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
*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."
Stephen Harper's Farcical, Cowardly and Insulting Hearings
Stephen Harper's Farcical, Cowardly and Insulting Hearings
Dirty Oil Comes to Bella Bella
by INGMAR LEE
April 3, 2012
Vancouver Island.
I was demonstrating along the Bella Bella airport road with my family when Canada’s “National Energy Board Joint Revue Panel” entourage arrived in the Heiltsuk First Nation’s village yesterday. Bella Bella is situated on BC’s primaeval and pristine Central Coast, at the heart of the ‘Great Bear Rainforest.’
Protesters staged a noisy rally, opposing oil pipelines, in Vancouver.
Protesters staged a noisy rally, opposing oil pipelines, in Vancouver today.
CKNW News Talk 980 (Vancouver)
Charmaine de Silva |
3/26/2012
Whether its Enbridge's Gateway pipeline or the Keystone XL, around 1000 people opposing the expansion of oil pipelines took part in a noon-hour rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
"We need to stop oil tanker expansion on British Columbia's beautiful coast." that is an example of what at least one speaker had to say to the crowd.
Eesti Energia considers Serbia's oil shale project
Eesti Energia considers Serbia's oil shale project
Juhan Tere, BC, Tallinn, 21.03.2012.
Estonian energy operator Eesti Energia, the biggest Baltic utility, may take part in Serbia's planned oil-shale project, Blic news site's report was quoted by Bloomberg, citing a company director.
Serbia has announced plans to tap an estimated two billion tons of shale reserves in the country's south and Eesti Energia is interested in providing the technology, according to the report quoting Priit Raid, a director for business development at Enefit Technology.
Rifle City Council weighs changes to BLM oil shale plan
Rifle City Council weighs changes to BLM oil shale plan
Rifle government appears to favor leasing fewer acres in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming
Nelson Harvey
Special to the Citizen Telegram
Rifle, Colorado CO
The Rifle City Council appears ready to endorse a revised plan for oil shale and tar sands development on public lands that would open far fewer acres for leasing than the current plan, adopted in 2008 by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
"Israel Capable of Producing 250 Billion Barrels of Oil"
Israel Capable of Producing 250 Billion Barrels of Oil
"Our company has mapped over 250 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Israel," says Dr. Harold Vinegar of Israel Energy Initiative Ltd.
By Ben Bresky
First Publish: 3/20/2012
Dr. Harold Vinegar of Israel Energy Initiative Ltd. in Jerusalem is optimistic about Israel's potential in the oil industry. He spoke to Israel National Radio's Goldstein on Gelt show with Douglas Goldstein about energy independence and the "black gold" that is underfoot.
"A cautionary pipeline tale for B.C. from N.W.T."
A cautionary pipeline tale for B.C. from N.W.T.
Financial Post
Claudia Cattaneo Mar 15, 2012
First Nations members from B.C. protest against Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline in Calgary last May. David Ramsay, the Northwest Territories’ Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, advises British Columbia to find a balance between development and the environment.
While Canadians seem more concerned than ever about the costs and risks of pipelines, the Far North is feeling the pain of not having one.