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Tar sands rejected by organic food empire

Fortune 500 companies will wean themselves off Alberta’s oil

Canada, welcome two more corporate big shots to the growing anti-Alberta oil sands camp: Whole Foods Market Inc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond Inc. Both Fortune 500 companies just announced plans to phase out sources of oil that create “higher-than-normal greenhouse gas footprints” – like the kind that comes from Alberta. Surely, they won’t be laughing out in Fort McMurray, Alberta: the oil sands industry hub. But over in Vancouver, Andrew Franks, a spokesman for ForestEthics, is feeling encouraged: “This is the first clear demonstration that companies are concerned about the brand damage of the Alberta Tar Sands,” he explains. “These are the first companies to send this market signal but they won’t be the last.” Whole Foods Inc. says it reserves the right to change its mind—should Alberta find some way to reduce the carbon footprint of its oil.

Toronto Star

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