Will James Cameron Accept Invite to Tar Sands?
by C. L. Cook
 Perhaps it was a fit of pique that prompted Alberta premier Ed Stelmach's challenge to famed Canadian film director, James Cameron to come see the Tar Sands he's been so publicly critical of.
Now, the director is mulling over the invite.
"He actually suggested that he should be coming up there himself. He’s a Canadian, he knows the Tar Sands are an international issue. . . . He’s just generally interested."
Poitras makes the comment after a meeting with Cameron at the United Nations permanent forum on indigenous issues over the weekend. Cameron, whose film, Avatar contains obvious parallels to both ecological and indigenous issues sat on a panel with the former chief.
In a question and answer session, Cameron called the Tar Sands a "black-eye" for Canada, suggesting the country should concentrate on developing alternative energy.
Stelmach's invite followed the high profile criticism.
Stelmach suggested Cameron come up to Fort McMurray, ground zero of the
Tar Sands boom, and see the toxic waste tailing ponds; suggesting he
come as soon as possible, saying the government would e-mail, tweet,
and write to Cameron extending the invitation.
"That's the problem sometimes with just doing a fly-over because the
oilsands aren't pretty to look at," he said. "What we would like to do
with Mr. Cameron is to sit down with him, with our scientists, with our
experts to talk about the research the government is putting in to
reducing tailings ponds," Cooper said.
|
