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
Chevron: Invest in Richmond's Future (Bay Area, California)
Chevron: Invest in Richmond's Future
New America Media, Commentary, Jeff Ritterman
Jul 19, 2009
The Beaver Lake Cree Nation vs the Tar Sands
The Beaver Lake Cree Nation vs the Tar Sands
July 15th, 2009
The following article was written by Drew Mildon, a lawyer at the Canadian law firm Woodward and Company. Woodward and Company is overseeing the Beaver Lake Cree Nation law suit against the Government of Canada.
At what price 'white man's money'?
At what price 'white man's money'?
The candidates vying to succeed Grand Chief Phil Fontaine next week pretty much agree that economic development is the key to prosperity for Canada's native people. Many others, however, fear the cost. The Globe and Mail's Shawn McCarthy reports
Shawn McCarthy OTTAWA - From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Saturday, Jul. 18, 2009
Each spring, Art Sterritt and his family gather at his wife's ancestral home among B.C.'s Gitga'at people to harvest seaweed, clams and cockles on the shores of Hartley Bay near Kitimat.
Canada dead last on climate change
Canada dead last on climate change
We can no longer use the U.S. as an excuse for inaction
GERALD BUTTS, Freelance
Published: Wednesday, July 08
Here is a sobering thought to consider as Canada prepares to assume the presidency of the G8 following this week's meeting in Italy: Canada has for the first time replaced the United States as the worst performer on tackling climate change among G8 nations. This was revealed in the recent G8 Climate Scorecard, released jointly by WWF, the global conservation organization, and the global insurance company Allianz.
THE Liberal Party of Canada will help destroy the world.
Head in the sands
North Shore News
Published: Wednesday, July 08, 2009
THE Liberal Party of Canada will help destroy the world.
That's the message delivered to Albertans this week by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. Presumably he is hoping it will be enough to get him elected.
Let's cut the top off of Colorado, flip it and spin it, burn it-- Freedom!
OIL FROM STONE: SECURING AMERICA'S ENERGY FUTURE
Rising prices and security concerns raise important questions about America's energy options. Currently, the United States imports 66 percent of its oil -- about 4.7 billion barrels per year or 9,000 barrels every minute. However, there are vast amounts of oil shale -- a type of rock rich in kerogen, an organic sedimentary material -- which can be converted into high-quality liquid fuels, says H. Sterling Burnett, a senior fellow, and Tomas Castella, a research assistant, both with the National Center for Policy Analysis.
[Tar sands?] Alternatives for Alaska gas
Alternatives for Alaska gas
In-state processing would add value
Bob Thomas, Community Perspective
Published Sunday, July 12, 2009
Alberta First Nation gets anti-tar sands help from U.K. co-op
Alberta First Nation gets anti-oilsands help from U.K. co-op
By Vinesh Pratap, Global News
July 7, 2009
LAC LA BICHE, Alta. — A consumer co-operative based in the United Kingdom is joining a small First Nations community in Alberta in its fight to stop the expansion of oilsands development in the province.
The Co-operative Group, a Manchester-based bank, says it will continue to support the 900-member Beaver Lake Cree Nation in Lac La Biche as it prepares to take on the Alberta and Canadian governments in a lawsuit.
Canadian Natural's Horizon producing above capacity
Canadian Natural's Horizon producing above capacity
Wed Jul 8, 2009 3:52pm EDT
CALGARY, Alberta, July 8 (Reuters) - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ.TO) has been ramping up production at its new Horizon oil sands project, recently seeing output of up to 120,000 barrels per day, a rate above the project's official capacity, the company's vice-chairman said on Wednesday.
Kinder Morgan pipes march through BC
West Coast oilsands exports at record
Shipments open new markets for Alberta crude
By Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald
July 9, 2009
CALGARY - Exports of oilsands via tanker ships off the West Coast hit an all-time high this spring, the head of the only pipeline company to cross the Rocky Mountains said in Calgary Wednesday.
