'Set the record straight' with Calgary visit, mayor urges U.S. leaders

Calgary's mayor has invited his American counterparts, who support a ban on "dirty sources" of energy, to visit the city to "get the facts on oilsands production."

The U.S. Conference of Mayors, meeting in Miami this week, approved a resolution on Monday calling on its members to ban the use of fuels from "dirty sources such as tarsands" in municipal vehicles.

'This resolution suggests a lack of understanding, and we hope that by extending this invitation, we can help set the record straight.' — Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier

"We don't want to spend taxpayer dollars on fuels that make global warming worse," said Kitty Piercy, the mayor of Eugene, Ore., who submitted the resolution.

On Tuesday, Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier said he was disappointed with the move.

"Reducing greenhouse gas is an important issue, but it requires a comprehensive, thoughtful and realistic approach," he said in a news release. "This resolution suggests a lack of understanding, and we hope that by extending this invitation, we can help set the record straight." 

Bronconnier, who leads a city where several prominent oil and gas companies are headquartered, said he wants the American mayors to focus more on energy efficiency, conservation and new "green" technologies.

Political leaders defend Alberta's economic driver

Alberta Finance Minister Iris Evans also tried to defend the province's record on environmental regulations, pointing out the oilsands industry has reduced emissions per barrel of oil by 45 per cent in the last 18 years.

"I wish I could talk to all of them one-on-one," Evans said Tuesday.

"I continually am reminded that people in Alberta — as well as certainly people in the United States — do not really comprehend the good things that have been done in Alberta and that's an elephant in the room, that lack of knowledge."

Premier Ed Stelmach also jumped in to defend the oilsands industry, which drives Alberta's economy.

"We're doing cumulative environmental impact assessments both in the oilsands and also in the industrial heartland. We're the only jurisdiction in Canada to put forward a land-use framework and also our water-for-life strategy is well ahead of many jurisdictions in North America," he said.

Bronconnier said he issued the invitation because he received so many media calls from across North America asking how the American mayors' resolution would affect Calgary.

"Demand for energy continues to grow, and the days of inexpensive, easy to find oil are over. We can pass all the feel-good resolutions that we want, but the reality of the situation is that production from the oilsands is necessary," he added.