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
Sarah Palin's Pipeline to Nowhere
Aside from the horribly racist tone to the description of nations demanding consultation or free, prior and informed consent-- this is really good news.
--M
Risky Business: Palin's pipeline may never get built
By Mark Hosenball | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 20, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Sep 29, 2008
A sea change in immigration, met by silence on the hustings
A sea change in immigration, met by silence on the hustings
Nicholas Keung
Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Immigration Reporters // Toronto Star
When politicians talk about temporary foreign workers, which isn't often,
the Conservatives see them as the SWAT team of the global economy, the
Liberals as not conducive to nation-building, and the New Democrats as
migrants whose wages are exploitative and families fractured.
But no less than the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development has decided temporary labour migration is the global issue of
Protesters Disrupt "Spirit Train" Sendoff: Two arrested, festivities cancelled
Protesters Disrupt "Spirit Train" Sendoff
Two arrested, festivities cancelled
September 21, 2008
by Dawn Paley - The Dominion
About 50 people showed up to protest the "Canada Pacific Spirit Train"
event Sunday in the Vancouver suburb of Port Moody. Taking a position
in front of the main stage, the group carried signs and placards, and
a large banner that read "Resist 2010: No Olympics on Stolen Native
Land."
While demonstrators banged on pots and pans, Gord Hill, speaking on
behalf of the Olympics Resistance Network, announced, "We want homes
Protesters disrupt Olympic Spirit Train kickoff
Protesters disrupt Olympic Spirit Train kickoff
By Ian Austin, Vancouver Province
Published: Sunday, September 21, 2008
Police arrested two people Sunday as protesters armed with placards, air horns and megaphones overpowered the kickoff of the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train in Port Moody.
Shouting "Homes, no games!" and drowning out the scheduled entertainment, the noisy protesters chanted for more than an hour. The performers continually turned up the volume, but were eventually unable to proceed.
Departure of Olympic 'Spirit Train' met with protesters in B.C.
Departure of Olympic 'Spirit Train' met with protesters in B.C.
PORT MOODY, B.C. - The departure of a cross-country rail trip designed to boost enthusiasm for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics is being overshadowed by noisy protesters.
About three dozen protesters attempted to drown out a ceremony in Port Moody, B.C., held to mark the departure of the Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP) Spirit Train.
There were scuffles with police as officers tried to hold the protesters back, and one man was arrested and carried away by his arms and legs.
Cutting Deadly Sulphur Dioxide Emissions Costing Syncrude Billions
Sulphur costs rise at Syncrude
Herald News Services
September 20, 2008
Oilsands - Syncrude Canada Ltd.'s cost for installing equipment to cut emissions of deadly sulphur dioxide has more than doubled to $1.6 billion, the joint-venture's biggest shareholder said Friday.
Canadian Oil Sands Trust, which owns 36.7 per cent of Syncrude, said the cost of the project to retrofit two upgraders with equipment to cut output of sulphur and other particles by 60 per cent had risen from its previous $772-million estimate because of delays and rising labour and material costs.
Evaporating credit to hurt smaller tar sands players
Evaporating credit to hurt smaller oilsands players
Consolidation expected amid lack of capital
Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, September 19, 2008
Ongoing credit woes roiling global financial markets will make a big impact on smaller operators and speed up consolidation in the cash-heavy oilsands sector, observers said Thursday.
"Canada Tar Sands Oil Equals Saudi Arabia"-- Enbridge Plans
Canada Tar Sands Oil Equals Saudi Arabia
MINA, Canada - 16 Sep 2008
With Canadian crude oil becoming a far larger part of the future U.S energy supply landscape, the principal oil and gas pipeline system connecting the two countries is rapidly rebuilding its presence in Superior.
US Refinery Investments Align With Tar Sands Supplies to 2015
US Refinery Investments Align With Oil Sands Supplies to 2015
Posted on: Thursday, 18 September 2008
By Sword, Lindsay
The Contagion Spreads-- Producers Re-think Tar Sands
THE CONTAGION SPREADS
ALBERTA: As crude prices fall and banks tighten the purse strings, producers forced to weigh their options
NORVAL SCOTT AND DAVID EBNER
September 17, 2008
CALGARY and VANCOUVER -- As the U.S. banking crisis boosts borrowing costs and crude prices plummet on global demand fears, the economics of building oil sands projects are coming under pressure.
