Energy PR Wars: Greenpeace sees ‘dirty tricks’ in PR firm’s TransCanada plan

Globe and Mail ^ | 11/20/2014 | SHAWN MCCARTHY

[SeekAndFind]

TransCanada Corp. is dramatically expanding its effort to win public support for its proposed $12-billion Energy East project, including an effort to target opposition groups that are gearing up to fight the project in central and eastern Canada.

Documents obtained by Greenpeace and released late Monday show the embattled pipeline company has hired the world’s largest public relations firm, Edelman, which has a reputation for aggressive tactics in the United States and proposed a similar approach in Canada in a strategic plan completed in August.

TransCanada spokesman James Millar said Monday the company learned valuable lessons in its battle over the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S., and is eager to enlist supporters and blunt the impact of opponents as the Energy East debate heats up. But he said it opted against pursuing some of Edelman’s more controversial proposals, such as quietly providing support to nominally independent pro-pipeline citizens’ groups.

Greenpeace campaigner Keith Stewart said the Edelman hiring shows a growing desperation on the part of the oil and pipeline industries.

“They’re bringing a much more aggressive, U.S.-style politics here,” Mr. Stewart said. “They’re employing pressure tactics that I would characterize as dirty tricks.”

TransCanada last month filed for regulatory approval of its project that would ship 1.1-million barrels per day of western crude to eastern refineries and export terminals. It plans to convert portions of its mainline natural gas system to carry crude as far as eastern Ontario, adding new pipe to carry the oil through Quebec and New Brunswick.

Environmental groups are gearing up to fight the project in eastern Canada, notably in Quebec where the National Assembly has already passed a motion demanding the province do its own environmental review, including on climate change impacts.

[Steely Tom]

Ecologist Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, warned “I fear a global cooling,” during his keynote address to the Ninth International Conference on Climate Change in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Moore, who left Greenpeace in 1986 because he felt it had become too radical, is the author of “Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist.”

[CharlesOConnell]

Definitions of Dirty Tricks all depend on your slant, you know, what everyone has?

I predicted George Soros’ backing of Occupy Wall St. days before it came out in the “news”.

[Don W]

So, Mr. Stewart, you think it’s perfectly fine for you and your group to use “US-Style” pressure and “dirty tricks”, but when those NOT of your bent decide to fight using the same tactics as you, all of a sudden “It’s Not Fair!”

Tough noogies, watermelon. Suck it up, Buttercup. Your ilk started this fight, but by gosh, WE will finish it.