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
Lunn: It should be the market that determines the pace of development
Sep 12, 2007 9:41:00 PM MST
Federal energy minister tells pipeline group plans to reduce regulatory process on track (Pipeline-Regulatory-L)
CALGARY (CP) _ Plans to reduce the regulatory process for major pipeline projects in the future are on track Federal Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn said Wednesday evening but won‘t be any help to the $16.2 billion Mackenzie Gas pipeline.
The Harper government put aside $150 million over five years in the last federal budget to set up a new Major Projects Management Office to help streamline the regulatory process.
Rainbow Lake oil pipeline put on sale by Imperial; Tied to MGP?
Rainbow Lake oil pipeline put on sale by Imperial Oil and partners
Published: Thursday, September 6, 2007 | 8:44 PM ET
Canadian Press: JUDY MONCHUK
CALGARY (CP) - The energy champions behind the proposed $16-billion Mackenzie pipeline are selling a small oil pipeline in northern Alberta, bewildering observers who say the Rainbow line has strategic importance.
Rainbow is owned by Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO), ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, all partners in plans to bring Canada's large Arctic reserves of natural gas to southern markets.
CNN gets in on the Peak: "The End of Oil"
The article here, rather poorly put together, nonetheless should be noted for a multitude of reasons & not least that this is on CNN and is a follow up on the GAO in the lower 48 actually discussing the problem. There is a slow but clear trend towards not just peak oil, but peak denial. We have hit the peak in reasonable denial; the costs of continuing any further such denial are simply too great for the "market of ideas" to bear.
--M
The end of oil
A small - but growing - group of experts think world oil production will peak in the next few years, to devastating effect.
Nuclear just too hot for Alberta
It is important that the industry PR men & women are able to believe their own press-- but it is equally important that they are not believed by those of us who wish to counter their stories.
Editorial: North Dakota must step up on planned [Keystone] pipeline
North Dakota must step up on planned pipeline
Sep 14, 2007 - 08:30:11 CDT
By TIM MATHERN
Fargo
A pipeline company wants access to thousands of acres of private land in the state. Recent hearings before the Public Service Commission tell me this issue goes way beyond the PSC; the governor needs to provide leadership.
The TransCanada Keystone pipeline would carry Canadian "tar sands" oil from Alberta to refineries in other states. PSC approval of the route would make more than 400 landowners subject to condemnation proceedings.
Shell Claiming "Psychology" Driving Oil Prices; Aim to ramp up Tar Sands Production 5 times
Shell Chief Says `Psychology' Boosting Oil Prices
By Sonja Franklin
Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chief Executive Officer Jeroen van der Veer said there is sufficient crude oil supply in global markets and that prices are driven by speculation.
``The supply and demand is pretty OK,'' he said at a briefing with reporters in Calgary today. ``What we do have is a lot of psychology in the price. We have to expect volatility in the oil price due to this psychological component.''
Peak Oil Facts Converge with Theory
Copyright 2007 Financial Times Information
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2007 Kasturi & Sons Ltd,
The Financial Times Limited
September 14, 2007 Friday
PEAK OIL FACTS CONVERGE WITH THEORY
Peace River: Environmental group protests the nuclear plant
Environmental group protests the nuclear plant
Peace River Environmental Society questions economic benefit and ecological effect
Justin Pot / R-G Staffwriter
Tuesday September 11, 2007
It’s Wednesday afternoon. Inside the Peace Valley Inn’s Emerald Room representatives from Energy Alberta are handing out pamphlets and talking to citizens about their concerns regarding the proposed nuclear power plant. A Power Point presentation loops on a white screen, tables are arrayed with information and refreshments as the representatives make the rounds, talking to everyone who comes in.
Mackenzie Gas Project Proponents "Getting Optimistic" Again.
Horizon North optimistic on Mackenzie pipeline
Jon Harding, Financial Post
Published: Thursday, September 13, 2007
One of Canada's largest logistics companies catering to northern development projects added its name to a growing list of optimists who believe the $16-billion Mackenzie Gas Project will proceed.
"As others have said here this week, we believe it's not a question of 'if' but rather 'when'," said Bob German, CFO of Horizon North Logistics Inc., a publicly traded Calgary firm.
Bitumen Who’s Who
When I see an article like this, I am reminded of a quote from Utah Philips: "The earth is not dying, she is being killed... and the people killing her have names and addresses!"
--M
--
Bitumen Who’s Who
Six influential individuals who's opinions count regarding oilsands development
From Western Gold: Heavy Oil and Oilsands in Canada
There are a lot of things about Alberta’s oilsands that are nice to know:
