--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here in Canada, the people who oppose the…" description: "\"Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most forcefully are Indigenous people living downstream from the tar sands. They are not opposing i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png" --- # Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most… ![“Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most forcefully are Indigenous people living downstream from the tar sands. They are not opposing it because of climate change - they are opposing it because it poisons their bodies.” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png) > “Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most forcefully are Indigenous people living downstream from the tar sands. They are not opposing it because of climate change - they are opposing it because it poisons their bodies.” [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indigenous opposition to tar sands stems from direct health impacts, not abstract climate concerns. **In simple terms:** Indigenous people oppose tar sands due to health harms. Key Takeaway Prioritize local health impacts in environmental policy. Themes environment indigenous rights health industry activism Mood urgent empathetic Type advocacy activist When to use this quote - policy making - community health assessments - activist campaigns - media coverage - legal actions Key Concepts environmental justice public health political economy Questions to Reflect On - How can environmental movements integrate local health concerns? - What policies can protect downstream communities? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on climate may ignore immediate human suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Indigenous people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous-people/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Oppose Tar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppose-tar-1950563/) [Opposing Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposing-climate-1950561/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Oppose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-oppose-949496/) [Sands Opposing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sands-opposing-1950562/) [Tar Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tar-sands-1862055/) ## Related quotes > [The oil corporations spend a lot of money to get, say, the tar sands pipeline through, but nobody's - you know, there are definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-oil-corporations-spend-a-lot-of-money-to-get-say-the-tar-sands/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Tar sands are attractive, but like biofuels, they will never replace Middle East oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatih-birol/tar-sands-are-attractive-but-like-biofuels-they-will-never-replace/) [Fatih Birol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatih-birol/) > [What makes tar sands particularly odious is that the energy you get out in the end, per unit carbon dioxide, is poor. It's equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hansen/what-makes-tar-sands-particularly-odious-is-that-the-energy-you-get/) [James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/) > [Extracting oil from the tar sands is a nasty, polluting, energy-intensive business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/extracting-oil-from-the-tar-sands-is-a-nasty-polluting-energy/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Passionate and forcefully argued, Tar Sands is a wake-up call not just to Canadians but to the wider world to take a serious look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/passionate-and-forcefully-argued-tar-sands-is-a-wake-up-call-not-just/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [There's no question that tar sands in Canada are probably the largest source of oil available to the U.S. over a long period of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/there-s-no-question-that-tar-sands-in-canada-are-probably-the-largest/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [“Whatever you do, you can neither take the whole world against you, nor the whole world with you! Do the worst thing and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whatever-you-do-you-can-neither-take-the-whole-world-against-you-nor/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [As an American I must say I haven't been very encouraged by the way in which the people who run the government in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lewontin/as-an-american-i-must-say-i-haven-t-been-very-encouraged-by-the-way/) [Richard Lewontin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lewontin/) > [There are people who oppose a federal Constitutional amendment because they think that the law of family should be made by the states. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/there-are-people-who-oppose-a-federal-constitutional-amendment/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [People may oppose you, but when they realize you can hurt them, they'll join your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/people-may-oppose-you-but-when-they-realize-you-can-hurt-them-they-ll/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [“...when people oppose your view, you can become a lightning rod, but if I were you, I'd let them stew...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/when-people-oppose-your-view-you-can-become-a-lightning-rod-but-if-i/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [Young people oppose those market-driven values and practices aimed at both creating radically individualized subjects and undermining those public spheres that create bonds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/young-people-oppose-those-market-driven-values-and-practices-aimed-at/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [People are stubborn, and sometimes even if change is good, people will always oppose change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/people-are-stubborn-and-sometimes-even-if-change-is-good-people-will/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [“People will oppose your progress. They will remind you of your past failures, belittle you, etc. The only way to stand against such opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-s-mashego/people-will-oppose-your-progress-they-will-remind-you-of-your-past/) [D.S. Mashego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-s-mashego/) > [Any time you get serious about using your life the way God wants you to use it, there are going to be people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/any-time-you-get-serious-about-using-your-life-the-way-god-wants-you/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) ## More by Naomi Klein > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [As I explored Trump's inextricable relationship with his commercial brand, and its implications for the future of politics, I began to see why so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/as-i-explored-trump-s-inextricable-relationship-with-his-commercial/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Fury is an entirely appropriate response to a system that sends young people to kill other young people in a war that never should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fury-is-an-entirely-appropriate-response-to-a-system-that-sends-young/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Since the 1980s, we've been living in this era, really, of corporate rule, based on this idea that the role of government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/since-the-1980s-we-ve-been-living-in-this-era-really-of-corporate/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [We live in a society that is powered by fossil fuels, but for the meantime, we're in it. Maybe there's, like, five people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-powered-by-fossil-fuels-but-for-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I can tell you Donald Trump's products may not be made in America, but Donald Trump was made in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-can-tell-you-donald-trump-s-products-may-not-be-made-in-america-but/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Africa is poor because its investors and its creditors are unspeakably rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/africa-is-poor-because-its-investors-and-its-creditors-are/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-a-civilizational-wake-up-call-a-powerful-message-spoken-in-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“You have been negotiating all my life.” So said Canadian college student Anjali Appadurai, as she stared down the assembled government negotiators at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life-so-said-canadian-college/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [When I went to Australia, I had this feeling, like, 'Wow, this is really a different country.' I think that feeling of genuine foreignness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/when-i-went-to-australia-i-had-this-feeling-like-wow-this-is-really-a/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I think there has been this really bad habit of environmentalists being insufferably smug, where they are sort of saying, 'This is the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-there-has-been-this-really-bad-habit-of-environmentalists/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) [Explore all 291 Naomi Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most forcefully are Indigenous people living downstream from the tar sands. They are not opposing it because of climate change - they are opposing it because it poisons their bodies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the-tar-sands-most-forcefully/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the-tar-sands-most-forcefully/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/naomi-klein-1072_change_here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the_981364.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Here in Canada, the people who oppose the tar sands most forcefully are Indigenous people living downstream…” — Naomi Klein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Naomi Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Here in Canada, the people who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the-tar-sands-most-forcefully/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/here-in-canada-the-people-who-oppose-the-tar-sands-most-forcefully/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```