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
Karma for Suncor?
Thu, June 7, 2007
Smoke, embers blowing into Fort McMurray
Out-of-control forest fire has officials advising some to stay indoors
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/06/07/4242370.html
By CP
FORT MCMURRAY — Smoke and embers from a massive out-of-control forest fire near Suncor Energy’s oilsands plant in northern Alberta are blowing into Fort McMurray.
The MacKay River fire is burning about 25 km north of the city and covers about 150 square km.
Alberta Environment officials say people with respiratory problems are being advised to stay indoors.
"Enbridge, Exxon forge link to Texas refineries"
The regional papers should really talk to one another more, or perhaps this is deliberate obfuscation.
Council of Treaty 8 Chiefs Note Passage of Alaska Gasline Inducement Act
Council of Treaty 8 Chiefs Note Passage of Alaska Gasline Inducement Act
http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&sea...
Our Leaders Don't Get it -- Suzuki
Our leaders don’t get it
SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki
http://commonground.ca/iss/0706191/cg191_suzuki.shtml
When Environment Minister John Baird announced his government’s new climate change plan, I was in Toronto, getting ready to shoot some television commercials promoting energy conservation. I volunteered to do the commercials because I believe that everyone has to do his fair share to reduce the threat of global warming. Mr. Baird and Prime Minister Harper apparently disagree.
Geothermal in the Tar Sands?
Hot granite and steam could clean up oil sands
May 30, 2007 04:30 AM
Tyler Hamilton // http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/219133
Energy Reporter
The first commercial geothermal facility in the Alberta oil sands could be pulling heat out of the ground and displacing the use of natural gas as early as 2012, according to the head of an oil-company consortium established to investigate the emission-free energy source.
AFL: Public hearings begin today to build "Mega Pipeline"-- Keystone
Public hearings begin today at National Energy Board on proposal to
build "mega-pipeline" to move unrefined oilsands from Alberta to
refineries in U.S.
Labour groups lead charge to keep value-added jobs in Alberta
CALGARY, June 4 /CNW/ - Hearings begin this week before the National
Energy Board in Calgary to determine whether or not the first of several
"mega-pipelines" designed to move unrefined bitumen from the Alberta's
oilsands to refineries in the United States will be allowed to proceed.
The pipeline under consideration is called the Keystone pipeline and is
Enbridge to build Alberta Clipper
June 4, 2007
Enbridge to build Alberta Clipper
http://dcnonl.com/article/id22587
Daily Construction News
CALGARY
Enbridge Inc. has filed an application with the National Energy Board for the construction and operation of the Canadian segment of the Alberta Clipper Project, a proposed 1,607-kilometre expansion project to provide greater access for Western Canadian crude oil to U.S. Midwest markets.
Anti-Tar Sands Boot Camp
Oilsands growth energizes activists
Environmentalists turn up pressure on 'unsustainable' development with training camp in non-violent protest tactics
Hanneke Brooymans, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Monday, June 04, 2007
EDMONTON - A group of frustrated environmentalists has gathered at a camp on the outskirts of Edmonton to learn eco-activist tactics for use against booming oilsands development.
Ottawa is missing the boat on climate change
Ottawa is missing the boat on climate change
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/221119
Jun 04, 2007 04:30 AM
David Crane
A key to dealing with climate change is to design new technologies, from innovations for energy efficiency, new forms of clean energy such as fuel cells, or ways to make energy products such as coal and oil "clean."
Hearings into Keystone pipeline resume
Media Advisory - Hearings into Keystone pipeline resume
CALGARY, June 4 /CNW Telbec/ - Phase 2 of hearings into the Keystone
Pipeline proposal -- plans by TransCanada Pipelines to export 500,000 barrels
of raw bitumen a day from Alberta's tar sands to the mid-west United States --
open today here before the National Energy Board. Phase 2 deals with a TCPL
application to build an extension to its existing pipeline in southern
Manitoba. Phase 1 hearings dealt with a TCPL application to convert the
existing pipeline from gas to crude oil transportation. A decision on that
