Environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s upcoming visit to Alberta has a central Alberta pro-energy group gearing up for its own rally as close as it can get to the Swedish teen.
“We’re going to continue to fight for Canadian energy until we get pipelines in the ground.
“And we’re going to rally against any climate activist who comes out and pretends they know more about our environment than we do in Alberta, about our oil and gas industry,” said Glen Carritt, who organized the United We Roll! Convoy for Canada! that travelled to Parliament Hill in February.
A date for Thunberg’s visit and itinerary have not been released.
Thunberg captured the world’s attention in September, when she scolded world leaders at the United Nation’s climate change summit for not doing enough to address climate change.
The 16-year-old went on to march in Montreal with a crowd reported to be half a million strong.
She also met Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and told him Canada has not done enough to fight climate change.
She has continued to lead rallies in the U.S., most recently, a student strike in Colorado.
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Carritt said Alberta is an environmental leader, and for Thunberg to come and spread her message in the province, is pretty hypocritical.
“If (Thunberg) is coming to educate herself, that’s a good thing. Except it’s a little late. She should have done that in the first place instead of coming to Canada and crying the climate change blues in our country.”
He said it’s other countries that need to improve their environmental record.
United We Roll has been on tour in Alberta and Canada this year to talk about the benefits and positive aspects of the Canadian energy industry.
A United We Roll rally to encourage people to get out and vote in the federal election was planned for Friday at the provincial government’s McDougall Centre in Calgary.
Carritt said the request to use McDougall Centre was denied by the premier’s office, and it was too late to find a different location.
The new plan is to take a convoy to wherever Thunberg shows up in Alberta to push back against her message, those financing her tour, and political parties that are “trying to create this climate emergency hoax.”
“The biggest problem is they’re trying to reach kids who really haven’t seen the whole picture, as far as I’m concerned.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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