Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Water

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.

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/drupal-6.28/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

Imperial probes Sarnia benzene leak

Imperial probes Sarnia benzene leak
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 |
CBC News

Police in Sarnia have lifted a shelter order for parts of the city that began after a benzene leak at the Imperial Oil facility there.

Greenpeace activists occupy Alberta Shell Upgrader in Fort Saskatchewan

Greenpeace activists occupy Alberta Shell site

By Richard Warnica and Laura Drake, Edmonton Journal
October 3, 2009 2:52 PM

Greenpeace activists occupy an exhaust stack at the Shell Scotford Upgrader Expansion near Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. on October 3, 2009
Photograph by: Ryan Jackson, Edmonton Journal

FORT SASKATCHEWAN, Alta. — Greenpeace protesters occupied an oilfield property outside Edmonton on Saturday, the third dramatic demonstration the group has staged against Alberta’s controversial oilsands development in recent weeks.

Encana heads for tar sands

EnCana spinoff plans new oil sands project

By Carrie Tait, Financial Post, with files from Reuters
October 1, 2009

CALGARY -- A year after dreary news blanked the oil sands thanks to a rapid-fire procession of project delays, EnCana Corp. Thursday said it plans to kick off the process to launch a new multi-billion project with a technological twist.

Freighter damaged along proposed B.C. shipping lane

Ship sufferes severe damage, raising questions about safety of oil and gas supertanker taking route

Mark HumeVancouver— From Friday's Globe and Mail
Last updated on Friday, Oct. 02, 2009 02:48AM EDT

Questions are being raised about the safety of a proposed shipping channel for oil and gas supertankers on British Columbia's central coast after a freighter struck rocks near Kitimat.

Greenpeace takes action again, blocking Suncor tar sands operations

International activists join Canadians in saying no to tar sands

FORT MCMURRAY, AB, Sept. 30 /CNW/ - Greenpeace activists are disrupting Suncor operations today in the heart of the tar sands north of Fort McMurray by blocking two bitumen conveyor belts to highlight the climate crime of tar sands operations.

Delta residents must prepare for pipeline: senate committee

Katie May
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 28, 2009

INUVIK - The federal government needs to invest more money into the Canadian Coast Guard as the "first line of defence" for Arctic sovereignty, senators heard during meetings in Inuvik last week.

The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans was in Inuvik on Wednesday following public meetings in Yellowknife earlier in the week as part of a study of Arctic fisheries and ocean management.

"A transport fuel with a future"-- Beginning the new sell out towards natural gas

September 2009 - Analysis - Natural gas
A transport fuel with a future
Petroleum Economist
September 28, 2009

Concerns over energy supply security, greenhouse-gas emissions and oil-price volatility are generating greater interest in natural gas vehicles, writes Ian Lewis

NATURAL gas has long been a popular fuel for fleet vehicles in South America. But new legislation is set to encourage the use of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the US – which could be a boost for Latin American NGV manufacturers.

First Nations says no to Enbridge Gateway pipeline

First Nations says no to pipeline

CAROL CHRISTIAN
Fort McMurray Today
22 September 2009

A B.C. First Nation has given Enbridge a resounding "no" when it comes to the Northern Gateway pipeline going through the Gitga'at lands, from the Alberta oilsands to the Pacific coast.

Not only are the Gitga'at concerned about environmental impacts, there are concerns it will mean cultural devastation for the First Nation that remains largely dependent on the traditional way of life.

Oil pipeline to West Coast makes 'strategic sense'

Syncrude chief says proposal would diversify Alberta's markets

Lisa Schmidt
Victoria Times Colonist
September 19, 2009

The head of Canada's biggest oilsands producer says a pipeline to the West
Coast makes strategic sense to help diversify Alberta's export markets.

But Tom Katinas, chief executive of Syncrude Canada Ltd., told the Global
Business Forum in Banff., that the U.S. will remain Canada's key buyer.

"I would love to see a pipeline that goes from Alberta out to the West

"Tar sands need positive spin"-- Diane Francis

Good to see Ms Francis up to her usual turgid nonsense.

-M

Oil sands need positive spin

Diane Francis, Financial Post
September 19, 2009

Alberta and Canada have an image problem and it's called the oil sands. Non-government organizations such as Greenpeace and others have made these gigantic open-pit mining operations their current whipping boy. And by deploying hyperbole or inaccuracies, these organizations are winning the public relations game in the United States where the lion's share of this oil is destined.