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
Upton: Keystone XL Pipeline not dead
Upton: Keystone Pipeline not dead
March 14, 2012
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton says the Keystone Pipeline issue is not dead.
That’s what he told the Berrien County Manufacturer’s Council at its annual meeting Wednesday.
The pipeline project is being included as an amendment in a Republican highway funding bill. It couldn’t pass the Senate in a vote last week, getting 56 of the necessary 60 votes, Upton said.
Enbridge, Enterprise to double Seaway oil pipeline
Enbridge, Enterprise to double Seaway oil pipeline
Todd Korol Reuters
March 27, 2012|
Orlando Sentinel
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc and Enterprise Products Partners LP will more than double capacity of the Seaway Pipeline and expand another line from Illinois to ship more crude oil out of the glutted U.S. Midwest.
The companies said late on Monday they will invest more than $2 billion in expanding the U.S. pipeline network after securing sufficient customer commitments for shipping a growing surplus of crude in the U.S. Midwest to refiners along the Gulf Coast.
Term 'oilsands' can't hide that bitumen is tar
Term 'oilsands' can't hide that bitumen is tar
By Steven Hill, The Daily News March 29, 2012
Here's an illustration of the "la-la world" of the Stephen Harper government, where lies, if spoken often enough and loudly enough, eventually acquire an aura of truth.
It is now politically incorrect to refer to the "Alberta Tar Sands." They have somehow, perhaps magically, become the "Alberta Oil Sands."
However, both the Keystone XL and the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines are designed to transport bitumen, which is colloquially referred to as tar.
Kinder Morgan announcement to twin pipeline triggers community concern in wake of Sumas Mountain oil spill
Kinder Morgan announcement to twin pipeline triggers community concern in wake of Sumas Mountain oil spill
Abbotsford, BC – Less than two months after a major oil spill at Kinder Morgan’s Sumas Mountain tank farm, the company announced plans to twin their existing trans mountain infrastructure. The most recent rupture of January 24th leaked approximately 110,000 liters of crude oil, raising major concern from local residents with regards to health and environmental effects.
Obama Welcomes Southern Keystone XL Pipeline
Obama Welcomes Southern Keystone Pipeline
By Olivier Knox, The Ticket/Y!News Blog
27 February 12
Under fire from Republicans over high gas prices, President Barack Obama on Monday cheered news that the Canadian company hoping to build the Keystone XL Pipeline to carry oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico would press ahead with a US-only segment of that controversial project.
"The president welcomes today's news," spokesman Jay Carney said. "We support the company's interest in proceeding with this project."
Eesti Energia hopes to sell the majority of the Jordanian project in 2012 [oil shale]
Eesti Energia hopes to sell the majority of the Jordanian project in 2012
Juhan Tere
baltic-course.com
Estonian state-owned energy giant Eesti Energia wants to complete the Jordanian oil shale consuming power station procurement and find investors before the end of the year 2012, LETA/Postimees Online reports.
After that, the share of Eesti Energia in the Jordanian project will decrease to around 10%, Eesti Energia finance director Margus Kaasik told the press on Monday.
Activists heckle Netanyahu during talk on green growth
Activists heckle PM during talk on green growth
By SHARON UDASIN 02/28/2012
Jpost
Environmental economics vital to future development, and even to efforts against Iran, says Netanyahu.
Protesters disrupted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s opening address at Tuesday’s First National Green Growth Convention, with shouts against the government’s intended planning and building reforms.
The reforms intend to streamline the building approval process and make it more efficient, minimizing the participation of local committees and outside organizations in the initial planning process.
Aboriginal Affairs turns over part of its consulting role to pipeline company
Aboriginal Affairs turns over part of its consulting role to pipeline company
By Trish Audette,
Edmonton Journal
February 29, 2012
EDMONTON - Long before a public hearing began this year into a controversial pipeline proposed to carry Alberta oil to the B.C. coast, Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada knew it did not have the resources to address First Nations concerns about the project, newly public documents show.
Canadian oil: Could some of it be headed for California?
Canadian oil: Could some of it be headed for California?
For The Los Angeles Times
By Kim Murphy
February 21, 2012
Reporting from Seattle
Much of the focus behind Canada’s push to build a new oil pipeline to the West Coast has been to diversify its markets, to reduce its reliance on the U.S. as a customer. The Canadian government says it wants to start selling oil to China and South Korea.
But there are strong indications that California could be the ultimate destination for much of the oil shipped on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
'It's Going to Be War': First Nations Battle Canadian Tar Sands
February 20, 2012
by Common Dreams
'It's Going to Be War': First Nations Battle Canadian Tar Sands
- Common Dreams staff
