Since 2005, the U.S.-based Oak Foundation has made at least eight grants for $3 million for projects that are clearly intended to tackle the Canadian oil industry and/or stop the development of the Northern Gateway project. Four of these grants went to Tides Canada, two went to Greenpeace, one went to Forest Ethics and one went to West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation.
1) In 2010, Oak paid $US 97,131 to West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation "to constrain development of Alberta's tar sands by establishing a legislative ban on crude oil tankers on British Columbia's north coast." Oak specified, "Such a ban would necessitate the cancelation of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline" and Oak states, "The desired result would be a permanent legislative tanker ban and cancellation of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline." Oak also specified how WCELRF would bring this about. Oak states, "WCEL will intensify its government education and outreach activities to establish the conditions under which (a) opposition parties holding a Parliamentary majority work together to enact a legislative tanker ban under a minority government and/or (b) opposition parties promise a legislative tanker ban so committing themselves to act following an election that produces a majority government; and (c) First Nations declare their own bans on transportation of tar sands crude oil by pipeline or tanker through their territories and waters, adding pressure on federal parties to act."
2) In 2010, Oak paid $US 299,879 to Forest Ethics for a project titled, "Tar Sands Campaign." The stated purpose of this project is "To minimise Tar Sands impacts by 1) creating a perception of economic risk, whereby Tar Sands imports become less attractive to US corporations and, the Canadian government questions its unbridled support for expanded and unregulated development; 2) placing a hard cap on Tar Sands emissions to slow expansion and clean up operations; and 3) addressing the environmental impacts of Tar Sands to limit toxic pollution of water and air and respect Aboriginal Treaty Rights. ForestEthics will work with at least 10 Fortune 500 companies to publicly disavow Tar Sands fuel and to purchase fuel from less polluting sources; work with at least one of these companies to exert influence within the US Government to support regulations that will disadvantage Tar Sands fuel; and stop Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline which would carry Tar Sands oil from Alberta through BC's pristine wilderness to an oil tanker port on the coast for shipment to Asia."
3) In 2007, Oak paid $US 436,675 to Greenpeace Canada for a project titled, "Phase Out Tar Sands Campaign." The stated purpose of the project was "To initiate three distinct but interrelated efforts concerning tar sands in Alberta: (1) enhancing the ability of Greenpeace Canada to more effectively launch and deliver its "Phase Out Tar Sands Campaign"; (2) leveraging the growing interest of ranchers/landowners in limiting unbridled oil and gas exploration and production in southern Alberta; and (3) conducting specialised opinion research and media work to identify messaging for these and other efforts that will generate maximum impact among Albertans."
4) In 2010, Oak paid $US 424,373 to Greenpeace Canada for a project titled, "Stop the Tar Sands Campaign,"Oak stipulated that with its funds, Greenpeace Canada "will employ its unique strengths as a direct advocacy organisation to create controversy around the tar sands both within and outside of Canada." Oak states that the result of this project will be "the withdrawal of two institutional investors from the tar sands by 2012; the disengagement of Norway's Statoil and Britian's BP from the tar sands project;the end of tar sands subsidies from the Government of France. Oak stipulated that this project will "create enough financial, regulatory, and political uncertainty that prominent financial analysts will publicly state their concern about investments in the tar sands; to generate enough information and attention that the media, opinion leaders, and Members of Parliament will express concerns publically about the lack of government regulation of the tar sands industry."
The Oak Foundation also made four grants to Tides Canada. For those, click here.