Yes Men: The Alberta Tar Sands is ... Mordor?

The Alberta Tar Sands is ... Mordor?

Reveal date: Apr 15 2011 Status: Complete Partners: Greenpeace Canada Tagged: Canada, climate change, Tar Sands

A fuzzy cell phone video of an Elijah Woods sighting in Alberta, Canada. A fake Alberta Film website touting the advantages of filming at the Tars Sands. A fake production company website, a gossip video blog, an angry press release by the Tolkien family, a fake video blog by Peter Jackson himself, director of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and now The Hobbit, and of course a Facebook campaign against Jackson, calling on him to stop filming in the Tar Sands: because it was too flattering to Mordor.

The only thing missing was a sighting of evil Lord Sauron.

This complex social media campaign, which had the blogosphere abuzz speculating as to when, how and why Jackson was shooting the Mordor scenes from The Hobbit in the Alberta Tar Sands, created an opportunity to further highlight the devastation caused by the Tar Sands. The Tar Sands, which NASA scientist and climate expert James Hansen has called Canada's "carbon bomb," is the country's single largest source of climate change enhancing greenhouse gas emissions. And at a time of worsening climate crisis, Canada is expanding operations at the massive industrial site.

The campaign was developed by a troupe of Toronto activists calling themselves Black Flood, along with the Yes Lab. The stated goal of the Canadian activists—"to stir up some hot and bubbly controversy on the Alberta tar sands"—worked like a charm.
Selected press:

• Rabble.ca: One Hoax to Rule Them All

Active dates:

Feb 2011 to Apr 2011

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/rabble-staff/2011/06/one-hoax-rule-them-all-hobbit-movie-tar-sands-hoax-revealed

Environment Canada hit by 'damn clever' climate spoof

Environment Canada hit by 'damn clever' climate stunt

by Jane Tabe, The Globe and Mail, Ottawa, Canada, Monday, December 14, 2009, 10:23 a.m.

(Photo: The Environment Minister arrives in Copenhagen on Friday. Marketwire)

Canada is red-faced at the Copenhagen climate-change conference as a result of a spoof news release

purporting to be from Environment Canada announcing Canada was bringing in bold new emissions reduction targets.

The authentic-looking release, which was announced on a fake Jim Prentice Twitter account, caught many observers off guard and a fake story about it landed on a fake Wall Street Journal website - all an elaborate ruse to embarrass Canada, which is being considered the "dirty-old man" of the conference for its intransigence on negotiating better targets.

“In a major development coming three days before the final round of UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, and responding to the recent concerns expressed by the G77 bloc of countries, Canada’s Attache for Environment and Planning announced today an ambitious plan for a new climate change framework that answers vital concerns voiced by developing nations,” says the fake release. It says that Canada plans to bring in new targets of 40 per cent below 1990 by 2020 - way more ambitious than what the real Mr. Prentice has come to Copenhagen with.

The prank continued with another legitimate-looking statement from Environment Canada attempting to contain the damage: “One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumours and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada’s positions on climate change, and to damage Canada’s standing with the international business community,” it says. It says that the spoof was “unfortunately” reported in major international outlets. It says the targets and all statements in the release are “unequivocally false.”

But that statement, too, proved to be a fake. The elaborate and damaging spoof comes just a week after Greenpeace activists embarrassed the government by climbing the roof of Parliament buildings to protest Canada’s leadership on his issue.

Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was unimpressed. "More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks," he said in an email to The Globe.

The story raised hackles in Copenhagen, with tensions running high between Mr. Soudas, who is travelling with Mr. Prentice, and Steven Guilbeault, a Quebec environmentalist with Équiterre who is as well-known in that province as David Suzuki’s is in the rest of Canada.

Mr. Soudas, who is not sure who wrote the releases, said Mr. Guilbeault was forwarding the fake announcements around and then had camped in front of where the Canadian delegation is located. Mr. Guilbeault denies any involvement in the prank.

