RBC Tar Sands Commercial

Rainforest Action Network added a voiceover to Royal Bank of Canada's new "Flame Trail" Olympics commercial. This narrative discusses RBC's lead financing of the dirtiest oil project on Earth- the Alberta tar sands.

Since 2007, Royal Bank of Canada has backed more than $16.9 billion (USD) in loans to companies operating in the Alberta tar sands—more than any other bank.

Expansion of the tar sands is trampling the rights of Indigenous peoples, destroying globally significant ecosystems and exponentially increasing Canada's carbon emissions.

• Learn more at: http://www.ran.org/tarsands

• Tell RBC to halt financing of the tar sands: http://ga3.org/campaign/RBC_Letter_Gordon_Nixon?rk=F7vnT9MaRJwiE

• See the original RBC ad:
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/rbc_olympic_torch_relay_sponsorship_flame_t.....

• This transformative remix work constitutes a fair-use of any copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US copyright law.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• RBC
• tar
• sands
• oil
• royal
• bank
• of
• canada
• spoof
• parody
• remix
• mashup
• voiceover
• commercial
• tv
• ad
• fairuse
• fire
• flame
• olympics
• environmental
• destruction
• global
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• oilsands
• tarsands
• ran
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• divest
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• climate
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• humor
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• 2010
• advertisement

[batrider]

This video is dumb. a) if it wasn't RBC it could have just as easily been any bank. RBC's duty is to the shareholders AND the clients i.e. Canadian resource companies. So blame them, not the intermediary. b) the tar sands marginally affect the surrounding ecosystem and by and large Canadian wilderness (parks, etc.) are quite safe and among the most majestic in the world.

[RANVideo]

@batrider - Actually the fact is that the damage to the environment and the surrounding communities are catastrophic!

[pitchwest]

LOL!! Funny! Raddest thing I've tubed today!

[LiveWithSubstance]

Righteous! RBC set that up quite eloquently. Way to go RAN.

[batrider]

@DaMaLoJo That has nothing to do with RBC.

[DaMaLoJo]

@batrider The external costs of the tar sands are astronomical. There are so many better alternatives that don't come along with these hidden costs! :)

"A new report from the National Research Council...estimates "hidden" costs of energy production and use...that are not reflected in the market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources... The damages...were an estimated $120 billion in the U.S. in 2005."

I took that from the National Academy of Sciences website.

[batrider]

@RANVideo No, actually the fact is the damage ISN'T catastrophic. Not by a longshot.

[batrider]

@DaMaLoJo Actually all Canadian banks, including RBC promote clean energy and green fuel. And financially speaking, no, stopping tar sand projects do NOT help anyone.

[DaMaLoJo]

RBC's duty extends beyond to the people who are affected by the choices that are made with the money that they put into the companies' projects. Promoting alternatives (like clean energy and energy efficiency) and stopping the tar sands benefits shareholders and clients alike in so many ways, including financially.

The tar sands cover an area the size of the state of Florida. Not to mention the effects that can't be contained, like air pollution, which are global and not at all marginal.

[linzzyy]

is this commercial suggesting that RBC is the sole company behind the tar sands oil operation?

[krustynails]

00:8 i know those dogs! There names are Venon and Strider! the one with brown is strider!! HAHAHAH!!!