Tar Sands 101
The Tar Sands "Gigaproject" is the largest industrial project in human history and likely also the most destructive. The tar sands mining procedure releases at least three times the CO2 emissions as regular oil production and is slated to become the single largest industrial contributor in North America to Climate Change.
The tar sands are already slated to be the cause of up to the second fastest rate of deforestation on the planet behind the Amazon Rainforest Basin. Currently approved projects will see 3 million barrels of tar sands mock crude produced daily by 2018; for each barrel of oil up to as high as five barrels of water are used.
Human health in many communities has seriously taken a turn for the worse with many causes alleged to be from tar sands production. Tar sands production has led to many serious social issues throughout Alberta, from housing crises to the vast expansion of temporary foreign worker programs that racialize and exploit so-called non-citizens. Infrastructure from pipelines to refineries to super tanker oil traffic on the seas crosses the continent in all directions to allthree major oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.
The mock oil produced primarily is consumed in the United States and helps to subsidize continued wars of aggression against other oil producing nations such as Iraq, Venezuela and Iran.
To understand the tar sands in more depth, continue to our Tar Sands 101 reading list
Iran row fuels hunt for new oil sources
Iran row fuels hunt for new oil sources
Indrani Bagchi, TNN | May 13, 2012
NEW DELHI: An unstable Persian Gulf and West Asia, coupled with the US pressure on India to cut oil imports from Iran, is driving New Delhi to make diversification a major plank of its energy policy. Now, India is looking at Canada, Nigeria, Venezuela and even Brazil as new sources of oil and gas.
Global Warming: An Exclusive Look at James Hansen’s Scary New Math
Global Warming: An Exclusive Look at James Hansen’s Scary New Math
A new analysis by the NASA climatologist for the first time ties specific weather events to human-induced climate change
By Paul Tullis | May 10, 2012
How can NASA physicist and climatologist James E. Hansen, writing in the New York Times today, “say with high confidence” that recent heat waves in Texas and Russia “were not natural events” but actually “caused by human-induced climate change”?
First Nations to Enbridge: 'The war is on'
First Nations to Enbridge: 'The war is on'
The Canadian Press
Date: Wed. May. 9 2012
TORONTO — Scores of West Coast First Nations and supporters ended a colourful and noisy protest against a proposed Enbridge oil pipeline Wednesday with a declaration of war from one of their chiefs.
The Yinka-Dene Alliance argues the Northern Gateway project poses a threat to aboriginals' way of life by threatening waterways and ecosystems but Enbridge insists the project will proceed.
"The war is on," said Nadleh Whut'en Chief Martin Louie after the shareholder meeting.
First barrels of Jordanian oil shale expected this year
First barrels of Jordanian oil shale expected this year
by Taylor Luck | May 08,2012 |
DEAD SEA — An Estonian-Jordanian firm is set to pump the first ever commercially viable barrels of Jordanian oil shale this year.
Jordan Oil Shale Energy (JOSE) revealed on Tuesday that the firm was scheduled to bring the first commercially-viable Jordanian oil share to the surface in the central region of Attarat this September.
Majority of tar sands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis
Majority of oil sands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis
By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News May 10, 2012
OTTAWA — More than two-thirds of all oil sands production in Canada is owned by foreign entities, sending a majority of the industry’s profits out of the country, says a new analysis released Thursday by a British Columbia-based conservation group.
Tough Questions for Enbridge on Its Alleged Support from First Nations
Tough Questions for Enbridge on Its Alleged Support from First Nations
by Damien Gillis l The Canadian.org
It seems like every time BC First Nations draw major press coverage on their opposition to Enbridge, the company comes up with increasingly wild claims about how much support they have from First Nations.
*Can T&T Survive Extreme Extraction?*
*Can T&T Survive Extreme Extraction?*
April 22nd, 2012
In late March 2012, I was introduced to Mr. Macdonald Stainsby.
I had been looking forward to meeting Mr. Stainsby after having been informed of his intent to visit Trinidad by Miss. Monique Walker of Green TNT.
Mr. Stainsby is from Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, but for the past 5 years or so, he has been living in Alberta, home of the third largest oil reserve in the world, behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
'Mining tar sand will destroy Govt' [Trinidad]
'Mining tar sand will destroy Govt'
By Kim Boodram
Apr 22, 2012
ENVIRONMENTAL activist Wayne Kublalsingh said yesterday any decision by Government to mine tar sand in southwest Trinidad could mean the end of their time in office.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, on her return from the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Colombia last week, said her Government was looking into the exploitation of tar sand deposits in South Trinidad and she had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper about lending his country's expertise.
Environmentalists sound warning: Tar sand extraction a danger to T&T
Environmentalists sound warning: Tar sand extraction a danger to T&T
Saturday, April 28, 2012
SHASTRI BOODAN
The Guardian (T&T)
Serious environmental issues which may affect southwest Trinidad are on the front burner once again. Environmentalists are now concerned about the Government’s plans to extract oil from tar sands in the La Brea area.
For T&T tar sands, talks before threats
For T&T oil sands, talks before threats
Trinidad Express Editorial
Apr 23, 2012
As an international caucus [sic] of environmentalists zeroed in on Trinidad and Tobago's oil sands prospects, activist Wayne Kublalsingh, leader in an aggressive campaign to reroute part of the Point Fortin highway, unmistakably threw down another gauntlet. He actually warned on Sunday that "if the Government were to proceed (with oil sands) they will fall."