The Prime Minister's spokesman added that the Environment Minister is meeting with his provincial colleagues and is also to meet with the U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu later. A real press release, Mr. Soudas said, will be issued from that meeting.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who is also in Copenhagen, says she doesn’t know who is behind the spoof but says it is clearly “an attempt to draw attention to Canada and force Canada to go to the media and say ‘no, we haven’t budged.' ”

She doesn’t believe that any Canadian did it, although she says it was “damn clever.”

Link:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/environment-canada-hit-by-damn-clever-climate-stunt/article1399474/ 

Canada said what? Phishing spoof at Copenhagen Climate Change Summit

Canada said what? Phishing Spoof at Climate Change Summit

  by Solana Larsen,  globalvoicesonline.org, Monday, December 14th, 2009 @ 21:07 UTC

The Canadian government supposedly released an angry statement today, denouncing a spoof that supposedly made it as far as the Wall Street Journal claiming that Canada had shifted its policy and would be agreeing to greenhouse gas reduction targets and drafting a plan for a climate adaptation fund for developing nations.

In fact, it looks like all of it is phishy, including the Wall Street Journal article (note, the URL is europe-wsj.com and the writer seems non-existent). According to Jason Linkins at Huffington Post, the denouncement itself is also a spoof. Confusing things further, it appears there is even a third fake release that has been sent to apologize for the confusion, leaving many people wondering what is real and what is not.

There's still no official confirmation of who is behind the prank, but it closely resembles previous actions by The Yes Men, who've earned global notoriety for publicly humiliating corporations and governments, often by putting out false statements in their name.

A spoof website called www.enviro-canada.ca explains Canada's new supposed policies.

Spoof Canada website

According to the fake denouncement, the Canadian government was especially frustrated that the news of their change of heart had been met so positively by developing nations at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP15) in Copenhagen. They provided a link to a video of an impassioned statement by Margaret Matembe, MP and member of the Climate Committee of Uganda (a non-exitent person) with a fake Canadian official sitting by her side.
Although the website where the video is posted appears very official it has a different URL (cop-15.org) from the actual United Nations website (cop15.dk). Whoever is behind the spoof, is effectively playing on the disbelief that many activists already feel at the failure of world leaders to take definitive action on climate change.

A clever spoof - fake Ugandan delegate makes impassioned statement

Link:  http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/12/14/canada-said-what-phishing-spoof-at-climate-change-summit/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/12/14/canada-said-what-phishing-spoof-at-climate-change-summit/

Three or fours spoofs within spoofs within spoofs going on right now with Canadian Environment Ministry, Wall Street Journal, and perhaps The Yes Men

Three or fours spoofs within spoofs within spoofs going on right now with Canadian Environment Ministry, Wall Street Journal, and perhaps The Yes Men 

Canada Gets Punk'd In Copenhagen: Work Of The Yes Men, Mayhap? [UPDATED]

by Jason Linkins, The Huffington Post, December 14, 2009

EXCERPTED:

Signs point to the Yes Men, whose primary way of pranking-the-world-in-order-to-save-it is to pass themselves off as representatives of an organization and make big splashy announcements about major policy changes. Recently, the Yes Men posed as representatives of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and staged a press conference at which they announced that the Chamber was adopting a more progressive stance on climate change policy. The Yes Men have also previously pulled off remarkably well-built newspaper facsimiles.

Last week, the Yes Men attempted to use projectors to turn the Hopenhagen Globe that sits in the middle of Copenhagen's City Hall Square, into a massive anti-Coca Cola billboard. Their attempt was quickly ferreted out by Danish police.

The Huffington Post's Green Editor, Katherine Goldstein, who is on the ground in Copenhagen, reports that sources close to The Yes Men were acting very coy, "smiling," while saying, "Who said it was the Yes Men?"
We hope to be able to say so soon!

Link to rest of article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/14/canada-gets-punkd-in-cope_n_390992.html

Wall Street Journal falls for hoax, publishes "Canada Announces Major Shift at COP15 Climate Summit"

UPDATE:  December 14, 2009, 18:15 GMT -3


Dear Readers,


Apparently, this "Wall Street Journal" article is a spoof.


