Forests

Greenwashing the Games: The Olympics will leave a gigantic footprint on
the city

By John Nevim

Photo by Janis Brass

More than two-and-a-half years have passed since the “Battle of the
Bluffs”, when 23 protesters were arrested by West Vancouver police for
blockading the expansion of the Sea-to-Sky highway through the Eagleridge
Bluffs.

The protest was especially notable for the jailing of two elderly
protesters, Betty Krawczyk and Harriet Nahanee, who refused to apologize
because they believed it was senseless environmental degradation for the

This past summer, myself and friends were able to "tour" many of the projects in the Athabasca mining region and south of Fort McMurray (one of many places) where SagD/In Situ operations rule the day. These are albums belatedly created from that trip. This does not comprise anything remotely coming towards an exhaustive set of the multiple projects.

(you do not need to have a Facebook identity to see these albums).

Photos are from the land and the air.

Opti-Nexen's Long Lake (North) Project & CP's Surmont Project.

Environment Canada says tar sands pollution will get worse: Toronto Star
Chris Gardner
1/21/2009

The Toronto Star has obtained documents from Environment Canada that say pollution will continue to plague Alberta's oil sands despite plans to pipe harmful greenhouse gases deep underground.

British Columbia:
Forest Ethics induced forest die off & species extinction

Your article about Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell (NDN, Jan.
13) stated that the Valhalla Wilderness Society has criticized the BC
government’s plan to protect the mountain caribou. Indeed it has! Most
of the so-called habitat protection was to be placed largely outside
of the areas where the habitat is being destroyed by logging. But that
was fifteen months ago. Today very little of the protection promised
has materialized, an approved plan doesn’t even exist and the

January 9, 2009
Youth protest against the tar sands in Fort Chipewyan

Youth from Fort Chipewyan marched through the streets to protest against the tar sands in -32 degree temperatures this afternoon.

The march was organized by 10 year old Robyn Courtoreille, who got other youth involved in the protest.

"Syncrude and Suncor have been poisioning our water, air, so we protested to let them know we want a future not cancer," said Dailen Powder, 12, after the protest.

"I was protesting because I dont want anymore deformed two jawed fish in our lake," said Cherish Kaskamin, 11.

Oilsands companies have PR problem: survey
By Dave Cooper, edmontonjournal.com
January 8, 2009

EDMONTON - Oilsands producers have received the word from the public — half don't believe what they are being told.

An industry-funded poll released Thursday found a lot of mistrust among respondents in Edmonton and Toronto. However, Edmontonians were generally more favourable towards the industry than Torontonians, particularly on questions around environmental responsibility.

Energy at any cost
Natural-gas pipelines encroach on farms, homes and businesses with government support, with more projects in the works
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 3:08 AM
By Sandy Shore
ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Rockies Express natural-gas pipeline stretches across rural land as it is built near Cheyenne, Wyo. The $4 billion project will have the capacity to move 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

DENVER -- In the push toward more U.S. energy independence, massive infrastructure projects that will help deliver it have clashed with land-ownership rights.

by James Howard

Energy Bulletin (December 01 2008)

Peak Oil and Climate Change are two historic events for humans and life
on earth. The first threatens modern industrial ways of living and the
latter threatens the climatic systems that are an integral part of our
world and the way we live and survive.

A quick recap on both. Peak Oil is the point of historic maximum global
oil flow, Climate Change is the alteration of established climate
systems due to (in this case, anthropogenic) global warming. The onset

Native leaders say climate affecting caribou populations
ALLIANCE: Indigenous groups want to participate in global warming talks.
By ARTHUR MAX
The Associated Press
December 23rd, 2008

POZNAN, Poland -- Chief Bill Erasmus of the Dene nation in northern Canada brought a stark warning about the climate crisis: The once abundant herds of caribou are dwindling, rivers are running lower and the ice is too thin to hunt on.

VANOC may axe Whistler ceremonies
By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS, Dec 24, 2008

A Whistler forest may have been cut for naught.

Medals are supposed to be awarded nightly at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Celebration Plaza next to Whistler Village during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Vancouver 2010 organizers -- faced with unprecedented recessionary pressure for a North American-held Games -- may cancel the Whistler ceremonies to save money.