Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Social Impacts

Social Impacts. Overnight injections of migrant workers will not build healthy communities and can have severely adverse impacts on existing communities, especially those of indigenous nations on their traditional lands. Such development brings vices and long term displacement too often. Drugs, alcohol and associated violence spreads. Hunting becomes difficult when the land is threatened, leading to a further loss of culture and tradition. In towns like Fort McMurray there is no planning for the future, but merely consumption in the present. However transient the individuals may be, the populations will not leave, as “development” takes on a logic all its own. All levels of run away development are subordinate to that development, not social need.

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"Israel Capable of Producing 250 Billion Barrels of Oil"

Israel Capable of Producing 250 Billion Barrels of Oil
"Our company has mapped over 250 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Israel," says Dr. Harold Vinegar of Israel Energy Initiative Ltd.
By Ben Bresky
First Publish: 3/20/2012

Dr. Harold Vinegar of Israel Energy Initiative Ltd. in Jerusalem is optimistic about Israel's potential in the oil industry. He spoke to Israel National Radio's Goldstein on Gelt show with Douglas Goldstein about energy independence and the "black gold" that is underfoot.

"A cautionary pipeline tale for B.C. from N.W.T."

A cautionary pipeline tale for B.C. from N.W.T.
Financial Post
Claudia Cattaneo Mar 15, 2012

First Nations members from B.C. protest against Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline in Calgary last May. David Ramsay, the Northwest Territories’ Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, advises British Columbia to find a balance between development and the environment.

While Canadians seem more concerned than ever about the costs and risks of pipelines, the Far North is feeling the pain of not having one.

Upton: Keystone XL Pipeline not dead

Upton: Keystone Pipeline not dead
March 14, 2012

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton says the Keystone Pipeline issue is not dead.

That’s what he told the Berrien County Manufacturer’s Council at its annual meeting Wednesday.

The pipeline project is being included as an amendment in a Republican highway funding bill. It couldn’t pass the Senate in a vote last week, getting 56 of the necessary 60 votes, Upton said.

Kinder Morgan announcement to twin pipeline triggers community concern in wake of Sumas Mountain oil spill

Abbotsford, BC – Less than two months after a major oil spill at Kinder Morgan’s Sumas Mountain tank farm, the company announced plans to twin their existing trans mountain infrastructure. The most recent rupture of January 24th leaked approximately 110,000 liters of crude oil, raising major concern from local residents with regards to health and environmental effects.

Eesti Energia hopes to sell the majority of the Jordanian project in 2012 [oil shale]

Eesti Energia hopes to sell the majority of the Jordanian project in 2012
Juhan Tere
baltic-course.com

Estonian state-owned energy giant Eesti Energia wants to complete the Jordanian oil shale consuming power station procurement and find investors before the end of the year 2012, LETA/Postimees Online reports.

After that, the share of Eesti Energia in the Jordanian project will decrease to around 10%, Eesti Energia finance director Margus Kaasik told the press on Monday.

Canadian oil: Could some of it be headed for California?

Canadian oil: Could some of it be headed for California?
For The Los Angeles Times
By Kim Murphy

February 21, 2012
Reporting from Seattle

Much of the focus behind Canada’s push to build a new oil pipeline to the West Coast has been to diversify its markets, to reduce its reliance on the U.S. as a customer. The Canadian government says it wants to start selling oil to China and South Korea.

But there are strong indications that California could be the ultimate destination for much of the oil shipped on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

'It's Going to Be War': First Nations Battle Canadian Tar Sands

February 20, 2012
by Common Dreams
'It's Going to Be War': First Nations Battle Canadian Tar Sands
- Common Dreams staff

Canada threatens trade war with EU over tar sands

The row over the EU's plan to label tar sands oil as highly polluting escalates as Canada says it 'will not hesitate to defend its interests'

Damian Carrington
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 February 2012

Canada has threatened a trade war with European Union over the bloc's plan to label oil from Alberta's vast tar sands as highly polluting, the Guardian can reveal, before a key vote in Brussels on 23 February.

Enbridge, Ipsos-Reid poll, and disinformation tactics

Enbridge, Ipsos-Reid poll, and disinformation tactics
Opinion 250
By Peter Ewart
Friday, January 06, 2012

One of the aims of disinformation campaigns is to shake the resolve of people. And we are seeing ample evidence of this in the campaign to sell the Enbridge pipeline which, if constructed, will stretch across the lands and waterways of Northern BC and result in major oil tanker traffic in the ocean waters off BC’s Pacific coast.

Big 2011 profits for Cenovus

February 16, 2012 | PEU160212

Cenovus Energy, one of Canada’s largest in situ oil-sands producers, posted 241% higher fourth-quarter profits as a result of higher production and prices. The company, which was spun off from Encana in late 2009, made net profit of C$266 million ($266 million) in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared with $78 million the year before. Production climbed to 144,273 barrels a day (b/d) from 129,593 b/d in the same period in 2010. Net in situ oil-sands output rose by 23%, to 74,596 b/d, from 60,789 b/d in fourth-quarter.