Climate Change / Emissions

Bush Quietly Passes Dozens of New Rules
Stephen Leahy

UXBRIDGE, Canada, 1 Dec (IPS) - As the world community meets in Poland
this week to find solutions to the climate crisis, the George W. Bush
White House is chaining the United States' tiller to prevent a change
of course by President-elect Barack Obama by passing new anti-
environmental rules and regulations at a furious pace.

Nearly a million hectares of public wildlands in Wyoming and Utah are
being opened up to oil shale extraction, the Endangered Species Act is

Commercial ship travels through Northwest Passage for first time
The Canadian Press

November 28, 2008 at 8:14 PM EST

GJOA HAVEN, Nunavut — CBC News is reporting that a commercial ship has travelled for the first time through the Northwest Passage this fall to deliver supplies to communities in western Nunavut.

The broadcaster says the Canadian Coast Guard says the MV Camilla Desgagnes, owned by Desgagnes Transarctik Inc., transported cargo to the hamlets of Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak from Montreal in September.

http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/redeye@coopradio.org/91-1-shutting_d...

Program Podcast: Redeye - Co-op Radio: Shutting down the tar sands

Podcast for Program: Shutting down the tar sands
In series: Redeye - Co-op Radio

The Alberta tar sands cover a vast area of huge open pits and tailings ponds.
The environmental consequences are enormous and make a mockery of
any Canadian attempt to reduce carbon emissions under the Kyoto
Protocol. Petr Cizek is a land use planner and author. He says that a

The Nuclear Push
Mining lobby wants uranium ban lifted
November 24, 2008

by David Parker, Asaf Rashid, Angela Day

HANTS COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA–As the global demand for energy increases and resources dwindle, a collusion of provincial government and extractive industry officials are pushing to establish a uranium mining industry in rural Nova Scotia through a "voluntary planning” process.

Risk-free pipeline projects make sense
Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

In the midst of the market mayhem, something surprising happened last week; two Calgary-based pipeline companies raised almost $2 billion from the debt and equity markets.

First out of the blocks was TransCanada Pipelines, tapping the public equity markets for a total take of $1 billion priced at $33 per share. The shares closed Monday at $32.22, up 27 cents.

Hidden tar-sands agendas
BARRY HEALEY
November 13, 2008

Toronto -- Jeffrey Simpson points out the dishonesty of Stephen Harper in proposing to unite with the U.S. to combat global warming while leaving the tar sands out of the agreement (Little New For Obama In Ottawa's Energy 'Offer' - Nov. 12).

Company may delay McKay River project
2008-11-25
By KRISTINE OWRAM, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- Petro-Canada CEO Ron Brenneman says the company is considering a delay of its McKay River oilsands expansion and a $1-billion equipment improvement at its Montreal refinery to reduce costs.

Brenneman, speaking to media ahead of the company's investor day, said the McKay River expansion in northern Alberta, as well as its Montreal coker, haven't yet received regulatory and corporate approvals.

Green groups ramp up attacks on oil sands

Claudia Cattaneo, Calgary Bureau Chief, Financial Post Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

CALGARY - Environmental organizations in Canada and the United States are stepping up their campaign to derail Alberta's oil sands and seeking funding from deep-pocketed endowments, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Obama no threat to oil sands: Canadian Natural Resources
Carrie Tait, Financial Post
November 11, 2008

CALGARY -- Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. does not expect US president-elect Barack Obama to implement policies that would crush Alberta's oil sands industry, even though he made anti-oil promises on the campaign trail.

Réal Cusson, senior vice-president of marketing, made the assertion while explaining that it is cheaper for oil sands companies to ship their bitumen to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast for processing than it would be to build new upgraders in Alberta.

Energy consumption up across the board in 2007: StatsCan
Canadian Press
November 18, 2008

OTTAWA — A new study says Canada's demand for energy rose 5.5 per cent last year as consumption increased in the country's industrial, transportation, residential and commercial sectors.

Statistics Canada reports Canadians consumed 7,968 petajoules of energy in 2007, up from 7,551 in 2006.

The agency says one petajoule equals roughly the amount of energy required to operate the Montreal subway system for one year.