Email Activism

A couple of weeks ago, on a road trip to Canada, I became aware of an email campaign designed to boycott a major Canadian gas company, Petro Canada, beginning June 1st. The move was in response to recently soaring gas prices.

General boycott attempts had been made here in the U.S., but none to my knowledge against a specific company.

I was returning from a trip to eastern Ontario with my father when we decided to stop for lunch and to fill up the car. The gas station next to the restaurant was Petro-Canada.

"How much gas do you have left?" Dad asked.

"About 30 miles worth." I replied.

"Would you mind finding another station? We're boycotting Petro Canada because of the gas prices."

Earlier in the week, he had received a viral email suggesting that everyone boycott Petro Canada, in an effort to drive gas prices down. And so it was that we found another station. Upon arriving back in his hometown, I happened to notice a full page ad in the newspaper, offering $10 off Petro Canada gas, with any $50 purchase at a local drug store chain.

To my knowledge, that has NEVER happened before.

You have to love the power of email activism.