Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Alberta (& Saskatchewan) Tar Sands

The process of removing the tar from the sand involves incredible amounts of energy from clean-burning natural gas (with nuclear proposed along side), tremendous capital costs during build up, incredibly high petroleum prices to protect investments, and the largest single industrial contribution to climate change in North America. Production also involves the waste of fresh water from nearby lakes, rivers and aquifers that have already created toxic tailing ponds visible from outer space. None of the land strip mined has yet to be certified as reclaimed. It takes 4 tonnes of soil to produce one barrel of oil. The tar sands are producing over 1.2 million barrels of oil a day on average. The oil companies, Canada and the United States governments are proposing to escalate production to 5 million barrels, almost all destined for American markets-- and lower environmental standards while doing so. They also would need to violate the national and human rights of many indigenous nations who are rightly concerned about many dire social, environmental and economic repercussions on their communities.

To get the needed energy supplies, diluent for the bitumen and diverted freshwater to produce and then to transport the flowing heavy bitumen for refining would require massive new infrastructure and pipeline building from three different time zones in the Arctic, across British Columbia and through Alberta in a criss-cross pattern, into pipelines to such destinations as California, China, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. This entire project is now estimated at over $170 billion dollars. And after the whole process described so far, only then will all this dirty petroleum get burned and expel greenhouse gasses into the air causing further climate change.

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Alberta Tar Sands is a category limited to the location and production of tar sand bitumen, an area the size of the state of Florida in northern Alberta province. The giant processing plants near Fort McMurray where the land itself is strip mined as well as the primarily "in situ" in-ground steam separation/production and extraction plants in the Peace and Cold Lake Regions, all in Alberta, are the "Ground Zero" of the single largest industrial gigaproject ever proposed in human history. The process of removing the tar from the sand involves incredible amounts of energy from clean-burning natural gas (with nuclear proposed along side), tremendous capital costs during build up, incredibly high petroleum prices to protect investments, and the largest single industrial contribution to climate change in North America. Production also involves the waste of fresh water from nearby lakes, rivers and aquifers that have already created toxic tailing ponds visible from outer space. None of the land strip mined has yet to be certified as reclaimed. It takes 4 tonnes of soil to produce one barrel of oil. The tar sands are producing over 1.2 million barrels of oil a day on average. The oil companies, Canada and the United States governments are proposing to escalate production to 5 million barrels, almost all destined for American markets-- and lower environmental standards while doing so. They also would need to violate the national and human rights of many indigenous nations who are rightly concerned about many dire social, environmental and economic repercussions on their communities. To get the needed energy supplies, diluent for the bitumen and diverted freshwater to produce and then to transport the flowing heavy bitumen for refining would require massive new infrastructure and pipeline building from three different time zones in the Arctic, across British Columbia and through Alberta in a criss-cross pattern, into pipelines to such destinations as California, China, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. This entire project is now estimated at over $170 billion dollars. And after the whole process described so far, only then will all this dirty petroleum get burned and expel greenhouse gasses into the air causing further climate change.

Canadian Natural's cuts a blow to oil patch

Canadian Natural's cuts a blow to oil patch
Company scales back Horizon spending as list of stalled oil sands projects grows; 'this environment is scary'

NORVAL SCOTT

November 7, 2008

CALGARY -- The bulk of the next phase of the oil sands is effectively on hold.

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. slashed spending yesterday on its Horizon oil sands project, its biggest development ever, because of spiralling costs and lower oil prices, joining a long list of producers that have significantly scaled back or altered their plans.

World's Crudest Extraction

World's Crudest Extraction
At the tar sands they’re digging up dirty fuel
November 8, 2008
by Macdonald Stainsby

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

EDMONTON, ALBERTA–When the Albertan government recently put forward $25 million to counter the negative press around tar sands mining, Premier Ed Stelmach strained credulity by stating: "In terms of David and Goliath, I've been in this position before, and now I'm here."

Bush Officials Moving Fast to Cut Environmental Protections

Umm, don't legacy seekers usually do something in the direction of repenting? A little bit, maybe?

--M

Published on Friday, November 7, 2008 by McClatchy Newspapers

Bush Officials Moving Fast to Cut Environmental Protections
by Renee Schoof

WASHINGTON - Not done making a mess of the world yet.

US President George W. Bush walks away after discussing the
transition with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect
arack Obama with staff members, on the South Lawn of the White
House, November 6, 2008. In

Kelly Lake Cree Nation Denounces Pipeline Bombings

On October 17th, the Kelly Lake Cree Nation released a statement (below)
denouncing the recent attempts to sabotage a nearby gas pipeline in
northeast British Columbia.

On October 11th and 16th there were two separate explosions directed at
the pipeline, which is owned by the Calgary-based EnCana corporation.

Neither explosion caused any serious damage to the pipeline, however the
second one created a small rupture that forced its temporary closure. As
root force explains, “workers had been on high alert since the first

"Terror, mentally ill threaten Games"

Wow, such hyperbole...

--M

Terror, mentally ill threaten Games
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF
Edmonton Sun Nov 5/2008

Canada is facing the threat of terrorist attacks, disruption from mentally disturbed people and corruption from organized criminals as it plays host to the 2010 Olympic Games.

Documents obtained by Sun Media through Access to Information show officials are also bracing for potential cost overruns, public health disasters and protests during the international sporting event in Vancouver-Whistler.

"Obama's win signals a larger role for Canada in managing North America"

Warning: Barbara Yaffe is the author.
--M

Obama's win signals a larger role for Canada in managing North America
Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Tuesday's historic changing of the guard in Washington D.C., sets the stage for a realignment of the world's closest bilateral relationship.

During his campaign, Barack Obama pledged to lead a more diplomatic and multilateralist U.S. Which suggests Americans may consult Canada more often on foreign and continental policy.

Obama win could upset tar sands: Expert

Obama win could upset oilsands: Expert
NEIL MACKINNON /METRO CALGARY
November 05, 2008 05:06
AnswerTips-enabled

A Barack Obama presidency may hold some environmental trouble for Alberta’s energy dependent economy, says the University of Calgary’s Institute for United States Policy research director.

Stephen Randall said with Obama in power, a pipeline running from Alaska through Alberta to the States might not go ahead, causing an economic ripple throughout the province.

Canada quietly adjusts to Obama's agenda

Clip from below:

And a Canadian leak that weakened the credibility of Mr. Obama's position on NAFTA in rust-belt states created a political headache, although Ms. Greenwood bets it is forgotten. She said that Canada already has a card it can play to make its interests relevant to Mr. Obama, by selling itself as the solution to a U.S. "obsession" with energy security.

"Finding room for Canada"

Finding room for Canada
PM faces an uphill battle to gain the next president's ear, experts say

By CHRISTINA SPENCER, NATIONAL BUREAU

Imagine what it was like to be the American president in the year 2000.

The U.S. was not at war. It boasted a hefty budget surplus. Markets were stable and the average price of crude was under $30 US. The environment wasn't a political priority. Sept. 11 held no special significance.

Now, imagine the hailstorm of crises facing whichever man is elected president of the U.S. on Tuesday.

Ft. Chip residents, activists protest tar sands intrusion

Ft. Chip residents, activists protest oilsands intrusion
Clara Ho, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 12:00 am

Mike Mercredi is ready to fight what he calls the "slow industrial genocide" that oil companies are waging on the people in his hometown of Fort Chipewyan.

Last year there were over 20 deaths in the community of 1,200 people. Many were cancer-related deaths, which Mercredi said are linked to the oilsands activities in nearby Fort McMurray.

"Let's put a lid on it and slow things down," he said. "The graveyard is getting full."