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.
Oilsands committee told to halt development
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 4, 2007 | 12:28 PM MT
CBC News
A provincial government committee touring Alberta to hear what people have to say about the pace of development in the oilsands were told on their Edmonton stop to halt development.
Everyone who spoke to the panel Tuesday night made passionate arguments in favour of stalling new projects until a wide range of problems are addressed.
When these are the types of editorials written by those most sympathetic to the tarsand producers, we know the tide is slowly yet surely turning.
-M
Showdown With Big Oil
April 3, 2007
By NEIL WAUGH
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Business/Columnists/Waugh_Neil/2007/04/03/390...
There’s a battle brewing out there. People are getting right ticked off.
The boom-to-end-all-booms is starting to look like a bust for many. And they are getting mad.
Already Premier Ed Stelmach has three not-in-my-backyard movements going in his constituency alone.
Dehcho Process talks on hold
Last Updated: Monday, March 19, 2007 | 6:39 PM CT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/03/19/nwt-dehcho.html
Dehcho land-claim negotiations remained in limbo on Monday with the cancellation of the latest round of negotiations this week.
As well, the Dehcho First Nation announced it will not nominate any members to the two boards looking at Mackenzie Valley resource management. In the past, Grand Chief Herb Norwegian has claimed the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act does not apply to the Dehcho.
The following article from Alberta Views Magazine also received an important letter to the editor follow up from Reinie Jobin, the Elder mentioned at the outset of the piece. His response is attached and appended at the conclusion of the original article below, on this same posting.
Thanks to the Ontario based solidarity organization, Friends of the Lubicon for providing these two articles:
http://www.tao.ca/~fol
ALBERTA VIEWS MAGAZINE
MARCH 2007
FEATURE REPORT
NO DEAL
Does anyone remember when nuclear power was considered dangerous and of grave, permanent risk for millions of years at a time to all the lands in and around any nuclear plant?
Analysis: Nuclear-powered oil sands
By BEN LANDO
UPI Energy Correspondent
http://www.upi.com/Energy/analysis_nuclearpowered_oil_sands/20070330-063...
WASHINGTON, March 30 (UPI) -- Nuclear companies and those mining Canada's oil sands are poised to team up to separate crude from deep Earth and pump it to the surface.
The Tar Sands come to Kitimat
Charles Campbell//Mar 22, 2007
http://www.dogwoodinitiative.org/bulletins/tarsandstokitimat
Sierra Legal Suing Alberta over Latest Tarpit Approval
Environmental groups sue over Kearl project
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070330.wkearl0330/B...
Canadian Press
CALGARY — A coalition of environmental groups has launched legal action in Canada's Federal Court to try to overturn recent regulatory approval of Imperial Oil Ltd.'s massive Kearl Oil Sands project in northern Alberta.
Don't let their fluffy title get one hung up. Here's the great news from within this article:
"It [panel] concluded that almost 20 nuclear reactors would be needed just to meet the production growth planned to 2015."
Nuclear energy, all the fresh water and all the natural gas to get the oil by taking out the forests and polluting the air to send bitumen south to Texas and Louisiana! Long live tar sands! Human rights are so twentieth century...
Macdonald
Canada wary of nuclear power for oil sands
Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:09 PM EST
The doctor who does not speak of treating both the symptom and the cause of disease is one who sees your lung cancer and does not tell you to quit smoking, or who offers you a beer while explaining you have liver failure.
Why Climate Change issues won't be solved by Politicians or Capitalism
Liberals and Conservatives demonstrate hypocrisy on redressing Global Warming
http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Frontpage/2007/03/27/01446.html
Compiled by Super Canuck
