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.

Winter Olympic supporters and opponents both claim success from Spirit Train

Winter Olympic supporters and opponents both claim success from Spirit Train
October 18, 2008
Canadian Press Ltd.

VANCOUVER — Organizers and opponents of the 2010 Winter Olympics have both declared victory after duelling campaigns to raise awareness about the Games over the course of a promotional train journey from Vancouver to Montreal.

The Canadian Pacific Spirit Train wrapped up its 10-city tour in Montreal on Saturday, with an estimated 35,000 people across the country having taken part in activities highlighting Olympic sport.

North Central Corridor Pipeline construction can't start: Lubicon Cree

Pipeline construction can't start: Lubicon Cree
Last Updated: Thursday, October 16, 2008
CBC News

A small First Nation in northern Alberta is calling on TransCanada Pipelines to consult with them before it starts building a pipeline through their traditional territory.

"TransCanada will not be allowed to proceed with construction by the Lubicon people until such time they recognize land rights that we do have," said Dwight Gladue, a councillor with the Lubicon Lake First Nation.

TAR SANDS-PART 1: Showdown at Ft. McMoney

OIL SANDS-PART 1: Showdown at Ft. McMoney
By Chris Arsenault*

Environmentalists say mining tar sands oil creates 3 to 5 times more
greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil extraction.

FT. MCMURRY, Canada, Oct 16 (IPS) - The sun rises in a bright, red
line over flat land, small lakes, boreal forest and peat bogs as our
small double engine plane bumps through early morning turbulence
between Edmonton and Ft. McMurray, Canada.

With more than 173 billion barrels of oil recoverable with current
technology and more than 100 billion dollars in committed capital

Canadian Government wins re-election. Positive for mining?

NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT A PRIORITY
Canadian Government wins re-election. Positive for mining?

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Government easily won re-election Tuesday, which may prove a positive political development for the Canadian mining sector.
Author: Dorothy Kosich
Posted: Wednesday , 15 Oct 2008

RENO, NV -

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper led his Conservative Party to a victory Tuesday, but appeared to have failed to gain enough seats in Parliament to win a majority government.

High-speed rail may help Midwest with energy crunch (Illinois)

High-speed rail may help Midwest with energy crunch
by Chris Gray
Oct 09, 2008

World oil supplies are depleting and gas prices are volatile. The federal highway program — fueled by gas taxes — is running out of money.

Air travel, also tied to fuel costs, is becoming less affordable.

The cities of the Midwest are getting farther apart, practically speaking, if not literally.

Rick Harnish, the executive director of the Chicago-based Midwest High Speed Rail Association, believes there is a way out.

Depressed Canadian oil giants ripe for takeover

Depressed Canadian oil giants ripe for takeover
Market Caps Down
Carrie Tait, Financial Post Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

CALGARY - Canadian oil and gas companies are ripe for becoming merger bait -and we're not talking about the small and medium-sized shops. The biggies -- Suncor Energy Inc. (SU/TSX), En- Cana Corp. (ECA/TSX), Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNQ/TSX), Talisman Energy Inc. (TLM/TSX) and Nexen Inc. (NXY/TSX) -- could all be targets for the world's super biggies.

The Stock Market up. Now which way mining?

The Stock Market up. Now which way mining?
By Jack A. Caldwell
Mining columnist
14 October 2008 @ 09:53 am EST

The good news today is that the stock market is up. That is relief to be relished. We hope the trend continues, without pulling up the price of oil.

Dirty Fuels and the Bailout

As Dayo noted earlier, the final version of the bailout bill was sprinkled with goodies for renewable energy—including tax credits for solar investments and a one-year renewal of the production tax credit for wind power. Unfortunately, clean energy wasn't the only kind of energy to get a tax break. The bill also contains some sizeable tax giveaways intended to promote what may well be the dirtiest energy sources in existence: oil shale, tar sands, and liquefied coal.

Protesters block rail line hoping to halt Olympic Spirit Train

Protesters block rail line hoping to halt Olympic Spirit Train
Canadian Press // October 12, 2008 at 7:55 PM EDT

VAUGHAN, Ont. - Protesters say they have barricaded a rail line north of Toronto in hopes of stopping CP Rail's Olympic Spirit Train.

Protester Dan Keller says about 20 non-violent activists have assembled on the rail line with one woman having chained herself to the tracks.

At this time, York Region police are monitoring the situation.

Breaking News: Rail Blockade Disrupts CP Rail’s Olympic Spirit Train

BREAKING NEWS For Immediate Release
October 12, 2008

Rail Blockade Disrupts CP Rail’s Olympic Spirit Train
“Six Nations and solidarity activists resist Olympic theft of Indigenous land, ecological destruction, and attacks on the poor”