|
|
|||||||||
| HOME | | | NEWS & REVIEWS | | | AWARDS | | | BUY THE BOOK | |||
|
October 6, 2001 Author compares oil industry to terrorists Timothy Findley talk 'incredibly insensitive to victims of Sept. 11' Chris Wattie National Post, with files from the Calgary Herald Oil and gas executives are furious today after Canadian novelist Timothy Findley compared oilfield companies to the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Mr. Findley, the University of Calgary's writer in residence, told a crowd of academics and business executives Thursday that there are "other kinds of terrorists in this new reality besides those who hijack planes and fly them into buildings." Mr. Findley said the industry is doing little to reduce greenhouse emissions as companies "rush headlong and heedless of danger into the exploitation of global gas and petroleum reserves. "What's going to happen in the future if we allow corporate profits to prevail above all other concerns?" he said, as much of the crowd of about 450 looked on in stunned silence. "Talk about suicide bombers and all the innocent others who die along with them. Think about that [corporate profits] and consider the future of our children, our country and our civilization." The mood of the audience was described by David MacInnis, spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers: "People are angry: I mean, it was just appalling. Everyone's just shocked that he could make such an analogy. ... It's incredibly insensitive to the victims of Sept. 11 and incredibly unfair to the oil and gas industry. We're not environmental terrorists." Mr. Findley could not be reached for comment last night. He made his remarks at the university's writers in residence lunch, criticizing the oil industry for doing little to reduce greenhouse emissions. The speech was front-page news in Calgary, whose economy is dominated by oil and natural gas. "It's one thing to be provocative," Mr. MacInnis said. "But this is totally over the top." "They [industry executives] have heard some pretty ridiculous things said about them in the past, but this was just the worst: It was unbelievable." Allan Markin, the chairman of Canadian Natural Resources and a prominent donor to the university's writing and arts program, was contacted after the speech and began an angry response, then stopped. "No comment," Mr. Markin said. "I wouldn't want to add any credibility to it." Mr. MacInnis said there is a serious debate over the question of oil and gas exploration and the environment, but comments such as Mr. Findley's do nothing to further the issue. "The general feeling seems to be that we're not going to even dignify his remarks with a response," he said. "We're just not going to waste the energy." The Bob Edwards luncheon at which Mr. Findley spoke honours Canadian writers in the memory of its outspoken and iconoclastic namesake, who was editor of an early Calgary publication. Bob White, an organizer of the lunch, said he was not shocked by Mr. Findley's comments. "The tradition of the ... luncheon is we actually tell our guests to feel free to be provocative," he said. "We look forward to it not being your namby-pamby rubber chicken kind of speech." Mr. Findley is the distinguished visiting writer in the program until his term ends next week. He has won awards and is renown for his 10 novels, including The Last of the Crazy People, The Butterfly Plague, The Wars and Famous Last Words. His latest novel is called Spadework. Copyright © 2001 National Post Online National Post Online is a Hollinger / CanWest Publication |