Water is needed in huge amounts in tarsands production and in all other construction stages of tarsands infrastructure across the continent. It takes five litres of water to produce one of usable petrol. There is also water used to move gas, build new tar pits or that water which becomes polluted in the outlying areas. Waste tailings ponds are so vast as to be visible from outer space at this early point in production. Water is now being privatized in slow motion, as “access rights” are available in Alberta. As production grows and climate change continues to parch southern Albertan land, more and more water will be needed to help supply fuel for the American market. This water will ultimately be diverted from rivers, lakes, farms and cities throughout Canada; the water levels in the Athabasca River have already dropped several meters. The Deh Cho/Mackenzie River is already threatened, both from development along its valley and it is downstream from tar sands operations. A generation ago, the Athabasca River was clear and drinking was common. Now, those that live with the river consider it poison and off-limits.
Methane dispute reignites in B.C.
WENDY STUECK
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070822.RSHELL22/TPSto...
August 22, 2007
VANCOUVER -- A group of protesters, including members of the Tahltan and Iskut Indian bands, blocked a road in northwestern British Columbia yesterday, preventing Royal Dutch Shell PLC crews from heading into a contested region to do road repair work and reigniting a debate over coal bed methane exploration in the area.
When citizens are most vulnerable
http://srj.ca/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=74&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdet...
Fort Chip Doctor Still Under Scrutiny
http://srj.ca/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=74&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdet...
SRJ Staff 24.AUG.07
Pollution roadblock may derail BP refinery of oilsands crude
Oil giant unable to strip out enough ammonia from wastewater
Joe Carroll, Bloomberg News //Thursday, August 23
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=23b91b...
BP Plc hasn't found a way to reduce water pollution that threatens to scuttle a $3.8 billion Indiana refinery expansion, the second-costliest project of its kind in the U.S.
Alberta's Lubicons get a boost from U.N. Human Rights Committee
Aug, 13 2007 - 4:50 PM
http://www.630ched.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=72244&red=...
EDMONTON/630 CHED - A U.N. Committee on Human Rights is urging Canada to negotiate a long standing land claim treaty with the Lubicon Cree Nation of north central Alberta.
The U.N. Human Rights Committee wrapped up two-and-a-half weeks of hearings in Geneva, late last month, and on the agenda was the issue of Alberta's Lubicons.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20297414/
Alaska offshore drilling delayed further
Shell blocked from area off Prudhoe Bay due to lawsuit by natives,
activists
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:59 a.m. HT Aug 16, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that
Royal Dutch Shell PLC must further postpone plans for exploratory oil
drilling off the northern coast of Alaska.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also indicated that
environmental and Alaska Native groups have a good chance of
prevailing in their effort to keep the energy giant out of the
The new dirty energy
It's big, it's growing -- and it's bad for the environment. Inside the other alternative-energy movement.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/19/the_new_dirty...
By Drake Bennett | August 19, 2007
FOR THOSE WHO dream that high oil prices will help drive America toward a brave new world of clean energy, the MacKay River project in Alberta, Canada, offers a glimpse of the future.
Tar sand mining growing at huge environmental cost
Posted: 23 Aug 2007
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=3079
Canadian tar sands deposits hold an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of crude oil, second in the world only to Saudi Arabia, but the devastating environmental impact of mining them far exceeds that of conventional oil, says new research to be published next month (September 2007).
Oil sands plan said to draw fire
To process heavy Alberta crude, BP wants to dump up to 50% more pollutants into Lake Michigan, angering some - report.
August 23 2007: 10:48 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Plans to process a heavy grade of crude oil from oil sands in the Canadian province of Alberta have sparked a nasty battle in the Midwest, where some politicians are angry that the move will increase pollution in the Great Lakes, according to a report Wednesday.
Greenpeace guns for the tar sands
http://www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id24064
Canada’s most “environmentally destructive” project expands
Aug. 20, 2007
EDMONTON
Greenpeace is setting up shop in Edmonton and it has set its sights on shutting down Alberta’s tar sands.
“The tar sands are one of the most environmentally destructive projects in Canada, if not the world,” said Greenpeace campaign organizer Geeta Sehgal adding they create 40 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
