Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Indigenous

Indigenous nations have protected the earth on their territories for thousands of years. With the government of Canada ignoring their sovereignty, nations not only see massive theft of resources that could help alleviate social problems, but their exacerbation through their further alienation from their own lands, often accompanying being overrun by development and southern workers, while having no self-determination during this process. In the south of Canada industrial farming displaced many nations with often genocidal results. In the north, a modern equivalent of that fate is only just beginning, wrought on by industrial oil and gas drilling schemes (among many industrial plans) that are condemning entire societies, languages and cultures to a precarious future, becoming minorities in their lands for the first time.

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When $1.3-billion isn't that much

Dave Ebner, Globe and Mail
December 12, 2007 at 6:39 PM EST

The last sale of new oil and natural gas exploration rights in Alberta for the year was announced late Wednesday, with $68-million coming into the provincial treasury, boosting the total for the year to $1.29-billion.

That’s the third-highest annual haul in the province’s history — but it’s down more than 60 per cent from the record of $3.43-billion hit last year, and also lower than the $2.26-billion in 2005.

Tar Sands vs. Clean Water: Eating the Earth for Cars

by Mark Robinowitz

Global Research, December 11, 2007
oilempire.us

The tar sands production center in northern Alberta in Canada is one of the clearest signs that the easy-to-get oil is on the wane. Tar sands are a low grade hydrocarbon deposit that requires enormous energy input to process and convert it into something resembling petroleum.

CBC and more on the tar sands and Fort Chipewyan

from George Poitras

WELL. Below is a link of a documentary that was aired on this past Sunday's
CBC News Sunday. I think its an excellent documentary for a number of
reasons. The Fort Chipewyan residents including former Chief Archie Waquan,
Donna Cyprien (Director of Nunee Health Authority), Georg Macdonald (Head of
Nursing Station), Julie Mercredi (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Member)
and Pat Marcel (Elder, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation) did an awesome job
of portraying the reality of our current situation. Thanks also to Dr. John

Pew Boreal Front Group Makes Non-Statement About the Tar Sands

The International Boreal Conservation Campaign (www.interboreal.org) is another front group established by the Pew Charitable Trusts, much like the Canadian Boreal Initiative (www.borealcanada.ca). The Pew family built the original tar sands project, which became Suncor. Although the Pew family no longer owns Suncor, the family company Sunoco continues to refine much synthetic crude oil. This is their non-statement about the tar sands. Of course, no mention about a moratorium or a shut down. After all, Suncor is one of their partners in the Canadian Boreal Initiative.....

“The oilsands will get their gas no matter what. It‘s everyone else who needs to worry.‘‘

Dec 6, 2007 1:00:00 PM MST
TransCanada, Imperial led group to benefit from rumoured Mackenzie restructuring (TransCanada-Mackenzie)

CALGARY _ Analysts say a reworking of the Mackenzie Gas Project will be a boon for all involved, with pipeline operator TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) likely to see major returns and the Imperial Oil-led consortium (TSX:IMO) of producers relieved of much of the cost burdens that have threatened to kill the entire energy project.

Akaicho Land Trust "Largest Ever" [Doesn't Include Entire Thelon Region]

Akaicho Land Trust "Largest Ever" [Doesn't Include Entire Thelon Region]
By LEA STORRY, SRJ Editor 30.NOV.07

Some historic and sacred places of the Akaitcho Dene First Nations have recently been protected for the time being by Ottawa. Approximately 62,000 sq km of land have been preserved from further development.

“It’s a good news story,” said Dennis Bevington, Western Arctic Member of Parliament (MP). “It says a lot about the hard work and efforts the Akaitcho Dene First Nations have put into this.”

Settlers and natives, united against the government

THIS COUNTRY: ONTARIO: URANIUM EXPLORATION
Settlers and natives, united against the government
ROY MacGREGOR
December 3, 2007

Let us head down Snow Road on this morning when the plowed banks are higher than they have been any Dec. 3 for some time.

Let us visit on a bitter weekend when Environment Canada has predicted the coldest winter in 15 years.

And here let us talk about global warming - and the hints of heat to come in at least the next 15 years.

Ed Journal: Schindler Calls for halt to Tar Sands

Halt oilsands: water expert
Athabasca River at risk, says renowned U of A scientist
Kate Jaimet, Ottawa Citizen; CanWest News Service
Published: 8:59 am

OTTAWA - The scientist who won Canada's top research prize for his work on pollution in the Great Lakes now wants a moratorium on development in the Alberta oilsands, saying the rush to extract petroleum could threaten the mighty Athabasca River.

Yukon: Uranium exploration could open Pandora’s box, critics fear

Uranium exploration could open Pandora’s box, critics fear
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
By Chris Oke Special to the Yukon News

Cash Minerals’ application to build a winter road along the Wind River Trail to further its search for uranium deposits concerns tourism and environmental groups.

Most troubling is the very mineral the exploration company is searching for.

For the past four years, Cash Minerals has been hunting for the radioactive metal.

“I see no reason why they shouldn’t mine uranium,” said Yukon Chamber of Mines president John Witham.