Tar Sands 101
The Tar Sands "Gigaproject" is the largest industrial project in human history and likely also the most destructive. The tar sands mining procedure releases at least three times the CO2 emissions as regular oil production and is slated to become the single largest industrial contributor in North America to Climate Change.
The tar sands are already slated to be the cause of up to the second fastest rate of deforestation on the planet behind the Amazon Rainforest Basin. Currently approved projects will see 3 million barrels of tar sands mock crude produced daily by 2018; for each barrel of oil up to as high as five barrels of water are used.
Human health in many communities has seriously taken a turn for the worse with many causes alleged to be from tar sands production. Tar sands production has led to many serious social issues throughout Alberta, from housing crises to the vast expansion of temporary foreign worker programs that racialize and exploit so-called non-citizens. Infrastructure from pipelines to refineries to super tanker oil traffic on the seas crosses the continent in all directions to allthree major oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.
The mock oil produced primarily is consumed in the United States and helps to subsidize continued wars of aggression against other oil producing nations such as Iraq, Venezuela and Iran.
To understand the tar sands in more depth, continue to our Tar Sands 101 reading list
Scream star 'horrified' by tar sands
Scream star 'horrified' by oilsands
edmonton journal
Published: 9:56 am
EDMONTON - Actress Neve Campbell toured the Fort McMurray oilsands this week and met with leaders of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Mikisew Cree First Nation.
"I'm horrified by the pace and scale of development in the tar sands, and the weak response by our federal and provincial governments," Campbell said in a news release today.
Enbridge touted as safe investment in current climate
Enbridge spells DEFENCE
Posted: October 08, 2008, 1:01 PM by David Pett
Energy:
Enbridge Inc. is a good bet for those investors seeking refuge from beaten down markets of now.
At least, that's the conclusion set forth by two analysts, following Enbridge's Investor Day in Toronto on Tuesday.
"Enbridge made a strong case for its investment merits in today’s market, including a low risk profile, manageable capital requirements, and compelling earnings growth over the next 4-5 years," Grant Hofer of UBS said in a research note, reiterating his "buy" rating and $50 price target.
CSIS, RCMP launch probes against possible Olympic threats
CSIS, RCMP launch probes against possible Olympic threats
Jeff Lee , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, October 08, 2008
VANCOUVER - Security forces are predicting protests will escalate as the 2010 Olympics approach and have mounted a number of "intelligence probes" to counteract threats.
The information is contained in heavily censored documents obtained by the Vancouver Sun from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP, the lead agency for the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (ISU.)
The Peak Oil Crisis: Bailouts & Shortages
The Peak Oil Crisis: Bailouts & Shortages
Written by Tom Whipple
Thursday, 02 October 2008 11:19
We are witnessing one of the most eventful weeks in modern history. Stocks and oil prices plunged on Monday and bounced on Tuesday; credit markets seem to be freezing; the Congress remains in gridlock as members watch the approaching elections fearful of what could happen to their incumbency.
In the South gasoline supplies have been short for two weeks and prices there have bounced back to $4 a gallon. The economic news gets worse with every release of new numbers.
Market woes hit tar sands projects
Very interesting line in here:
"Instead of building an upgrader such as at Fort Hills, which needs an oil price of around $90 a barrel to create returns, the returns are better if companies find a U.S. refining partner to take their bitumen production, he added."
This is essentially a statement that the financial collapse within the United States is leading the tar sands to export more bitumen directly without, in industry parlance "giving the value added here before moving the product downstream". This will definitely further inflame the Alberta Federation of Labour.
--M
Enbridge CEO says Harper bitumen plan no threat
Enbridge CEO says Harper bitumen plan no threat
Tue Oct 7, 2008 2:21pm EDT
By Cameron French
TORONTO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc Chief Executive Pat Daniel said on Tuesday that a campaign pledge by Canada's governing Conservatives to halt exports of tar-like bitumen to countries whose environmental record is weaker than Canada's is no threat to Enbridge's planned C$4.2 billion pipeline to the Pacific Coast.
No pipelines to China: Harper out of touch - Energy union president
No pipelines to China: Harper out of touch - Energy union president addresses Munk Centre
TORONTO, Oct. 8 /CNW Telbec/ - Stephen Harper has completely misled
Canadians with his comments about the oil industry last week in Calgary and
again during the leaders' debate.
Mr. Harper said that to enforce greenhouse gas reduction, Canada must
prohibit the export of bitumen to any country with lesser targets, such as
China.
"There are no pipelines to China, and no oil exports to China," says the
president of Canada's largest energy union. "Our bitumen pipelines are all to
Tar sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns
Oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns
Massive refinery expansions for processing crude threaten to wipe out clean-up progress around world's largest body of fresh water
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT //October 8, 2008 // Globe and Mail
The environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands will not be restricted to Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thousands of kilometres away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality around the world's largest body of fresh water.
Edmonton 2010 "Spirit Train" Protest Full Length Radio Broadcast (CJSR)
http://www.cjsr.ualberta.ca/cms/news/news.php?s=riseup&ep=1377&
The above link provides:
Edmonton 2010 "Spirit Train" Protest Full Length
(CJSR Radio Broadcast, hosted by Aaron Chubb)
