Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Animals

Animal habitats and health are affected by tar sands production, whether from loss of habitat to any of the infrastructure developments across the continent, or through changes in the atmosphere such as melting polar ice caps in the Arctic brought on by out of control C0₂ emissions. Poisoning waterways, the food supply and the air in the immediate and not-so immediate surroundings has led to drops and even disappearances of species near pipelines, platforms and other infrastructure of the tarsands.

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Devastation, Madagascar

France's Total and US based Madagascar Oil tangle with military governments to push tar sands projects forward

Macdonald Stainsby

December 27, 2010
Mediacoop.ca

Madagascar Oil suspends share trading

Madagascar Oil declares it would 'robustly defend its position' after the Madagascar government said it wants to acquire its licences

* Tim Webb
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 December 2010

The flotation of Madagascar Oil must go down as this year's most unfortunate. In a move which will be hailed as victory for the world's lemur-lovers, the oil sands developer, which listed on Aim a little more than two weeks ago, announced this morning that it had suspended trading in its shares.

Tar Sands tailings poisons muskeg and nearby First Nations community

Tar Sands tailings poisons muskeg and nearby First Nations community
By Ben Powless
| November 26, 2010
Rabble

[photos in original linked at bottom]

The trip out to the tar sands tailings pond reminded me of other recent trips to places where indigenous people were trying to survive.

Madagascar Oil brings tar sands project to London market

The Voahary Gasy, an alliance of Madagascan environmental groups, complains that the government has released very little information

* Tim Webb
* The Guardian, Monday 29 November 2010
* Article history

Poor children in Madagascar forced to scavange on rubbish tip Children forced to scavenge from a rubbish tip in Madagascar. The IMF ranks Madagascar as the 170th poorest among 182 countries. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Tailings pond passes second inspection

Tailings pond passes second inspection
Toxic sludge leak story discredited

By Dan Healing, Calgary Herald November 16, 2010

CALGARY - A Tuesday morning tour of an oilsands tailings pond that CBC News claimed appeared to be leaking toxic sludge confirms that it is not, according to Alberta Environment.

"It confirmed what the ERCB (Energy Resources Conservation Board) confirmed (Monday), that all is being done as required in their approval and there is no release," said department spokesman Mark Cooper in an interview.

In Alberta, dissenters are just asking for a smack-down

Prominent scientists, doctors, leaders attacked for speaking out

By David Thompson, Edmonton Journal November 15, 2010

Dr. Paul Parks finally got the Alberta government to address his concerns about a potential "catastrophic collapse" of emergency care.

However, it took the media's bright spotlight to make it happen.

Parks had been quietly raising the issue with the government since early 2008, when he began documenting serious problems in emergency wards.

But that didn't get the government to act.

Mackenzie pipeline report OK'd by N.W.T., Ottawa

Mackenzie pipeline report OK'd by N.W.T., Ottawa
Last Updated: Monday, November 15, 2010
CBC News

The proposed $16.2-billion Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline is a step closer to reality after the federal and Northwest Territories governments agreed Monday with most of the recommendations set out by a review panel last year.

They said they can eliminate or mitigate any potential adverse impacts if the 1,200-kilometre natural gas pipeline goes ahead.

Arctic seen as possible shipping route for massive industrial components

Arctic seen as possible shipping route for massive industrial components
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
CALGARY— Globe and Mail Update
Published Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010

As protesters clog a new corridor built to transport the massive building blocks of a new oil sands mine, a small Northwest Territories company has suddenly found itself showered with interest by Asian companies looking for an alternative.

Alta. tailings pond to get federal inspection

Alta. tailings pond to get federal inspection
Last Updated: Monday, November 15, 2010
CBC News

Environment Canada officials will be in northern Alberta on Tuesday to inspect a tailings pond operated by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. that was the subject of a CBC News investigation.

Federal Environment Minister John Baird made the announcement in the House of Commons on Monday, in response to a question from Alberta NDP MP Linda Duncan.

Effort to keep big rigs off Montana highways continues to spread

By KIM BRIGGEMAN of the Missoulian missoulian.com
October 31, 2010

From grassroots to Manhattan, the battle to keep hundreds of big rigs off the two-lane highways of Montana and Idaho continues to mushroom.

What began early last spring as an energetic local effort centered in Missoula spread quickly over Lolo Pass into rural Idaho. It has since reached across state lines and into the war rooms of an impressive array of environmental groups.