what we’re doing with the Greenwash videos – trying to open some eyes while poking fun at what the Harper government is doing concerning its tar sands policy.”
Keleghan, who has also shown his comedic talents in episodes of Seinfeld, Cheers and Murphy Brown as well as in starring roles in The Newsroom and Billable Hours, previously played Kent in Greenpeace’s successful “Polluter Harmony” video two years ago.
Greenpeace hopes that the Tar Sands Greenwash videos and petition can help Canadians focus their frustration over the Harper ads in a positive way.
“There is no throne so high that it can’t be shaken by laughter from beneath,” said Greenpeace Climate and Energy Coordinator Keith Stewart. “Since we’re not able to match Ottawa’s advertising budget, we plan to get so many people laughing at the ads that the government has to pull them off the air.”
Tell Harper we want green energy, not greenwash: visit Stop Greenwash
About Greenpeace
Greenpeace is the largest independent direct-action environmental organization in the world.
We do not take money from government or corporations. Our only bottom line is a green and peaceful future.
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