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.

Alberta tar sands affecting drug habits in Newfoundland

Alberta oil sands affecting drug habits in Newfoundland
BY PAUL HERRIDGE
The Southern Gazette (Nfld)

Sergeant Wayne Edgecombe, of the Burin Peninsula District RCMP Detachment, acknowledged cocaine use in rural Newfoundland was a rarity two decades ago.
Not anymore.
Since the oil boom in Alberta exploded a couple of years ago, and people from this province began regularly travelling back and forth on shift rotations, the situation has changed dramatically.
Cocaine has joined marijuana as the drug of choice in Newfoundland and Labrador, some might say even overtaken.

"Oil thirst means a moderate U.S."

Oil thirst means a moderate U.S.
Don't worry about American election, says ex-premier
Sheila Pratt, Edmonton Journal
Published: Monday, May 19, 2008

Alberta has little to fear from the tough talk in the U.S. on climate change heading into the fall presidential election, says former premier Peter Lougheed.

"Even though it's an election year, and that makes it more difficult, it's going to be challenging for the United States to avoid having a moderate position," Lougheed said in an interview.

Intervention at the United Nations by the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations

Here is the intervention that was made at the United Nations by the
Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations.

INTERVENTION TO THE SEVENTH SESSION ON THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON
INDIGENOUS ISSUES

Read at approximately 12:00 noon, Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Intervention on Agenda Item 5: Human rights: dialogue with the Special
Rapportuer on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of
indigenous peoples and other special rapporteurs.

Thank you Madame chair,

Cameco President Says Sask "Not Quite Ready" For Nuclear Plant

Cameco President Says Sask Not Quite Ready For Nuclear Plant

By Brynn Harris
Updated May 16, 2008 - 6:13am

The President of a prominent Saskatchewan uranium mining company does not think the province is ready for a nuclear power plant.

Recently, a leaked SaskPower report named Lake Diefenbaker as an ideal spot for one.

Cameco President and CEO, Jerry Grandey, says Saskatchewan does not have enough people to support the electrical output of a nuclear power plant.

Kearl Permit Denied (for now).

KEARL PERMIT DENIED

Imperial project delayed as it awaits Cabinet action

Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, With Files From Carrie Tait
Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008

CALGARY - Imperial Oil Ltd.'s $8-billion Kearl oil-sands project faces a major delay after a federal court judge yesterday turned down its request to have a key permit reinstated.

Saskatchewan and Alberta "Competing" for Nuclear Power Plants...

Provinces wrangle over nuclear plant
Jon Harding, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

CALGARY -- Alberta and Saskatchewan are competing to house Western Canada's first commercial nuclear power plant, Saskatchewan's Natural Resources Minister Bill Boyd confirmed Tuesday.

Boyd said his Saskatchewan Party government has held "early" talks with Bruce Power LP, the private nuclear operator from Western Ontario.

Temporary foreign workers see exponential growth in Alberta

Temporary foreign workers see exponential growth in Alberta
Apr. 30, 2008
Richard Gilbert // staff writer

Alberta is experiencing an explosion in the number of temporary foreign workers (TFW) in the construction industry, but official statistics may underestimate the number of these workers in the country.

“Alberta has seen exponential growth in the use of TFWs for construction,” states a study recently released by the Construction Sector Council (CSC).

The study investigates the impact that the workers have on Canada’s construction industry.

Nukes for Saskatchewan Tar Sands?

Hot issue = cool debate
A report that suggests Lake Diefenbaker might be a good location for a nuclear power plant does not mean such a facility will ever be built. It does, however, kickstart a welcome debate.
The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, May 09, 2008

Nuclear energy, we hope, is finally on the table for discussion in Saskatchewan.

Ducks Die to Oil Waste in Saskatchewan

Ducks die in oily Sask. pond
Province investigates deaths of 53 birds at waste retention site
Darren Bernhardt, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008

The provincial government is scrambling to deal with the deaths of 53 ducks at an oil-extraction site west of Saskatoon.

"Guest Workers" bolting for freedom upon arrival

Foreign workers pull disappearing act: employer

Updated Thu. May. 15 2008 10:25 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The foreign worker program is causing big headaches, says one Calgary employer, who complains that 20 of his employees pulled a disappearing act soon after arriving in the country.

Calgary business owner, Owen Colbourne, has brought in 31 foreign labourers to work at his manufacturing and consulting company in the past 18 months.