A Canadian oil company has come under fire after a sexually explicit cartoon of what appears to be teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg emerged which bore the company's name.
The image, which has been shared on social media, shows a naked female from the back being pulled by her braided pigtails with the name "Greta" written across her lower back, an apparent reference to the 17-year-old.
Underneath the drawing is the logo of Alberta oilfield company X-Site Energy Services.
Michelle Narang of Rocky Mountain House said a friend who works in the oil and gas industry told her that an X-Site employee was seen handing out a sticker featuring the image.
"The visual is jarring," Narang told The Globe and Mail. "It hurt. It hurt on so many levels."
Doug Sparrow, General Manager of X-Site, claims he has been bombarded with calls, emails and social media messages about the image but denies the company has anything to do with it.
"It's not from X-Site or any employee, someone has done this. That's all I know," Sparrow told 660 News.
Local politicians have also hit out at the sexual image of the teenager.
"The graphic in this article is completely deplorable, unacceptable and degrading," tweeted Alberta's minister for the status of women, Leela Aheer. "This is not what our province stands for. Whoever is responsible should be ashamed and apologize immediately. I stand with Albertans against this horrendous image."
In a reply, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney wrote: "Thank-you for denouncing this odious image and the message it sends."
Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage added: "This graphic is completely unacceptable. It certainly does not represent Alberta's energy industry."
Red Deer-based design company Velocity Graphics, who have made custom decals for X-Site in the past, also distanced themselves away from the image.
"To clarify speculation we did NOT print or have any involvement in the Greta decals. In order to protect our reputation we ask that people carefully choose what they say," the company wrote on Facebook.
Narang said the emergence of the image is disappointing as oil companies are already battling for their reputation.
"In Alberta, especially, we are fighting so hard for an industry that means so much to us and to have that sort of sabotage from within—you can't do that," she said.
Narang added she is appreciative of all the industry workers who are speaking out against the cartoon. "People have this picture of an oil-and-gas worker and what they think the industry is and what they think the industry represents—and this is not it."
X-Site Energy Services has been contacted for further comment.
