Canada’s Oil Sands: Energy Security, or Energy Disaster?

Cassie Doyle, Consul General, Canada; Former Canadian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources
Jason Mark, Earth Island Institute 
Carl Pope, Chairman, The Sierra Club 
Alex Pourbaix, President of Energy and Oil Pipelines, TransCanada 

Public debate about an oil pipeline from Canada to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast, one of the country’s most controversial energy projects, is coming to a head as the U.S. government nears a final decision on the $7 billion project. Nearly half a million citizens and dozens of members of Congress have weighed in on the conduit, which traverses six states and has become a heated proxy battle for the direction of U.S. energy policy. Supporters say the Keystone XL pipeline would provide transportation fuel from a friendly neighbor and displace petroleum supplies from hostile foreign regimes. Opponents say tapping the Canadian oil sands (also known as tar sands) would trigger a climate catastrophe and would lock the United States for decades into burning some of the dirtiest fuel on Earth. What is at stake here? What are the alternatives? Would any of the Canadian gasoline find its way into California cars? The U.S. State Department is expected to issue a final environmental report in late August and then the project will be open to public comment. Join us for a conversation about powering America’s economy and finding a cleaner way forward.

Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)