Nobel Women's Initiative Report Explores Tar Sands Expansion Plans From The Perspective of Local Women

picture-14220-1371594844.jpg
on

A year ago, six female Nobel laureates set out on a nine-day trek across Alberta and British Columbia to find out how Canadaโ€™s tar sands expansion is uniquely impacting the lives ofย women.

The resulting 44-page report [PDF], โ€œBreaking Ground: Women, Oil and Climate Change in Alberta and British Columbia,โ€ contains stories curated from meetings with more than 200 women in 13 communities directly impacted by the tarย sands.

โ€œWhile people look at the environment and climate change โ€” the health of our planet overall โ€” very few look at it from the perspective of women,โ€ said Jody Williams, the leader of the mission and the 2007 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to ban landmines. โ€œAnd as with many crises the world over, itโ€™s the women and children who suffer the most when their environment isย destroyed.โ€

The report looks at how tar sands expansion is impacting the environment, health and the social fabric of communities and contains some disturbingย anecdotes.ย 

โ€œWomen and their communities feel their concerns are ignored,โ€ the authors wrote, โ€œor worse, they are deemed enemies of the state, facing violence and ostracism for asking difficultย questions.โ€

The expansion of the tar sands industry is happening more quickly than most epidemiological studies can be conducted, but higher rates of cancer have been confirmed in some communities. Still, many in the path of the tar sands have been pushed to sign non-disclosure agreements and the government encourages scientists and doctors to refrain from engaging with theย public.

โ€œOur livelihood, our traditional way of life has been taken away from us,โ€ said Celina Harpe, an Elder of Fort McKay, Alberta. โ€œWe canโ€™t use the river water, we canโ€™t eat the fish, we canโ€™t go huntingย anymore.โ€

With a loss of livelihood comes a loss of options and the report details how many people feel forced into working for the very industry that threatens their way ofย life.

In the report, Crystal Lameman of the Beaver Lake Cree speaks out about the impacts of the tar sands and how her husband quit his industry job in order to uphold his values as an indigenous person. But, she said, after a few months of unemployment, he was forced to return. โ€œHe had to give up who he is as an indigenous person so he can feed his family, while I stand here and tell you how wrong it is,โ€ she told the delegation. โ€œThis is the reality of the oilย sands.โ€

Though there is the option to challenge unjust practices in court, legal fees are often prohibitive. Still, women are finding other routes. Canadians from tar sands communities are traveling abroad to spread their stories. People are independently gathering evidence of environmental, physical, and social harm โ€” and launching movements like Idle No More.

The โ€œBreaking Groundโ€ report ends with such stories of hope for the future. Despite what many women say are industry and government efforts at division, those working to stop tar sands impacts have only become more united.

Watch a video report of the Nobel Women’s Initiative trip to the tar sands:ย 

Photo of Crystal Lameman courtesy of Nobel Womensย Initiative

picture-14220-1371594844.jpg
Caroline is a freelance writer focusing on race, class, gender, and the environment. A 2012 graduate of St. Maryโ€™s College of Maryland, she wrote her senior thesis on the Keystone XL. Caroline has worked for the US Climate Action Network, the Global Campaign for Climate Action, the American Wind Energy Association, and the Energy Action Coalition. Currently, she blogs about her ethical living experiments atย www.zerowastegirl.com.

Related Posts

on

The government has been accused of making a โ€œsecret exchange dealโ€ with fossil fuel firms to compensate for the tax hike.

The government has been accused of making a โ€œsecret exchange dealโ€ with fossil fuel firms to compensate for the tax hike.
Analysis
on

A third of energy communities receiving subsidies from the Spanish government are managed by subsidiaries of oil giant Repsol, DeSmog review of official data finds.

A third of energy communities receiving subsidies from the Spanish government are managed by subsidiaries of oil giant Repsol, DeSmog review of official data finds.
Analysis
on

The 26 percent reduction the Alberta government recently bragged about happened almost entirely between 2012 and 2016.

The 26 percent reduction the Alberta government recently bragged about happened almost entirely between 2012 and 2016.
on

Just as Trump moves to weaken LNG rules, watchdogs are alarmed by the oil giantโ€™s toxic spills, work violations, and a risky expansion.

Just as Trump moves to weaken LNG rules, watchdogs are alarmed by the oil giantโ€™s toxic spills, work violations, and a risky expansion.