Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

International oil & gas

Stock markets and global oil interests (including war) would be included here, as would attempts to get oil out of high risk, low return areas from oil shale in Colorado, to natural gas and heavy oil in the high eastern Arctic. The tar sands are part of this trend and should be seen as such. What happens with the tar sands will have a tremendous impact on what kind of choices are made elsewhere, environmentally and socially.

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International Oil & Gas is a category for stories relating to tar sand production or climate change but not in any of the projects already listed geographically. This includes other regions of the planet with horrible environmental and high energy costs that, like the tar sands, are only a "choice" because of high prices and the global depletion of easily recoverable oil reserves. Such issues as the threat of war on Iran, "instability" in Iraq and Venezuela or disasters like Katrina will all drive up oil prices, which in turn doubly encourages tar sand production-- by price demand and energy demand. Stock markets and global oil interests (including war) would be included here, as would attempts to get oil out of high risk, low return areas from oil shale in Colorado, to natural gas and heavy oil in the high eastern Arctic. The tar sands are part of this trend and should be seen as such. What happens with the tar sands will have a tremendous impact on what kind of choices are made elsewhere, environmentally and socially.

Oil Shale or Shale Oil?

Oil Shale or Shale Oil?
A Case of Mistaken Identity

By Keith Kohl
Thursday, June 17th, 2010

There are few things in life that anger me more than one of my readers being swindled.

And you should be just as irritated, because it's your hard earned money that's at stake.

Now, you know that shale oil isn't new to us. We've been covering the development of shale deposits for years. And my readers and I know how well that's turned out investors.

When the shale rush began, it was impossible to pick a losing play. Of course, things are much different today. But I digress...

Should bigger oil tankers really be in Vancouver?

Should bigger oil tankers really be in Vancouver?
By Peter Baker,
Special to The Province
June 17, 2010

Vancouver has been a major crude-oil export port for many years. Crude-oil exports last year hit four million metric tonnes, or about 29 million barrels, according to Metro Port Vancouver. Plans are now underway to increase those shipments this year.

So why has there been so little public discussion about this development? Is it wise for Vancouver, the economic engine of the entire province, to be a major crude-oil export port?

In Oil Spill Address, Obama Offers No Answers on Climate Bill

In Oil Spill Address, Obama Offers No Answers on Climate Bill
President Avoids Mention of Climate Change or Carbon Cap
By Aaron Wiener 6/16/10 12:00 AM

In his speech to the nation from the Oval Office Tuesday night, President Obama laid out a three-step plan to mitigate the damage from the BP oil spill and compensate affected residents along the Gulf Coast.

Comparision of the People´s Agreement and the Copenhagen Accord

A lot of people-- especially ENGO's from North America-- are systematically denying the possibility that we can do the organizing and politicking needed to build a movement that can *really* tackle climate change. The arguments are that the "political will" simply is not there. But what is never mentioned about this line of argument is that the needed will to get there, speaking planet wide, not only is "there" it is _already happening_.

Part One: Peak Oil Goes Mainstream

The Archdruid Report (June 09 2010)

Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society

Longtime readers of this blog will recall that one of its central projects
early on was an attempt to deconstruct the most deeply entrenched set of
myths industrial culture uses to define the future. To borrow a phrase
from Carlos Castaneda, the myth of progress and the myth of apocalypse
were worthy opponents, and I hope the confrontation with them was as
educational, and occasionally entertaining, to my readers as it was to me.

U.S. emissions laws could backfire, Alberta minister warns

By Archie McLean, Canwest News Service June 14, 2010

EDMONTON — New low-carbon fuel standards proposed in the Northeastern U.S. could actually slow the greening of the oilsands, Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner warned Monday.

“We need to make sure that whatever we do doesn’t have the unintended consequence (of discouraging further investment) into technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Renner said from Boston, where he was attending an energy forum.

Offshore Drilling Backlash May Boost Shale, Tar Sands

Offshore Drilling Backlash May Boost Shale, Oil Sands

*Date:* /15-Jun-10/

*Author:* Jon Hurdle and Jeffrey Jones

The massive Gulf oil spill may hasten the development of shale gas and oil
sands, North America's two most important emerging energy sources.

The risk of pursuing deepwater oil reserves dwarfs the environmental concerns
facing both onshore sectors.

Neither Canadian oil sands petroleum nor natural gas from U.S. shale beds will
immediately substitute for delayed Gulf of Mexico crude output in the wake of a

Shaky Foundations: Toxic Sources, Tainted Money

The Decline of Big Green, Part One
Shaky Foundations: Toxic Sources, Tainted Money
Weekend Edition
June 4 - 6, 2010
By JEFFREY ST. CLAIR

Back at the start of the 20th century, John D. Rockefeller remarked that "not even God himself can keep me from giving my money to the University of Chicago." The old bandit's investments duly paid off, with platoons of Chicago economists and jurists all hymning the free market and invoking the inexorable laws requiring that some be rich and many be poor.

Mexico: Civil Society Divided Ahead of Climate Summit (COP 16)

Mexico: Civil Society Divided Ahead of Climate Summit
Written by Emilio Godoy
Sunday, 06 June 2010

(IPS) - With less than six months before Mexico hosts the next global climate change summit, Mexican environmental organisations hosting the parallel civil society forum are divided on how to carry it out -- which some fear could ultimately weaken their role at the negotiating table.

Stelmach defends tar sands on foreign, domestic fronts

Stelmach defends oilsands on foreign, domestic fronts

Premier calls protests 'unfortunate'

By Jason Fekete, with files from Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald, and the Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald June 10, 2010

Alberta's oilsands are facing a new cross-border assault, with a community in the U.S. boycotting the resource and a cosmetics store in Canada demanding development be halted.