Greenpeace Letter

Acquaintances know I relish receiving information on both sides of topics, covering issues the mainstream media may (or may not) be offering readers.

And so it was today when I received a copy of this letter to Greenpeace from a Canadian resident:

To be fair, the graphics were my choice.

I am a very concerned 41-year old Canadian family man (yes, male, I can still distinguish.) born in a small village in Saskatchewan and currently residing in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I would love to assist your organization in making the world a better place.

I recently read a quote from Mr. Keith Stewart that ‘oil in Alberta is unnecessary’ and something about ‘only clean energy’ (of course I am mildly paraphrasing but it was the gist of the CTV article).

Now, I can tell you that I was angered by these comments. So, as Greenpeace has all the answers, I thought who better to contact other than the fine individuals of your organization.

Issue #1: Transportation. As almost everyone in Canada is not living in the GTA, (Greater Toronto Area) what is the cleanest form of transportation that you could recommend for my family (which includes my wife, 2 teenage daughters, and the family dog)?

 Public transportation across the prairies (to visit family) is almost non-existent since the closure of Greyhound and STC (Saskatchewan Transport Company). Even when the bus lines were fully operational, 10 to 14-hour bus trips to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ were way too long and fares for the family were too expensive. I should also mention a normal drive time for a personal vehicle is approximately 6 hours. So, with public transportation out of the question, I need to own a vehicle.

Please recommend a vehicle on the market that has no oil products in it. Maybe, if I can get personal on some level, what kinds of vehicles are most commonly owned by Greenpeace executives/employees?

I only ask because as I read the news (and any other publication that posts the comments of individuals such as Keith Stewart), apparently Greenpeace has no use for oil and oil produced products, as they all pollute the earth. Climate change, you know.

 So, should I buy an electric car ... NO, I can’t. As a rational, reasonable thinking Canadian, I am aware that electric cars are full of ... NO, wait ... Almost COMPLETELY composed of, and manufactured with/by oil-based products. I guess electric cars are out too.

 Horseback? NO. Riding on horseback would get me into all kinds of trouble with the good people over at PETA and WWF. Don’t want them trying to shut me down. My best guess is that none of you folks over there own a personal vehicle. Well let me know which way to go on that one.

Issue # 2: Food. Now I’m sure that no one from the world of Greenpeace buys that grubby food produced on and from farms across Canada.

 Those farmers use an abundant amount of diesel to produce every scrap and morsel of food that can be found in every grocery store across this great nation.  I mean seriously, how is it that all Canadians can’t understand this simple truth. Milk, bread, meat, vegetables, etc. have all come from a farmer, who I can promise you, owns a tractor. Tractors burn a lot of fuel.

If you were or are unaware of this revelation, I will guarantee these facts, as I was born and raised on a Canadian farm.   ALL the food consumed from the store has come from a farm somewhere. Then to top it off, those grocers have everything packaged one way or another to keep food fresh and sanitary (God knows we can’t have someone else’s germs on our food). Again, oil issues, ALL that packaging (to keep the food safe) is made with, and by, oil products. 

Honestly, it feels like I can’t win. So, like activists, I have a garden for all our food. However; protein (you know, meat) is a real issue. City bylaws say I’m not allowed a pig (for pork products such as bacon and such), or a cow (steaks). I can have five chickens. I guess those teenage girls I mentioned earlier are going on a diet. I am very concerned for the well-being of people living in apartments (where gardens are impossible).
By the way, where do you get all your food from?

Issue #3: Heating.
This is a touchy subject. How would a man as intelligent as Keith Stewart and other lead activists heat their homes? Now I am only somewhat intelligent as I only have a Grade 12 education from a small prairie high school (not big city educated), but I can’t figure this one out for two reasons.

Natural gas ... I don’t think so! Pollution! That clean burning gas from the ground is still produced by Big Oil (we hate those guys). 

I was going to switch to coal but, carbon tax (pollution, again).

Wood burning is not the way to heat our homes, it’s soon going to be illegal to cut down trees (emissions, again).

Solar energy, well, that doesn’t stand a chance in Canada.

Geothermal would almost be the way to go if it didn’t require drilling and glycol-based fluids. I don’t need to tell you folks the ecological effects that a glycol spill has on the environment and animals.

Wind turbines would be almost effective if they weren’t so expensive to set up and not to mention the amount of poor birds that would die as a result. PETA, again, would not be pleased. 

So, please help, I currently have no way to heat my home that isn’t a pollution issue.

    
Issue # 4: Electronics. As we all hate Big Oil, we must destroy all electronic devices. No computers, phones, tablets, etc. If it has a computer chip, a plastic-coated wire, a power cord, I mean if even one component of any device/machine contains oil and/or oil by-products, it must be destroyed. 

Big Oil is not going to keep you and me from our dream of a better planet.  No more electronics ... I can’t write this letter, businesses everywhere can’t operate, you can’t get your points across. Maybe we need oil? What do you think? 

If we (as a country) are not going to produce oil, whom/where does Mr. Stewart want us to buy it from - as I think we have established that it is currently a requirement in every Canadian household including yours? The obvious answer must be the Saudi’s, America or maybe Venezuela
(all environmentally-conscious places, right ...?).

Which does leave me curious, if all our oil is imported, does the carbon tax go up or down?  Maybe imported oil is carbon free? The Liberal government would have Canadians believe that the carbon tax will stop global warming.

You men and women are smarter than that, right? I’d like to think that as Canadians we should support Canadian oil as it is one of the most regulated oil producing countries on the planet. 

Is everyone at Greenpeace living in a time warp? Are you all individuals who are living off the land, being 100 percent self-sufficient? If you are, you wouldn’t be able to read this email.

However, we both know that you have the ability to do so, which means Greenpeace is also on the Big Oil wagon. Please don’t be ashamed. Just own it. Stop preaching to the masses.

When your organization and personnel are willing to walk your own talk, then I guess we’ll have something to discuss.

Are you so blinded by tofu loving hippies that you can’t see the plain truth? Let us all be honest, organizations such as yours and the ones like it are not willing to make the hard sacrifices to accomplish any real change.

Like almost every lobbyist group, you’d prefer to bitch and whine about everything until the donations stop coming in and then move on until the next money-making issue swings around. Granted; Greenpeace started with admirable beginnings, but like all good ideas, it always ends up about
the money. Or am I way off base? 

I do expect a response, for if I don’t get one ... you’re going to find this letter on every news feed and publication that will print it. I will send it to Ottawa (not a threat with the current ‘leadership’, but the Conservatives might listen). I’ll post it on every social media outlet I can sign up for and people will read it. I know that the loudest voice is the one the public hears the best. 

By now you must understand that you can’t be the only voice for people to listen to.

Sincerely

Leon W.

cc Greenpeace Canada

454 Avenue Laurier East,

Montreal, Quebec

H2J 1E7

cc Greenpeace Canada

1726 Commercial Drive

Vancouver, BC

V5N 4A3

As you may have guessed, there has been no response from Greenpeace, so, here we go.

If you agree with my thoughts, please feel free to discuss, forward, share, post, etc. We can no longer sit back and let others be the only voice that the public, activists, government, etc. are listening to you. I think that with our oil-built electronics, we must circulate this letter. Let's get people talking.

Thanks for your help.

Click on graphic to enlarge:

I too would like to read Greenpeace's reply.