Calling for more use of renewable energy sources, hundreds of protestors concerned about global warming demonstrated yesterday at the start of the five-day World Petroleum Congress meeting in Calgary, Canada. The congress, which includes more than 2,500 delegates from 87 countries, is the latest target of anti-globalization groups that have protested against the World Trade Organization and World Bank in the last year. Demonstrators, some dressed as dinosaurs to draw attention to the continued use of outdated fossil fuels, were fenced out of the six-block area surrounding the convention site, and police in riot gear were on hand with pepper spray and stun guns to make sure they stayed out. If Canada seems an unlikely place to host a petroleum conference, consider this: The country is now the No. 1 energy supplier to the U.S., thanks to soaring oil and gas exports. Massive gas development projects in the Canadian Arctic could be launched by 2010 despite environmental opposition.
