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
Wood Buffalo Housing grows in slower economy
Wood Buffalo Housing grows in slower economy
Aug 23, 2009
ALEX BOUTILIER
Fort McMurray Today staff
Even with a battered housing market and low oil prices driving Fort McMurray’s economy down, 2008 was a success for the Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation, said president Bryan Lutes, at the non-profit organization's annual general meeting last night.
About 30 people shuffled into the Golden Years Society Activity Centre to listen to reports from Wood Buffalo Housing’s board of directors, from financial statements to planning goals.
Alberta Clipper Pipeline construction under way in North Dakota, Minnesota
Alberta Clipper Pipeline construction under way in North Dakota, Minnesota
Construction of the Alberta Clipper Pipeline is beginning in northern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
By: Kevin Bonham, Grand Forks Herald
Published August 24 2009
Construction of the Alberta Clipper Pipeline is beginning in northern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Harper unloads labour, highways cash
Harper unloads labour, highways cash
Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services
Published Monday, August 24, 2009
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Prime Minister Stephen Harper came bearing gifts for the Northwest Territories Thursday, speeding up promised cash for highway improvements, plus funding a new labour and training agreement to boost the territories' workforce.
Cash for Highways:
The GNWT and federal government are in a seven-year cost-sharing agreement totalling $198 million to improve roads and airports in the territory.
Opti on the block?
If Opti (begun by Ormat, Opti's Israeli parent company) were to be bought out by competing energy companies, that would essentially send their "cogeneration" climate intensive, garbage-burning form of production mainstream. It also leads to further consolidation of the majors in the tar sands, making opposition more difficult.
--M
Keep An Eye On This Oil Sands Company
By Joseph Nguyen
August 21, 2009
Tar sands camps brimming despite cuts
Oilsands camps brimming despite cuts
By Dave Cooper, Edmonton Journal
August 18, 2009
The number of staff in Fort Mc-Murray work camps and lodges has remained high despite the cutbacks of major projects last fall, according to a census released by the Oil Sands Developers Group.
Imperial takes fresh look at $1B plan; would use "cogeneration".
"Co-generation"-- a term that means burning the waste gunk at the bottom of a barrel of extracted bitumen, for energy-- is a massive increase in carbon footprint, in the name of 'efficiency'. It was originally developed by Ormat-- the parent of tar sands developer Opti-- to develop oil shale in 1948 Palestine. The dirtiest plant in terms of "intensity" (the reduction of which is supposedly the goal of the Harper co2 plan) is the Opti and Nexen Long Lake plant south of Fort McMurray.
Canadian First Nations seek to highlight UK's 'criminal' role in CO2-heavy oil schemes
Native Americans to join London climate camp protest over tar sands
Canadian First Nations seek to highlight UK's 'criminal' role in CO2-heavy oil schemes
Terry Macalister
guardian.co.uk,
Sunday 23 August 2009
Native Americans are to join the Climate Camp protests in the City of London this week in an attempt to draw attention to corporate Britain's "criminal" involvement in the tar sands of Canada.
Five representatives from the Cree First Nations are coming to co-ordinate their campaign against key players in the carbon-heavy energy sector with British environmentalists.
Tar sands oil dirty as ever despite Alberta and industry spin: Sierra Club
Tar sands oil dirty as ever despite Alberta and industry spin: Sierra Club
on Aug 3rd, 2009
CALGARY, OTTAWA – Tar sands oil is as dirty as ever despite the most recent communications spin by the Alberta government and oil industry says Sierra Club Canada.
US State Department Gives Green Light to Enbridge Alberta-Clipper Pipeline-- Ignores Indigenous Sovereignty.
State Department Gives Green Light to Canada-U.S. Oil Pipeline
By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 21, 2009
The State Department has approved the construction of a multibillion-dollar pipeline from Canadian oil sands to refineries in the United States, prompting an outcry from environmental groups opposed to oil sands development.
Tar Sands protest comes to UK Climate Camp
Tar Sands protest comes to UK Climate Camp
Ecologist
18th August, 2009
Oil extraction from tar sands is causing large-scale environmental damage, say activists
The fight against the extraction of oil from the tar sands of Alberta in Canada will reach the UK later this month.
Representatives from First Nations, the group that speaks for Canada's aboriginal people, will join in the London Climate Camp protest from August 27th to 31st.
