Climate Change / Emissions

German Government Rejects Report ‘Peak Oil’ Occurred in 2010
By Rainer Buergin - Jan 24, 2011

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government rejected a report by Germany’s armed forces that global crude-oil production reached its maximum last year, parliament’s HIB newsletter said.

Crude output “can be increased through 2035 under today’s conditions, assuming an optimal development and exploitation of reserves,” HIB said today, citing the government’s response to a query by the opposition Green party. The government’s outlook is based on International Energy Agency estimates, it said.

Extreme Offshore: The Hunt for Hard to Find Crude

Written by Al Fin
Thursday, 27 January 2011

Brazil's quest for extreme oil may cost as much as US$ 1 trillion. That is a lot of money to invest in a such a risky proposition -- to retrieve oil that is miles deep underwater. But oil prospectors and producers around the world are on the prowl for extreme crude -- found in places that previous generations would not have dreamed of going.

Harper’s embrace of ‘ethical’ oil sands reignites 'dirty' arguments
STEVEN CHASE
OTTAWA— From Saturday's Globe and Mail (January 08, 2011)

Stephen Harper is embracing the notion that Canada’s controversial oil sands are an “ethical” source of energy, strengthening his support of the maligned resource and kicking off a new chapter in the debate over what critics call “dirty oil.”

The Prime Minister told reporters Friday that his government wants to “explain to the world” that petroleum from Western Canada’s oil sands is superior in respects to crude from other countries.

How Ethical Are Canada's Ethical Funds?

By Larry Powell

January 12, 2011

"Conscientious" investments and the tar sands connection

I doubt that any investors with a social conscience would assume that the
"ethical" funds they hold would be helping pay for such projects as the
Alberta oil sands.

I certainly didn't. Though it turns out, I was wrong!

All five of Canada's major banks lend money to tar sands operators. And all
five are actually included in the portfolios of the many ethical investment
funds in this country.

Tarsands pollution: Ottawa tries to ‘up its game’
Published On Mon Dec 27 2010
The Toronto Star

After digging their heads in the tarsands for years, the governing Conservatives have seen the light: Environment Minister John Baird vowed last week to “up the federal government’s game.”

Devastation, Madagascar

France's Total and US based Madagascar Oil tangle with military governments to push tar sands projects forward

Macdonald Stainsby

December 27, 2010
Mediacoop.ca

Weaknesses monitoring oilsands pollution must be corrected, report says

By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News
December 21, 2010

OTTAWA — There are "significant" weaknesses in monitoring pollution from Alberta's oilsands sector that must be corrected, a scientific panel concluded in a report released Tuesday.

The findings were submitted to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government last week after a two-month analysis that was commissioned by former environment minister Jim Prentice.

Here is a prediction that I hope is wrong. This 'coalition' of tar sands producers will finish their sharing of dry tailings technology, which is already being advertised by Suncor on the side bar of google.

What a perfect combination! Now Total can join in a partnership with the Canadian Boreal Initiative and fund the Pembina Institute, while Suncor can help dig up huge swaths of land all over Africa! It's a win, win!

--M

Suncor, Total team up on oil sands
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
CALGARY— From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 6:17AM EST

Suncor targets 1-M bbl/day with help from Total E&P Canada
Canadian Mining Journal
December 20, 2010

ALBERTA - Calgary-based Suncor Energy has announced plans to increase production to more than one 1 million bbl of oil equivalent daily by 2020. The company says it will boost oil sands production by 10% per year and company-wide production by 8% in each of the next 10 years.