And so is the announcement from the Canadian Environment Ministry.


These spoofs may have been perpetrated by The Yes Men, already known for pulling a similar spoof on the Chamber of Commerce.


Will post more when full, unconfused story finally comes out.


Tenney


Canada Announces Major Shift at COP15 Climate Summit

Declares new emissions reduction targets, outlines pilot program on adaptation financing for Africa

by GUSTAV RAINER, Wall Street Journal, online, Europe, December 14, 2009

Canadian delegates to the United Nation Climate Summit in Copenhagen announced a significant shift in the country's climate stance today.

The announcement, in part seemingly prompted by today's walkout of the G77 bloc of nations, represents a major change in tone and substance for the large energy-producing nation. The new plan, dubbed "Agenda 2020," details an aggressive new commitment to curtailing carbon emissions, and lays out the guidelines for a new climate adaptation fund for developing nations.

"This agreement tackles the core drivers of social and ecological vulnerability," said Matthew Delane, Canada's Attaché for Environment and Planning in Copenhagen. "It's nothing less than a new vision of international responsibility."

A momentous announcement is made, and all eyes rest upon Canada (video). COP15

According to at least one source, the multi-tiered climate-change proposal has been quietly in development for several months, and was prompted by domestic and international criticism. Some members of Canada's business community have expressed surprise at many of the details of a plan apparently crafted with little of their input.

"Canadian business is fully committed to a responsible move towards a reduced carbon economy, but the drastic benchmarks announced today seem beyond the pale," said Ross Laver of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. "We are still trying to learn more about the proposal, but it's clearly a major concern for our members. This is not the way to create jobs for Canadians."

The plan as announced will increase Canada’s greenhouse gas reduction targets to 40% of 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% percent by 2050, goals in line with recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This represents a steep jump from Canada's previous public commitment of 20% in emissions reductions by 2020. It is also a significant break with the position of other developed countries.

"This commitment could prove an embarrassing one for negotiators from the G20," said Simone Durand of Chatham House, a London-based think tank. "It's a very substantive departure from the spirit of the Danish text."

Durand was referring to last week's leaked memo thought to be between the US, the UK, and Denmark, proposing a two-tiered per-capita emissions schema for developed and developing countries. The leak caused an uproar among developed nations at the start of the summit, and led to a brief spike in carbon futures trading at the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE).

A delegate from Uganda expresses support for Canada's position

Of possibly even greater significance to the climate negotiations in Copenhagen are provisions for a substantial increase in funding for climate adaptation and mitigation by developing countries. This has been a key point of contention during the talks, with developed countries pledging a sum total of $10 billion and others, notably African and small island nations, saying this is not nearly enough.

With Canada's new “Climate Debt Mechanism,” Canada alone has committed to chipping in $13 billion additional aid funding. The Canadian proposal outlines a target roughly equivalent to 5% of Canada's GDP (or just over $65 billion) annually by 2030, by far the largest commitment on the table at Copenhagen from any developed country.

While even these targets fall short of an ambitious financing demand outlined by the African Group on Friday, they come remarkably close. Voice of America reported on Sunday that the African Union has pledged to "scuttle the deal" if African demands for compensation for the effects of global warming are not met.

The fund will purportedly go towards financing major infrastructure projects for specific communities already facing the results of climate change and threatened with its most dire consequences. The fund will release its initial round of financing in a pilot program with Uganda, where increasingly erratic weather patterns, and the melting of the ice-caps on the Rwenzori mountains along Uganda's western border, have devastated crop yields for many subsistence farmers.

“The big powers have had a very clear agenda of their own here in Copenhagen, and so far this has seemed to be more a meeting of a few rather than a global initiative," said Margaret Matembe, a spokesperson for the Climate Committee of Uganda, the environmental caucus in the Ugandan Parliament. "Canada’s new plan is a
game changer.”

