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.
BP shuts alternative energy HQ
• 'Beyond Petroleum' boast in doubt as clean energy boss quits
• Renewables budget will be reduced by up to £550m this year
Terry Macalister
Guardian.co.uk,
Sunday 28 June 2009
BP has shut down its alternative energy headquarters in London, accepted the resignation of its clean energy boss and imposed budget cuts in moves likely to be seen by environmental critics as further signs of the oil group moving "back to petroleum".
Separating truth from greenwashing in the West's energy export boom
By Andrea Harden-Donahue
| June 24, 2009
Reading the Saskatchewan government's news release announcing the Energy Council conference, I couldn't help but reflect on the connections with the news of a proposed Western Energy Corridor, recently reported in the Star Phoenix following the Western Governors Association (WGA) Annual Conference. While both are riddled with words like 'sustainability' and 'clean energy,' red flags are going up in seeing emerging themes that raise some serious questions.
Group Wants To Stop Planned Pipeline
Jun 26, 2009 at 6:14 PM CDT
Some members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe have joined forces with members of the Fond Du Lac band in an effort to stop a planned Enbridge Energy oil pipeline from crossing their reservations.
Spokespeople with the groups say the pipeline will transport dirty oil and they fear a contaminating oil spill.
Enbridge spokespeople say they already have legal agreements with Fond du Lac and Leech Lake tribal councils to allow the Alberta Clipper pipeline to cross reservation land.
June 26, 2009
Tar sands "as they are" provoke negative press coverage
Here's an interesting admission from the first edition of the Canada West Foundation's Oil Sands Media Monitoring Report:
Keystone pipeline: Gold mine or environmental disaster?
By WESLEY P. JAMES
The governor wants the pipeline for the jobs, county commissioners want the pipeline for the property taxes and local businesses want the pipeline for the economic activity generated by the construction and operation of the pipeline.
Canada's 'toxic secret' soon to be made public
Last Updated: Thursday, June 18, 2009 |
CBC News
Environmental groups have long called the tailings lakes in the Alberta oilsands Canada's toxic secret, but companies operating there will soon be required to disclose exactly what pollutants are there.
In April, a federal court ordered Ottawa to make the mining industry release a complete inventory of what material they release into the environment. Now companies in the oilsands will also have to comply, CBC News has learned.
Investment not worth the spills
Smithers Interior News
June 24, 2009
Editor:
Christine Ogryzlo, from the Smithers Exploration Group, suggests in her letter that we should allow Enbridge to bring tar sands pipelines and super crude oil tankers to our coast to show that we support development in this region, acknowledging that it won’t bring about many jobs. That’s a pretty high-risk way to send a message.
What’s the Real Story Behind the Alaska Pipeline?
Written by Ruedigar Matthes
Published on June 18th, 2009
Posted in Climate Change, Editor's Choice, Natural Resources
With the spotlight shining on clean energy, the stage has been set for the U.S. to rid itself of a harmful addiction to foreign oil. The stars are aligned and the cards have been dealt. Soon we’ll have kicked the dirty habit, right?
It should be noted that this article posits that the MGP and Alaska Highway gas lines are competing-- more blather aimed at garnering concessions and subsidies from governments, etc. The reality is that the goal of five million barrels a day of tar sands bitumen extraction-- now said to be in line to happen by 2035-- cannot take place without all the MGP gas and most of the Alaskan. Math is not a debatable point.
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Who’s on first?
Exxon-TransCan Alaska gas line push sends tremor through Mackenzie ranks
By Gary Park
Week of June 21, 2009
For Petroleum News
he Politics of Bait and Switch
by Jeffrey St Clair and Joshua Frank
CounterPunch (May 21 2009)
After little more than 100 days in office, the Democrats, under the leadership of Barack Obama, have unleashed a slew of anti-environmental policies that would have enraged any reasonable conservationist during the Bush years.
