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
More Pipeline Bombings in Mexico
[Intro lifted from the MostlyWater News Feed at http://mostlywater.org/more_pipeline_bombings_in_mexico --M]
[In what is becoming a time-honoured tradition in places where indigenous land and resources are being stolen by governments which don't represent the desires of the people, more strategic oil pipelines were blown up in Mexico earlier today. Meanwhile, in another time-honoured tradition, the corporate media coverage of the events failed to mention possible motivations for the bombings while racing to assure businesses that security along the pipeline has be increased. -r]
Corporate PR: On the plan to Ravage Utah's Tar Sands
Planet Resource Recovery, Inc.'s CEO to Be Featured Guest on www.mn1.com to Demonstrate PetroLuxus(TM) Effect on Utah Tar Sands
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=766618
Shell likely player in Peace River Nuke Plans (UK Press)
As always, when a corporation (with their pliant media friends) wants to get away with something completely unattractive-- such as using disgusting power forms to get disgusting power forms of energy--- turning nukes into tar! They will not likely speak clearly about what they are doing to the local population, lest that engender resistance. So, why not look at the international media (in this case, the conservative UK daily "Independent"), who will definitely talk about something so big, important and likely to help set international trends.
Canada’s Third World; The Plight of the Lubicon Cree
Canada’s Third World; The Plight of the Lubicon Cree
Posted: June 21, 2007
http://www.tarsandswatch.org/canada-s-third-world-plight-lubicon-cree
Cosanna Preston, June 19, 2007,
S Dakota: Keystone Pipeline to be Allowed Violation of Safety Standards
Pipeline builder can waive U.S. rule
Canadian company to use thinner steel
By Terry Woster
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070908/NEWS/7090...
Published: September 8, 2007
PIERRE - A federal agency will allow TransCanada Keystone to design parts of its proposed crude oil pipeline for a stress level higher than current U.S. standards.
Alberta Construction Workers Serve Strike Notice
Alberta carpenters serve strike notice
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070906.RTICKERMAIN06/...
DAVID EBNER
September 6, 2007
Carpenters in Alberta may briefly go on strike this weekend, a strange twist in prolonged and complicated contract talks between builders in the province and construction workers.
Multinationals Predicted to begin Major Takeovers in Tar Sands
Oil patch feeding frenzy predicted
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070907.RRUBIN07/TPSto...
DAVID PARKINSON
September 7, 2007
The Canadian oil patch could be hit by a major round of takeovers by multinational giants in the next year, Jeff Rubin of CIBC World Markets predicts, as the global energy industry looks increasingly to Alberta's rich oil sands as one of the few major world oil reserves unfettered by political meddling.
Rah-rah-radicals
Rah-rah-radicals
Changing the world, one pom-pom at a time
Francois Marchand, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Saturday, September 8, 2007
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/ed/story.html?id=96db584f-d46...
Samantha Power and her cheerleading squad are rehearsing their jumps and kicks and readying their rah-rah-rahs.
"It's a lot of practice," says Power, a former University of Alberta Students' Union president. "We want to be pretty tight. We have a few friends who have been cheerleaders before to teach us how to do those types of things."
China explains Move Out of Canada, into Venezuela
Chinese Chill
CNPC executive announces China’s exit from the Gateway Pipeline Project
http://www.oilweek.com/articles.asp?ID=462
Andrea W. Lorenz
China has dramatically altered its international investment policy, pulling back on its plans for direct participation in Canada’s oilsands and withdrawing its support for Enbridge Inc.’s $4-billion Gateway Pipeline Project to deliver bitumen and synthetic crude oil to the west coast.
N Dakota: Federal regulators give favorable preliminary review of Keystone Pipeline
Federal regulators give favorable preliminary review of pipeline...
Sep 5 2007 5:02PM
Associated Press
http://www.kxmb.com/News/159289.asp
GRAFTON, N.D. (AP) The U.S. State Department has given a favorable preliminary review of a pipeline that would pump crude oil from Canada through South Dakota and six other states.
