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
India’s ONGC may bid for $5B Conoco tar sands assets
India’s ONGC may bid for $5B Conoco oil sands assets
By Charlie Zhu, Reuters Jun 5, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR — Oil and Natural Gas Corp , India’s biggest state-owned energy explorer, is considering bidding for part of ConocoPhillips Canadian oil sands holdings worth around $5-billion, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Tuesday.
B.C. First Nations dispute Enbridge pipeline claims
B.C. First Nations dispute Enbridge pipeline claims – British Columbia – CBC News
Posted on June 6, 2012 by admin
A group representing several B.C. First Nations says Enbridge is wrong to claim 60 per cent of aboriginal communities along the proposed route of the Northern Gateway pipeline have signed on to the project.
Coastal First Nations executive director Art Sterritt says he has checked with every aboriginal group along the route from Alberta to Kitimat and only found two that have signed equity agreements with Enbridge.
Fort McMurray: Economic centre of Canada?
Fort McMurray: Economic centre of Canada?
Claudia Cattaneo Jun 5, 2012
Financial Post
Fort McMurray, economic centre of Canada? Torontonians and the rest of the country had better get used to the idea. The Canadian economy will increasingly spin around the northern Alberta oil town if an industry forecast that shows Canada’s daily volumes will more than double to 6.2 million barrels a day by 2030, largely from the oil sands, proves right.
Canada to be among top three oil producers by 2030
Canada to be among top three oil producers by 2030
By Yadullah Hussain, Financial Post
June 5, 2012
Canada could emerge as the top three or four oil producer in the world by 2030 thanks to rising oil sands supply, according to an industry forecast which focuses more on the possibilities that lay before the Canadian oil industry rather than its substantial challenges.
[Tar sands] Oil producers urged to solve pipeline constraints
Alternative title: "This is why we fight tar sands pipelines."
Oil producers urged to solve pipeline constraints
SHAWN McCARTHY
Ottawa — The Globe and Mail
Jun. 05 2012
Canadian oil producers are facing a pipeline crunch that could limit the industry’s vast development plans as early as 2015, but face a long and increasingly bitter battle to expand their capacity to ship crude to market.
An Oil Industry Witch Hunt in Canada Threatens Us All
An Oil Industry Witch Hunt in Canada Threatens Us All
Posted: 06/01/2012
Huff Post
Big Oil and the Canadian government are showing their true colors these days, and what an ugly spectacle it is. Not content to squeeze tar sands oil profits from Canada's boreal forest, the industry and the Harper regime are working overtime to squelch free speech in this once-vibrant democracy.
Cenovus plans new technology at tar sands project
Cenovus plans new technology at oil sands project
Wed May 30, 2012
Reuters
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE.TO: Quote) said on Wednesday it won regulatory approval for its third major steam-driven oil sands project, a joint-venture development in which it will test new production technology aimed at getting more tar-like oil out of the ground.
Awed by "oil sands", Mulcair calls for more environmental oversight
Awed by oil sands, Mulcair calls for more environmental oversight
JOSH WINGROVE
EDMONTON — The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, May. 31 2012
Precisely one thing surprised Thomas Mulcair on his visit to Alberta: the scale of the oil sands.
During his first visit, including a helicopter flight over several oil sands mines, to a region he has criticized, Mr. Mulcair was overwhelmed by the “awe-inspiring” display.
He stopped short, however, of calling the mines dirty.
Jordan finalises deal for first oil shale plant
Jordan finalises deal for first oil shale plant
by Taylor Luck | Jun 02,2012 |
Jordan Times
AMMAN — Jordan has reached an agreement for the country’s first oil shale-fired power plant in what energy officials are calling a “milestone” in the country’s drive for energy independence.
Authorities announced on Saturday that Jordan has reached an agreement with Estonian-Malaysian consortium Enefit to construct a 460-megawatt (MW) oil shale power plant within the next four years, in what is to be the first electricity station utilising the alternative energy resource in the entire region.
Gas rebranded as green energy by EU
Note: This basically outlays the death of any EU plans to deal with climate, even if they were hopelessly weak to begin with, but more importantly it lays bear the death of allowing campaigns to decide "strategically" to focus on certain areas to the death of others. Many environmentalists have allowed and basically brought this to fruition because there has been little to no energy put behind fighting fracking north of the 49th parallel. Sad but true.
--M
Gas rebranded as green energy by EU
