Peak Oil is starting to be understood across a broad spectrum, but the direct connection between peak oil, climate change and the American market-led attempt to squeeze all energy out of Alberta cannot be overstated. The smaller the global supply of oil gets, the more CO2 has been emitted and the more climate change will have advanced. This leads to more interest in the tar sands—because the profit margin goes ever higher the fewer alternatives there are for petroleum. Without Peak Oil bearing down on humanity, no economical reason would exist to produce this energy intensive, low-output petrol.
Reliance on Oil Sands Grows Despite Environmental Risks
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Published: May 18, 2010
There is no chance of a rig blowout here, or a deepwater oil spill like the one from the BP well that is now fouling the Gulf of Mexico. But the oil extracted from Canada’s oil sands poses other environmental challenges, like toxic sludge ponds, greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of boreal forests.
The Gulf oil spill in context: US oil consumption
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
May 31, 2010
[graphs and charts at link at bottom of this article]
Athabasca Oil Sands, Greystar, Nexen: Canadian Equity Preview
May 31, 2010, 8:27 AM EDT
By Matt Walcoff
May 31 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of the following companies may have unusual moves in Canadian trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses.
Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. (ATH CT): PetroChina Co.’s partner in Canadian oil sands development received an “outperform” rating in new coverage from Justin Bouchard of Raymond James Financial Inc. The company “represents one of the most attractive acquisition candidates in the oil sands space,” the analyst wrote in a report.
Chinese firm buys $435-million stake in Penn West to form oilsands joint-venture
Thu May 13 2010
Lauren Krugel
The Canadian Press
CALGARY — China is making yet another push into Alberta’s oilsands, taking on a five per cent stake in Penn West Energy Trust and inking a joint-venture to develop some of the Canadian oil heavyweight’s land.
The Most Destructive Development on Earth: Coming to Trinidad and Tobago?
By Macdonald Stainsby
ZNet
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Alberta group makes case for oil sands
A delegation of business leaders is attempting to dispel falsehoods and
make the case for the oil sands to politicians in Ottawa
Nathan VanderKlippe
Globe and Mail
May. 13, 2010
A group of high-powered Alberta business leaders is in Ottawa this week on
what they are calling a “a trade mission to the capital of our own
country.”
Their goal: promote the oil sands as what John Ferguson, chairman of
Suncor Energy Inc., calls a “great Canadian treasure.” Alberta’s bitumen
The end of offshore oil drilling? Not a chance
Energy companies are faced with the reality that new sources of oil are
just about limited to ever-deeper water
Eric Reguly
Globe and Mail
May. 13, 2010
For three weeks, about 5,000 barrels of oil a day have gushed out of BP’s
Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. Gobs of black oil, and the weirdly
coloured slick – fuchsia in parts, as if Martha Stewart were hired for
artistic control – move ever closer to the Louisiana shore and the fecund
wetlands behind it. The ruptured pipes could spew oil for another two or
It's Worse Than You Think: Plotting Global Hydrocarbon Collapse
By Matthew Wild
11 May, 2010
Peak Generation
More than 90 per cent of the world’s energy comes from non-renewable sources – and its decline can be projected on a Hubbert bell curve.
North, South American countries to study heavy oil
Fri Apr 16, 2010
CALGARY, Alberta, April 16 (Reuters) - Energy ministers from North and South American countries with large heavy oil reserves have established a working group to develop better extraction and environmental technology, Canada's natural resources minister said on Friday.
Canada's tar sands: a dangerous solution to offshore oil
Alberta is the 'safe' option for US oil needs – but its tar sands are far more environmentally damaging than Deep Horizon
o Heather McRobie
o guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 May 2010
