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
BP Sent Talking Points to Governor (Whiting Refinery Expansion, Indiana)
Report: BP Sent Talking Points to Governor
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report
The Office of Governor Mitch Daniels is denying any intervention on behalf of BP Whiting's request for an air permit after the Gary Post-Tribune reports that the company maintained contact with state officials. The Post-Tribune obtained materials include talking points, advance copies of newspaper ads and company responses to media inquiries.
The Post-Tribune also reports that BP met with state officials prior to a public hearing on the air permit.
Rain doesn't halt BP protest (Whiting Indiana)
Rain doesn't halt BP protest
By Erik Potter
(Chicago) Post-Tribune
April 21, 2008
Mother Earth was feeling a little crabby on Saturday's Earth Day activities in Whiting.
Rain pounded the area all day, but subsided long enough for the group of area residents and environmentalists to hold an outdoors rally at Whiting's Whihala County Park.
The group was protesting the $3.8 billion expansion of the BP's Whiting Refinery facility, which will allow it to process crude oil extracted from Canadian tar sand.
Whiting Indiana hosts Earth Day event
Whiting hosts Earth Day event
BY DEBORAH LAVERTY
Sunday, April 20, 2008
WHITING | A San Francisco-based environmentalist on Saturday encouraged a group gathered at an Earth Day event to get involved to make a difference.
"Industry is unaccountable. ... On the other side we're seeing people stand up to them when they get organized and get educated. You're invincible," said Ruth Breech, of Global Community Monitor.
They Can't Just Walk All Over Us: Farmers Resiste a Pipeline
They Can't Just Walk All Over Us: Farmers Resiste a Pipeline
Kari Lydersen, April 2008, The Progressive
Carlisle Kelly saved money from his Amtrak job for years to buy one of the last remaining wooded pieces of land in the expansive farm country of central Illinois . Because, as he tells it, "I'm crazy about the animals." An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he wanted to preserve the ancient oaks on a rare hilly, neverfarmed area near LeRoy, Illinois, and restore farmland back into native foliage for wild turkeys and deer.
Senator wants U.S. bill killed that limits tar sands imports
Senator wants U.S. bill killed that limits oilsands imports
Canadian energy key to security of America
Dan Healing, With a file from Geoffrey Scotton, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
A U.S. senator called Tuesday for the repeal as soon as possible of an energy bill provision signed into law by President George W. Bush in December that could prevent government purchases of fuel originating in Alberta's oilsands.
"Alberta plans to satisfy world's tar sands concerns"
Alberta plans to satisfy world's oilsands concerns
Expansion must be done responsibly, premier says
RENATA D'ALIESIO, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, April 18, 2008
Alberta must develop its energy resources in a responsible and sustainable way because the eyes of the world are closely watching, Premier Ed Stelmach said Thursday.
In particular, they're eyeing the oilsands and how the second-largest reserve in the world is developed. Stelmach noted $20 billion of new investment is projected for the oilsands this year, according to Statistics Canada.
Oil soars to record above $117
Oil soars to record above $117
Ikuko Kao, Reuters
Published: 48 minutes ago
LONDON (Reuters) - Crude oil prices surged above $117, setting a new record high on Monday because of worries of supply disruptions from major producers and comments by OPEC reiterating there is no need to raise output.
U.S. light crude struck a record high of $117.40 a barrel. It was trading 27 cents higher at $116.96 by 1155 GMT (7:55 a.m. EDT).
London Brent crude also struck its all time peak of $114.65. It was trading at $114.20, up by 28 cents.
Lubicon's Walk Out of AUC Meeting
http://intercontinentalcry.org/lubicons-walk-out-of-auc-hearing/
“If TransCanada tries to build this pipeline across unceded Lubicon Territory without Lubicon consent — based on approval of an application to an Alberta Government regulatory agency that does not have legitimate authority in unceded Lubicon Territory — the Lubicon people will oppose it every inch of the way, every way we can, for as long as TransCanada Pipelines tries to operate in Lubicon Territory.”
Native chief seeks help of Venezuela's Chavez
Native chief seeks help of Venezuela's Chavez
He'll ask President to help stop profitable U.S.-bound oil pipelines
JOE FRIESEN
>From Thursday's Globe and Mail
April 17, 2008 at 5:25 AM EDT
WINNIPEG - An outspoken Canadian native leader is urging Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to throw his weight behind an attempt to block two multibillion-dollar pipelines that will transport oil from Alberta to the United States.
[Keystone] Oil pipeline developers want ND route changes
Oil pipeline developers want ND route changes
By DALE WETZEL Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Thursday, April 17, 2008
BISMARCK, N.D.
State regulators will hold a hearing next month on 49 proposed changes in the North Dakota route of the Keystone oil pipeline, which is intended to bring crude from western Canada to Oklahoma and Illinois.
