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.

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/drupal-6.28/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

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.

No Games on Stolen Native Land! Panel on 2010, tar sands and call to disrupt the "Spirit Train" (September 27 & 29)

Full Call Out Here:
http://lists.oilsandstruth.org/pipermail/ost-announce/2008-September/000...

No Games on Stolen Native Land! Panel on 2010, tar sands and call to disrupt the "Spirit Train" (September 27 & 29)

On September 29th, 2008 (Monday), the 2010 Olympic Winter Games "Spirit
Train" will be coming to Edmonton, Alberta. A call out has been issued
by the Olympics Resistance Network.

On September 27, 2008, several speakers from indigenous communities who
are being adversely effected on unceded territories in "British

Discussion Points on a Moratorium

Discussion Points on a Moratorium
No New Approvals-- of what?
July 29, 2008

Young workers at risk on the job in Alberta

Young workers at risk on the job in Alberta
Province addresses concerns raised in study of injury rates
Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, August 22, 2008

The Alberta government is worried about significantly higher injury rates among young workers compared to their older counterparts -- figures that are revealed in a detailed new report.

Report calls for expanded nuclear industry in Alberta and Sask.

Report calls for expanded nuclear industry in Alberta and Sask.
CBC News // 09/11/08

The fight over the possibility of building an Alberta nuclear reactor has erupted again following the release of a report from the Canada West Foundation.

The report suggests a reactor should be built in either Alberta or Saskatchewan in order to fight global warming and cash in on what the author calls a "nuclear revival" around the world.

"Energy economy can't turn on dime"

Energy economy can't turn on dime
2008-09-16
By RICKY LEONG

With Canada firmly in the grasp of an election campaign, all eyes have turned toward the East.

As demonstrated in a Sun Media-Nanos poll published in the Sun yesterday, most Canadians appear confident in their ability to weather an expected economic downturn -- except our cousins in Quebec and Ontario, where the manufacturing sector has taken a beating in recent years.

The parties are posturing to convince Canadians, easterners in particular, who is best suited to steer Canada through tough economic times.

Halt tar sands, chiefs say

Halt oilsands, chiefs say
Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 15, 2008

RADILIH KOE'/FORT GOOD HOPE - Some First Nations leaders are calling for a moratorium on tar sands expansion, and they made a promise to continue educating people living in the Mackenzie basin about threats to their water system.

They gathered in Fort Good Hope during the first week in September for a territorial water conference.

Tar sands firms balk at wetlands policy

Oilsands firms balk at wetlands policy
'No net-loss' rule could cost oil producers billions
Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Two major industry associations representing oilsands producers are refusing to support key tenets of a long-awaited plan to protect Alberta's wetlands, citing concerns about rigid rules and restoration costs that could stretch to $1 billion and beyond.

Environmental groups say they have been blindsided by the decision.

Shady employment agents prey on foreign workers

Shady employment agents prey on foreign workers
Seeking work, would-be immigrants are charged placement fees for jobs that don't exist
Joanne Lee-Young, Vancouver Sun // August 31, 2008

Antonio Navarro's story speaks of the uglier side of what is happening as B.C. targets the Philippines as a source of labour to ease its shortages.

Devon's Jackfish Sag-D Project Enters Phase Two

UPDATE 3-Devon starts phase 2 of Alberta oil sands project
Mon Sep 8, 2008 5:23pm EDT

CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Devon Energy Corp (DVN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is embarking on the second phase of its Alberta oil sands project, a $1-billion-plus expansion aimed at doubling output in four years, the U.S. oil independent said on Monday.

Devon said it won regulatory approval for phase two of the steam-driven Jackfish project, which will add 35,000 barrels a day of production of tar-like bitumen by 2012. It will start construction immediately.

Oil patch immune from the meltdown: economists

Carrie Tait, Financial Post Published: Monday, September 15, 2008

CALGARY - Canada's oil and gas industry, including the massively cash-heavy oil sands projects, should be immune to the financial crisis gripping Wall Street - for now.

Economists say the multi-billion dollar oil sands projects and other exploration and production efforts will still be able to access capital, even as major institutions go under and banks shy away from lending money.