TORONTO - Environmental group ForestEthics has placed "In Search Of" personal ads in dozens of North America's largest newspapers in an effort to highlight growing concern surrounding Canada's tar sands ahead of President Obama's first trip to the country next Thursday.

The ad buy, which includes purchases on both sides of the border, reads: "Patriotic, busy, Chicago-Hawaiian man, must like basketball and know how to do the fist bump. I saw you on TV. You said 'Yes we can' and talked about a clean energy future. Meet me in Canada and we'll sweep aside the world's dirtiest oil, the Tar Sands, and make sweet climate change solutions together."

"Canada is desperately seeking climate leadership," said Merran Smith, Director of Climate with ForestEthics. "President Obama has already shown that he's serious about building a clean energy future while the Canadian government is still missing in action."

The ads come a week before Obama's first presidential trip to Canada, where he is widely expected to discuss climate and energy issues with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper, a strong proponent of expanded Tar Sands development, has proposed a North American Climate Pact and is likely to seek special treatment for the tar sands, Canada's fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

"This tongue and cheek approach doesn't diminish the seriousness of the issue," said Gillian McEachern, Senior Energy Campaigner with ForestEthics. "Dirty tar sands oil truly is a 'fossil' fuel that has no place in North America's green energy future. We're urging both governments to move quickly towards a green economy and not give shelter to the tar sands."

The ads cap a week of increasing pressure from environmental groups on both sides of the border who are seeking to raise awareness of the tar sands in the lead up to President Obama's visit to Canada.