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.
Enbridge CEO says Harper bitumen plan no threat
Tue Oct 7, 2008 2:21pm EDT
By Cameron French
TORONTO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc Chief Executive Pat Daniel said on Tuesday that a campaign pledge by Canada's governing Conservatives to halt exports of tar-like bitumen to countries whose environmental record is weaker than Canada's is no threat to Enbridge's planned C$4.2 billion pipeline to the Pacific Coast.
No pipelines to China: Harper out of touch - Energy union president addresses Munk Centre
TORONTO, Oct. 8 /CNW Telbec/ - Stephen Harper has completely misled
Canadians with his comments about the oil industry last week in Calgary and
again during the leaders' debate.
Mr. Harper said that to enforce greenhouse gas reduction, Canada must
prohibit the export of bitumen to any country with lesser targets, such as
China.
"There are no pipelines to China, and no oil exports to China," says the
president of Canada's largest energy union. "Our bitumen pipelines are all to
Oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns
Massive refinery expansions for processing crude threaten to wipe out clean-up progress around world's largest body of fresh water
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT //October 8, 2008 // Globe and Mail
The environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands will not be restricted to Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thousands of kilometres away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality around the world's largest body of fresh water.
http://www.cjsr.ualberta.ca/cms/news/news.php?s=riseup&ep=1377&
The above link provides:
Edmonton 2010 "Spirit Train" Protest Full Length
(CJSR Radio Broadcast, hosted by Aaron Chubb)
Oil sands stocks take beating as Connacher shelves expansion
Carrie Tait, Financial Post Published: Monday, October 06, 2008
CALGARY -- Oil sands stocks were being clobbered Monday, an indication the market continues to doubt whether these companies will be able to secure financing to plow ahead with expensive projects.
Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd. admitted Monday it has shelved plans to expand capacity at its heavy oil refinery in Great Falls, Mont. It had wanted to jump from processing 9,500 barrels of oil a day to 35,000 barrels.
Dr Helen Caldicott: Truth is stranger than fission
Helen Caldicott warns about the still-present nuclear danger
SCOTT HARRIS / scott@vueweekly.com
For more than 35 years, Dr Helen Caldicott has been an outspoken critic of the follies of the nuclear age, dedicating her life to shining a spotlight on the risks posed to human health and the environment by both nuclear weapons and the widespread use of nuclear power.
Canadian Oil Sands Looks Attractive Despite Near Term Risk
by: Kurt Wulff
October 06, 2008
We are committed to the belief that Canadian Oil Sands Trust (COSWF.PK) is an attractive long-term investment despite suspending our buy recommendations for near-term financial market price risk.
Dos, don'ts on energy
Another bill Congress hasn't passed
NewsDay
October 1, 2008
The bailout strikeout is not the only congressional swing-and-a-miss these days. Congress also has failed to agree on a comprehensive energy bill that could steer our economic and environmental future in the right direction.
Foreign workers lured with lies
Wed, October 1, 2008
They or their families may be charged onerous fees back home, then told they have a debt to pay off here
By TAMARA CHERRY, SUN MEDIA
TORONTO -- The stereotype is a young woman forced to work in a brothel, strip club or massage parlour.
But reality cuts across all walks of life.
Nannies. Construction workers. Seasonal farmers.
Fred McDonald, listed as "proof" of how good things are for Fort MacKay, has written a book where he lies about his own history and got Syncrude to publish it. He doesn't have cred even in the village itself.
--M
First Nations fine with oilsands
By GRAHAM HICKS
October 2, 2008
AMERICAN MEDICINE
Billy Bob: "The doctor said he'd have me walking within two weeks."
Skeeter: "Was he successful?"
Billy Bob: "Yep. I had to sell my car to pay his bill."
ABORIGINAL SEAL OF APPROVAL
