Neil Young, James Cameron, Leo DiCaprio and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have at least one thing in common.
Three of the four, of course, are entertainers, who have made their fortunes by artfully capturing the North American zeitgeist through cinema and music. The fourth came to celebrity later in life, for courageous spiritual and political leadership that helped bring about the end of apartheid for the people of South Africa.
What they have in common is a belief that their celebrity equips them to speak out on a potpourri of social justice and environmental causes large and small, such as the much-maligned oil sands development in northern Alberta. Having the perceived moral mandate to speak out, however, should never be confused with having the credentials necessary to be recognized as authorities on the causes they choose.
They are not scientists who build their case on the foundation of evidence; nor are they reporters, who are expected to vet the facts they are given. Instead, each is a powerful communicator who employs their talent and fame to broadcast the messages on behalf of like-minded comrades in the cause.
So, while they intentions can be seen to be noble, the execution of the message can be found wanting. The misstatements range from simple exaggerations to melodrama to complete falsehoods.
Case in point: DiCapprio was quoted this week as saying the oil companies behind the “tar sands” make “trillions of dollars” – a clear exaggeration. One of DiCaprio’s sidekicks, Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky, tweeted “Woodland caribou doomed” – an alarmist overstatement on the state of a species that is indeed endangered but not fated to disappear.
Neil Young was probably the most reckless with his facts when he toured the Fort McMurray area in January as part of his “Honour the Treaties” tour. His greatest burst of hyperbole was comparing the oil sands near Fort McMurray to Hiroshima after the nuclear bomb, a verbal flourish that drew rebukes from families of those who perished in that horrifying event in Japan.
And while Young claimed First Nations people are being stripped of their treaty rights, he ignored the benefits such communities have enjoyed in the area. Here are some interesting numbers from Dave Tuccaro, an entrepreneur and member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Fort Chipewyan, Alta.
In 2012, he estimated that native-owned and controlled corporations count more than $1 billion in annual revenues from the oil sands. Companies run by the Fort McKay, Mikisew Cree and the Athabasca Chipewyan bands bring in more than half a billion a year, he calculated, while Primco Dene Ltd., an oil patch services company owned by the Cold Lake First Nation, employees hundreds of aboriginals.
So, it’s not that the critics are wrong; it’s just that third parties need to see the whole picture.
In spite of all this, value can be found in having celebrities voice concerns over any major resource development and its impacts on communities, health and the environment. Using celebrity to draw attention to important subjects is not a bad thing, so long as an engaged public then does their own due diligence to learn the complete story.
The Foundation continues its ground-breaking work on the all important topic of public support for our four major resource sectors in western Canada. Without that support, no sector can expect to achieve its potential.Research done for the Foundation by Ipsos this year on support for energy, mining, agriculture and forestry found that levels of trust vary and are linked to a number of factors, including confidence in government regulation, community involvement and environmental performance.
How well each of these industries is judged to be performing by these and other measures can be good and fruitful conversations to have, and can help pave the way forward for these industries.
So, it may matter less whether the celebrities have their facts right than that they are driving the conversations. Certainly, they are entitled to their opinions. What is more important is how citizens respond to those assertions. If they are intrigued enough to learn more, then the outcome can be positive.
– By Doug Firby, Director of Communications