Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, in particular carbon. 40% of Canada’s emissions already come from Alberta alone, not counting the entire tar sands infrastructure across North America nor counting the projected increase in tar sands production or the infrastructure built across the continent to accommodate such increases in production. Factor it all in and you get the picture. You haven’t even burned the petrol yet.
Will Canada's oil boom be an environmental bust?
By ROB GILLIES – Aug 23, 2008
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta (AP) — The largest dump truck in the world is parked under a massive mechanical shovel waiting to transport 400 tons of oily sand at an open pit mine in the northern reaches of Alberta.
Each Caterpillar 797B heavy hauler — three-stories high, with tires twice as tall as the average man — carries the equivalent of 200 barrels of heavy oil worth $23,000 per haul at today's prices.
August 4, 2008
TransCanada announces plan to expand Keystone pipeline capacity
Richard Gilbert
staff writer
A Calgary-based company is expanding its plans to build a pipeline to transport oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast, while construction of the project ramps up in both countries.
The Keystone pipeline expansion involves the construction of a 3,200-kilometre, 36-inch crude oil pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to a delivery point near existing terminals in Port Arthur, Texas.
Coal Juice: High Energy Prices Prompt First U.S. Coal-to-Liquids Plant
Posted by Keith Johnson
Fresh hope for U.S. coal? (AP) July 28, 2008, 1:58 pm
It’s far from clear that higher energy prices are environmentalists’ friend. Though they migh eventually spur clean energy, they’re doing a good bit of the opposite right now.
Oil: Tar sands less damaging than coal, insists Shell
· Profits from controversial source increase by 74%
· Group makes $7.9bn as Exxon hits record $11.7bn
* Terry Macalister
* The Guardian,
* Friday August 1 2008
Shell warned environmentalists and ethical investors yesterday that failure to exploit tar sands and other unconventional oil products would worsen climate change because it would lead to the world burning even more carbon-heavy coal.
Lessons in simplicity on warming
Jul 29, 2008 04:30 AM
Albert Koehl
The most useful lessons to be learned in the fight against global warming can probably be gleaned from grade-school problem-solving exercises – for example, that letting air out of the tires of a truck that doesn't quite fit under a bridge is easier than raising the bridge. In other words, difficult problems don't always call for complicated solutions.
Investors urged to kick the tar sands habit
New report claims carbon intensive projects to extract oil from Canadian tar sands present unacceptable business risks
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 29 Jul 2008
Investors are to be urged to shun controversial projects to extract oil from North American tar fields following the publication of a major new report that claims the carbon intensive processes involved represent an unacceptable environmental and business risk.
Naomi Klein: Bush Sees Crises in Fuel, Food, Housing and Banking as Chance to Exploit Us More
By Amy Goodman
Jul 20, 2008, 06:04
People are desperate for solutions but instead they're handed policies that don't solve the crises, and are highly profitable for corporations.
Richmond council OKs Chevron refinery plan
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 18, 2008
RICHMOND -- A sharply divided Richmond City Council approved on Thursday Chevron's controversial plan for a major upgrade of its century-old refinery and accepted $61 million from the oil company for community programs.
The council voted 5-4 to approve a conditional use permit for Chevron to replace a hydrogen plant, install new hydrogen-purifying equipment, build a new cogeneration power plant and replace other antiquated machinery.
Tar Sands Industry Poised to Pollute Canada's Largest Freshwater Aquifer
CALGARY (July 24, 2008) – The Métis Nation in northeastern Alberta has
discovered that many of Alberta's in situ tar sands projects sit immediately
below a vast groundwater channel system that flows into the Athabasca River.
Given the accidental steam blowouts that have already occurred in the
region, the potential for pollution of Canada's largest freshwater aquifer
is very real.
"We are deeply concerned about these blowouts," says Rick Boucher,
