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
Foreign workers exploited by temporary job plan: critics
Clip from the article below:
He said Alberta, because of its ongoing labour woes, has become "ground zero" for the Temporary Foreign Worker program, which has expanded into "a huge social and economic experiment that's in the process of going horribly wrong."
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Utah: Oil-shale 'rush' is sparking concern
Oil-shale 'rush' is sparking concern
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret Morning News
Published: Saturday, March 22, 2008
With oil prices surpassing $100 per barrel, talk of extracting the black gold wherever it can be found in Utah and elsewhere is raising red flags for environmental groups.
The most recent complaint came this week from 26 conservation groups that accuse the Bush administration of rushing to develop oil shale and tar sands and endangering communities and 2 million acres of wild lands in three states, including Utah.
Peak Oil May Worsen the Climate Crisis
Peak Oil May Worsen the Climate Crisis
April 02, 2008 10:45 AM ET | Marianne Lavelle
It's hard to know whether we should be more worried that consuming oil is killing the planet or that there's way too little of this killer oil left.
Taking a bet on tar sands (from Malaysia)
Taking a bet on oil sands
WITH crude oil hitting a record price of US$108 per barrel recently, the search for oil and gas has been more intense than ever due to its high profit margin.
In recent years, investing in the extraction of oil from sand or oil sands is gaining popularity because of the strong demand and high prices of oil.
UTS Energy, Teck Cominco plan new tar sands mine
With each new project, the practical viability of a mere moratorium on tar sands production becomes ever more clear.
Alaska Highway Pipeline path to Canada assailed
As one can see by both crunching the numbers on energy input needs for tar sands expansion proposals or by glancing at the 2030 proposed pipelines map on the sidebar of this site, this gas is not destinted, for the large component, for Chicago. It would be destined for the Albertan energy grid to turn tar sands deposits into "oil".
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Pipeline path to Canada assailed
ALASKA GAS: Critics of TransCanada's plan cite profit, exclusivity.
By WESLEY LOY wloy@adn.com
Published: March 25th, 2008 12:03 AM
Outgoing CEO of Imperial Oil wants to Fast Track MGP, Greenwash Tar Sands
Imperial CEO says oilsands needs to burnish its image
Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2008
When Tim Hearn started working at Imperial Oil Ltd. 41 years ago, oil was worth US$1.80 a barrel and natural gas 16¢ per thousand cubic feet.
With oil prices nearing US$110 and gas prices US$10,Mr. Hearn, 64, is retiring on March 31 as CEO and chairman of Imperial, leaving behind a company with no debt and pushing forward some of Canada's largest oil and gas projects. Mr. Hearn will be replaced by Bruce March, 51, an Exxon Mobil Corp. refining executive.
Contamination threatens the North Coast way of life
Contamination threatens the North Coast way of life
Iain Hunter, Special to Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, March 29, 2008
I'm told that when other people in British Columbia turn off a few lights at 8 p.m. today to observe Earth Hour, the folks in Hartley Bay are making a bit more of a sacrifice by shutting down the town's only generator.
It's said to be a dry run for the day when they can close the thing down for good and switch to greener and safer hydro generation, for they've been reminded what could lie ahead.
Tar Sands Exploration in Saskatchewan: The Environmental Impacts
Tar Sands Exploration in Saskatchewan: The Environmental Impacts
Global Research, March 31, 2008
Saskatchewan Environmental Society
ENVIRONMENTALISTS CALL FOR FREEZE ON OIL SANDS EXPLORATION PERMITS
Stelmach named ‘Canadian Fossil Fool of the Year’ by environmental groups
Stelmach named ‘Canadian Fossil Fool of the Year’ by environmental groups
Award
SCOTT HARRIS / scott@vueweekly.com
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has been crowned “Canadian Fossil Fool of the Year” by a coalition of youth environmental organizations.
Stelmach was given the award, also dubbed a “Foolie,” for promoting increased production in Alberta’s tar sands and in recognition of the provincial government’s recent climate change plan, which focusses on intensity-based targets rather than absolute reductions in emissions.
