Margery Moore’s Tar Sands Journey, March 18th, 2010

I am very fortunate to have a spouse who supports me in my environmental awareness raising activities. Together we have attended countless marches and demonstrations in Washington DC.  He helped me understand the importance of standing up and being counted.

For Mark, the Alberta tar sands is an issue a little outside his purview of pressing issues. But, when I started to talk about it (all the time) he supported me. He also echoed my own nagging voice that said over and over; if you are going to speak credibly about this development, go see it for yourself! Luckily, he is coming with me.

As a Professor in the Business School at George Washington University in Washington DC, also Chair of the Department,  Director of GWU Institute for Sustainability and Director of the GWU Institute for Corporate Responsibility, Environment Sustainability Program (busy guy), this is an issue I feel he just can’t overlook.

So, I asked him, why, why are you going up? Basically, for him it is for personal observation of an emerging prominent energy issue. And realistically, he expects to see examples of environmental damage as a result of fossil fuel development.

In his work he strives to raise awareness of environmental, economic and social issues related to development and is interested in understanding whether or not there are alternative energy decisions that can be made. Being forward looking, as the educator he is, he is also interested in what is being done, what best practices might be leveraged and shared to make the damage less devastating to the environment and the people living there.  So balanced, open-minded! I can learn from this guy!

He is also interested in the big question – is this development environmentally and financially a sound one? Or, should we be spending all of this time/money/energy on reducing our need for fossil fuels in the first place and looking for alternatives that are less harmful. That is kind of where my mind has been these days.

Maybe as an educator, one trained for a balanced view, he will find some hopeful spots that I can not see right now.

So, off we go together to the tar sands in about 10 days. Together we make this journey of awareness, but separately we will share our experience in ways that fit our own individual lives, careers and networks.  Regardless, the circle of awareness will grow because we are both willing to take the time and witness this enigma for ourselves.