Write to Gustav Rainer at gustav.rainer@europe-wsj.com

Link:  http://online.europe-wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704201404574590453176996032.html

Canadian government deplores Copenhagen spoof releases, false hopes

UPDATE:  December 14, 2009, 18:15 GMT -3


Dear Readers,


Apparently, this announcement from the Canadian Ministry of the Environment is a spoof.


And so is the "Wall Street Journal" article.


These spoofs may have been perpetrated by The Yes Men, already known for pulling a similar spoof on the Chamber of Commerce.


Will post more when full, unconfused story finally comes out.


Tenney

Canadian Government Deplores Spoof Releases, False Hopes

From: Environment Canada <media@ec-gc.ca>

Date: December 14, 2009 9:26:24 AM EST

To: supervaffel-gmail.com <supervaffel@gmail.com>

Subject: Spoof releases from this office

OTTAWA, Ont. -- December 14, 2009 -- One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumors and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada's positions on climate change, and to damage Canada's standing with the international business community.
 
The release, from "press@enviro-canada.ca," alleges Canada's acceptance of unrealistic emissions-reduction targets, as well as a so-called "Climate Debt Mechanism," a bilateral agreement between Canada and Africa to furnish that continent with enormous sums in "reparation" for climate damage and to "offset" adaptation.
 
Unfortunately, the spoof release was reported in major international outlets.
The Office of the Environment Minister and Environment Canada confirm that this release and all statements within it are unequivocally false. Worse, they risk heavily damaging the negotiating process. Canada wishes to fully expose these efforts for the irresponsible deceit they represent, and shall seek the full measure of legal recourse against these criminals under Danish and international law.
 
Today as always, Canada's binding responsibility is to supply the world - including its burgeoning developing portion - with those means of transport, health, and sustenance that prosperous markets require. Stopping short of these dictates would violate the very principles upon which our nations were founded, and endanger our very development.
 
Canada's current energy policy represents an elegant synthesis of the most advanced science, while remaining faithful to Canada's tradition of political pragmatism. Experts note, for example, that the much-decried oil sands of Alberta, contrary to environmentalists' dire assertions, are enabling Canada to meet ambitious emissions goals by providing her, as well as her neighbors, with the energy resources needed to transition to a cleaner energy future.
 
"Without the dynamism of our oil sands industry," says Bruce Carson, a special Adviser to Environment Canada, "we in Canada would not have the energy - moral, financial and literal - to develop the alternative energy future the whole world craves."
 
"Canada's line may not always be popular, but we do feel the scientific and political assumptions we've inherited from the Kyoto Protocol no longer suit present physical or market realities, or a vigorous energy policy into the future," notes Michael Martin, Canada's chief negotiator in Copenhagen. "A 2006 baseline for emissions reduction targets, and a comprehensive re-examination of finance for developing countries in the context of a generous and efficient foreign-aid policy package, will guarantee an efficient, direct path to useful negotiations within our increasingly fast-paced energy market."
 
The Canadian government wishes to note that in addition to misleading the world on Canada's energy stance, today's impostors generated a cascading series of hopes that culminated in the delivery, by the Ugandan delegation, of an impassioned speech in today's COP-15 press briefing.
 
"It is the height of cruelty, hypocrisy, and immorality to infuse with false hopes the spirit of people who are already, and will additionally, bear the brunt of climate change's terrible human effects," said Jim Prentice, Canada's Minister for the Environment. "Canada deplores this moral misfire, while remaining confident in her critical role in the arena of the UNFCCC, and of the world. 

Canada continues to seek dynamic new energy solutions every year, and its energy development research is second to none. As for Canada's role on the international stage, it remains vibrant, strong, and appreciated by our numerous partners."
 
Today's stunt, with its short-sighted, unrealistic policy ideas and brutal disregard for the oppressed, should distract no one from the serious, energetic, and meaningful commitment of Canada to a shared sustainable future on this planet, which will guarantee all nations their due portion in accord with historical norms.
 
The text of this official release can be found here.
 
For more information, contact:
Frédéric Baril, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of the Environment, 819-780-9634; Media Relations, Environment Canada, 888-349-7078, ext 101