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
Big Oil Angry over Marie Lake People's Victory
Stelmach decision worries oilpatch
Industry wonders if cancelling Marie Lake permits for bitumen mining hints at new rules for future
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/cityplus/story.html?id=9b00c5...
Archie McLean, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 1:50 am
EDMONTON - Premier Ed Stelmach's decision to halt seismic testing at a northern Alberta lake is raising concerns in the oilpatch over what it means for future projects.
Keystone Pipeline gets Preliminary Nod from US State Department
Oil Pipeline Gets Preliminary Nod
By JAMES MacPHERSON 09.05.07, 5:40 PM ET
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/09/05/ap4086122.html
BISMARCK, N.D. -
The U.S. State Department has given a preliminary nod to a $2 billion pipeline that would transport crude oil from Canada through seven states.
The Keystone pipeline, a project of TransCanada Corp. (nyse: TRP - news - people ) of Calgary, Alberta, is planned to stretch more than 1,800 miles from Hardisty, in east-central Alberta, to refineries in Illinois, with a spur to Oklahoma.
Bell wants Tax Incentives to Destroy Mackenzie Valley
Canadian Min Sees Tax Deal On Mackenzie Gas Project By Fall 2008
Dow Jones
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200709051521DOWJONES...
September 05, 2007: 03:21 PM EST
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Regional Canadian investment minister Brendan Bell said Wednesday that he believes the federal government may be able to negotiate a tax agreement with companies partnering on the Mackenzie gas project by next fall.
Victory for Marie Lake Residents: Seismic Testing Halted
Alberta government halts plans to allow seismic testing on Marie Lake
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070905/national/alta_seismic_testing_...
Wed Sep 5, 8:31 AM
EDMONTON (CP) - The Alberta government has halted a plan to allow controversial seismic testing on Marie Lake.
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Premier Ed Stelmach announced Tuesday night that there were too many safety questions about the technology involved in drilling for oilsands under water.
Marie Lake resident vows to block seismic testing
'We'll break the law if need be'
Marie Lake resident vows to block seismic testing
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/09/04/4468539-sun.html
By CARTER HAYDU, SUN MEDIA
Cabin owners protesting seismic testing at Marie Lake are so determined to keep oilsands development off their water, that they're prepared to block the lake to seismic crews when they try to test the area.
Mexican Rights Violated by Canada in Free Trade’s Name
Mexican rights violated in free trade’s name
Published September 3rd, 2007 in Opinion
http://www.cordweekly.com/archives/2168
ALEX HUNDERT
JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
In mid-August, I spent several days in a small vacation town called Montebello, located between Ottawa and Montreal. In this town on the historic Ottawa River is a resort complex owned by a prominent hotel chain.
The heads of state from Canada, the United States and Mexico were there meeting on August 21 and 22 with an array of the most powerful businessmen and industrialists from North America.
Leading the eco-revolution
Leading the eco-revolution
Activist Clayton Thomas-Muller is building an 'inclusive movement for climate justice' in Canada.
http://www.rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=61919
by Nina Winham
September 4, 2007
It was a lake without stories that first signaled something wrong to Clayton Thomas-Muller and fed the future activist's passion for justice. A lake with no stories and no life, spread thin across his peoples' traditional territory.
Kings of the coal habit
Kings of the coal habit
The fate of our warming planet hinges on six nations, and five of them meet in Sydney this week
Jeremy Leggett
Wednesday September 5, 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2162457,00.html
Through his long years of greenhouse denial, George Bush must have been particularly grateful to John Howard. The Australian prime minister was quick to join Bush in refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol, and has batted for his country's coal interests as trenchantly as Bush has batted for US coal and oil interests.
"Finding the right balance is tough..."
Finding the right balance is tough...
http://www.thenorthernview.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=142&cat=48&id...
By - Brooke Ward
Sep 05 2007
Many of us here in the Northwest seem to know what we want: economic development and sustainability. And we also know what we don’t want: destruction of natural resources. Unfortunately, the Provincial Government seems convinced that we can’t have one without the other.
Mining Industry PR: "Canada's Top 40: Suncor leads the pack"
Canada's Top 40
http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=189929&stor...
By: Marilyn Scales
Oil sands miner Suncor leads pack
Any company with annual revenues of over $7.4 billion is a contender for the top spot on many lists. In the case of the largest 40 Canadian mining companies, the honour goes to Suncor Energy thanks to its oil sands income alone. The rising price of oil continues to bolster Suncor's bottom line. Last year the company ranked eighth on our list with almost $4.0 billion in revenue from its oil sands operations.
