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.
Climate Change: It's bad and getting worse
Severe weather events are wracking the planet, and experts warn of even greater consequences to come.
Dahr Jamail
Al Jazeera, June 23, 2011
The rate of ice loss in two of Greenland's largest glaciers has increased so much in the last 10 years that the amount of melted water would be enough to completely fill Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes in North America.
The threat to Madagascar from tar sands; a first hand account
23 May, 2011 - 15:19
Environmental campaigner Holly Rakotondralambo from Madagascar is visiting the UK this week to highlight the threat to her country from proposals to mine tar sands there. Here she tells WDM about the concerns of the local communities around the mining areas that she has visited and what we can do to help stop the threat of tar sands mining in her country.
Holly Rakotondralambo talks to Liz Murray of WDM in Scotland
First Nation Tour brings truth to France on Tar Sands Development
"First Nation's delegation spoke to EU parliamentary members, French government and French investors to address tar sands impacts on First Nation communities directly counteracting the Canadian Foreign Department's platform on Tar Sands Development."
Tar Sands development edging closer in Trinidad and Tobago?
RBC appears at Trinidad government forum extolling their record in Canada's tar sands
by Macdonald Stainsby
April 19, 2011
Mediacoop.ca
In December of 2010, Rainforest Action Network [RAN], issued a press release that was full of praise for the Royal Bank of Canada adopting a new framework around investments in companies involved in tar sands production.
Canadians Fight Tar Sands, Israelis Fight Oil Shale
April 12th, 2011
Tafline Laylin
Rachel Jacobson shares the story behind protecting the beautiful view from “Big Oil.”
BLM reconsidering acreage for oil shale, tar sands
The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Apr 13 2011
The Bureau of Land Management will conduct a “fresh” study to determine how much public acreage to open to potential oil shale and tar sands development, the agency announced Wednesday.
In 2008, under the Bush administration, the agency amended eight area management plans in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming to open about 1.9 million acres for oil shale development and more than 430,000 acres for tar sands.
Estonia sees rock as future of global energy
By Anneli Reigas (AFP) – Mar 22, 2011
NARVA, Estonia — A huge excavator bites into the earth of an open-cast mine, as the operator skillfully mans the controls in a cabin four storeys from ground level.
For the small Baltic state of Estonia, rock is the future of energy.
The European Union nation of 1.3 million generates 97 percent of its electricity thanks to oil shale -- sediment formed 400-450 million years ago, containing hydrocarbons. Its industry forecasts that shale's use can only expand.
Feds to consider tars sands, shale projects
The Associated Press April 13, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY
The federal government says it will take a fresh look at commercial oil shale and tar sands plans in the Western United States.
The Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday it would soon begin performing environmental studies for potential projects on federal land in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The agency is seeking public comment.
Canadian firm to probe Utah oil sands
Project to build mine would be first of its kind in United States
Written by
CHI-CHI ZHANG
Associated Press
April 17 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- Beneath the lush, green hills of eastern Utah's Uinta Basin, where elk, bear and bison outnumber people, the soil is saturated with a sticky tar that may soon provide a new domestic source of petroleum for the United States.
It would be a first-of-its kind project in the country that some fear could be a slippery slope toward widespread wilderness destruction.
Debate stirred over 1st major US tar sands mine
AP
By CHI-CHI ZHANG, Associated Press – Sun Apr 10 2011
SALT LAKE CITY – Beneath the lush, green hills of eastern Utah's Uinta Basin, where elk, bear and bison outnumber people, the soil is saturated with a sticky tar that may soon provide a new domestic source of petroleum for the United States. It would be a first-of-its kind project in the country that some fear could be a slippery slope toward widespread wilderness destruction.
