It is falsely assumed that big projects equal lots of jobs and, by extension, labour peace if not outright satisfaction. The size and scope of the tarsands means for incredibly dangerous work conditions-- some fatalities at the plants have already occurred. The products seldom get their "value added" in union-run locations, instead the heavy bitumen can be shipped to many different locations across North America for refining, denying benefits to the union. However, the Union does not represent the "guest worker", now being imported in increasing numbers as legislation is changed to make access easier, the term of exploitation last longer, without any new efforts or pathways to deciding to stay after helping tear up the earth.
Green groups call for more review of pipeline
By JAMES MacPHERSON
More from BusinessWeek
March 3, 2011
BISMARCK, N.D.
The U.S. government must evaluate the additional impacts of allowing domestic crude on a proposed pipeline designed to carry Canadian tar sands oil to refineries along the Gulf Coast, a coalition of environmental groups has said.
The government of T&T is now openly pushing the expansion of Tar Sands bitumen extraction to include their small island. The link below is to a pamphlet put out only a couple of weeks back. Anyone who knows people in T&T should immediately raise the alarm as to what is actually taking place, and not allow this development-- the most destructive in the world-- from entering through the backdoor on this spectacular island.
What 'Peak Oil' Really Means for the Energy Sector
by: Kenneth D. Worth February 23, 2011
Peak oil is here. Even the International Energy Agency (IEA) has admitted that production of conventional petroleum has peaked, although they forecast continued conventional production at 2011's reduced levels (down 2 million barrels per day from 2006) many years into the future.
Suncor, Syncrude face new regulations
CARRIE TAIT
CALGARY— Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Mar. 01, 2011
The Alberta government is on the verge of rewriting rules governing oil sands reclamation, changes that target the two largest players in northern Alberta as well as any new mines.
Oil sands crude fetches premium price
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Mar. 02, 2011
Synthetic crude – produced by oil sands companies such as Suncor Energy Inc., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Nexen Inc. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. – is fetching a premium of more than $15 over West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark U.S. crude that closed above $100 yesterday for the first time since October, 2008. Historically, the price for synthetic crude has stayed roughly level with WTI.
Keystone’s tar sands pipeline concerns environmentalists
2011-03-02 /
The Cherokeean Herald
TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline System is being heralded as one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken by the United States and Canada – four times the length of the Alaska pipeline.
The 2,151-mile pipeline already connects Hardisty, Can. with Cushing, Ok. Lying in the path of the Keystone Gulf Coast Extension (Keystone XL) from Cushing, Ok. to Port Arthur is Cherokee County.
Funds to reclaim oilsands land fall short: NDP
Not enough security, warns auditor general
By Jason Fekete, Calgary Herald March 1, 2011
Leaked documents show the Alberta government will collect $400 million less from energy producers over the next nine years for oilsands reclamation, the NDP charges, despite the auditor general warning the province is financially at risk.
Disaster Capitalism at the Local Level
Tar Sands to Toledo
Weekend edition,
February 25 - 26, 2011
By TRUDY BOND
"I am extremely pleased with the announcement that BP has given the green light for the Sunrise project in Alberta."
-- Ohio Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
Exporting energy
2011-02-07
By Jodi Lundmark,
tbnewswatch.com
According to the president of the Oil Sands Developers Groups, Thunder Bay's port and rail lines make the city an important gateway for oil exports.
It might surprise people to know that more than 21 per cent of the United States’ crude oil comes from Canada, said the president of the Oil Sands Developers Group.
Investing In the Oil Sands: 4 Stocks
Frank J. Constantino
February 13, 2011
It seems everyone, including investors, are coming to grips with the fact that higher crude oil prices are here to stay. The fact is, the U.S., China, and other world economies have a insatiable demand for oil. While we are dependent on the Middle East for most of our oil, there are alternatives. The Canadian oil sands region is in the Alberta region of Canada. This massive area of oil reserves is second in size only to Saudi Arabia.
