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
Suncor expanding in Sarnia
Suncor expanding in Sarnia
Published On Sat Oct 03 2009
SARNIA–Suncor Energy Inc. will spend about $120 million over the next year to double the production capacity of its St. Clair ethanol plant near Sarnia, to 400 million litres a year, the company announced Friday.
"This is great news for Suncor, for southern Ontario and for Canada," said Suncor president and CEO Rick George in a statement announcing the expansion.
Alberta won't apologize for remarks about tar sands protesters: solicitor general
Alberta won't apologize for remarks about oilsands protesters: solicitor general
October 6, 2009
EDMONTON — Alberta's solicitor general says the government won't apologize for publicly weighing in on how it thinks oilsands trespassers should be prosecuted.
Fred Lindsay says he respects the independence of judges and prosecutors, and his comments and those of Premier Ed Stelmach only reflect their concerns for public safety.
Lindsay and the premier caused waves with remarks about 16 Greenpeace activists who were charged after trespassing at an oilsands upgrader near Edmonton.
Eyeing a Total [France] tar sands package
Eyeing a Total oil sands package
Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail
Jean-Michel Gires discusses Total's future in Canada
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
CALGARY — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Oct. 06, 2009
French petroleum giant Total SA could add fuel to the oil sands' resurgence as the company nears a decision on a major expansion project, the company's new Canadian head said yesterday.
Tuktoyaktuk: a community on the frontline of climate change
Tuktoyaktuk: a community on the frontline of climate change
Emma Bocking
1st October, 2009
Canadian coastal communities are faced with rising sea levels as the government continues to support destructive tar sands mining.
As the tar sands move forward, Canada's north is fighting the effects
The hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk on the northern coast of Canada is facing the steadily rising Arctic Ocean at roughly the rate of 3mm per year, which may soon force the community to relocate further south.
Israeli Corp. Ormat’s Opti Takes On Tar Sands In Alberta, A Dirty Deed For The Company’s “Clean” Image
Ormat’s Opti Takes On Oil Sands In Alberta, A Dirty Deed For The Company’s “Clean” Image
Submitted by Maurice Picow on October 4, 2009
Israel’s ORMAT Industries Ltd (ORA) has joined with its subsidiary Opti Canada Inc in a project in extract and produce a high grade of petroleum from oil sands located in northern Alberta Canada. ORMAT is a world leader in producing energy from unconventional sources, including geo-thermal energy from volcanoes and hot springs under the earth’s surface.
Alberta aims to streamline permit process
Alberta aims to streamline permit process
Environmental hurdles under scrutiny
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
CALGARY — From Friday's Globe and Mail
Oct. 03, 2009
The Alberta government and Canada's oil sands industry are working on a controversial new plan to make it easier for companies to get environmental permission for certain types of projects.
Imperial probes Sarnia benzene leak
Imperial probes Sarnia benzene leak
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 |
CBC News
Police in Sarnia have lifted a shelter order for parts of the city that began after a benzene leak at the Imperial Oil facility there.
Prominent lawyer questions Stelmach's interference in judicial system
Environmental Services — October 6, 2009
Prominent lawyer questions Stelmach's interference in judicial system
EDMONTON, Oct. 6 /CNW/ - Prominent Alberta lawyer Brian Beresh raised concerns today that Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach is unconstitutionally using his position as premier to exert political influence over the judicial system and undermine the right to fair trials for Greenpeace activists.
Greenpeace activists occupy Alberta Shell Upgrader in Fort Saskatchewan
Greenpeace activists occupy Alberta Shell site
By Richard Warnica and Laura Drake, Edmonton Journal
October 3, 2009 2:52 PM
Greenpeace activists occupy an exhaust stack at the Shell Scotford Upgrader Expansion near Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. on October 3, 2009
Photograph by: Ryan Jackson, Edmonton Journal
FORT SASKATCHEWAN, Alta. — Greenpeace protesters occupied an oilfield property outside Edmonton on Saturday, the third dramatic demonstration the group has staged against Alberta’s controversial oilsands development in recent weeks.
Encana heads for tar sands
EnCana spinoff plans new oil sands project
By Carrie Tait, Financial Post, with files from Reuters
October 1, 2009
CALGARY -- A year after dreary news blanked the oil sands thanks to a rapid-fire procession of project delays, EnCana Corp. Thursday said it plans to kick off the process to launch a new multi-billion project with a technological twist.
