Climate Change / Emissions

No one wants to be on the outside looking in. When there is a great issue and movement underway, most people-- certainly most people who are political in one form or another-- will do whatever needed to be relevant, to have a comment, to be a part of what is going on, shall we say. This is always the case in presidential elections. The article below has some incredibly good information and is a piece that contains very important information about the whole process of NAFTA, et al.

Media advisory -
North American unions denounce privatization of Mexico's oil sector

OTTAWA, June 17 /CNW Telbec/ - While Mexico is steeped in an intense
public debate on the potential privatisation of PEMEX, a state-owned petroleum
company, North American energy sector unions continue to mobilize their
members and sound the alarm about the colossal loss that Mexico could suffer.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Communications, Energy
and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) have delegated Canadian lawyer

Canadians, Americans split on oil sands

NORVAL SCOTT

June 11, 2008

CALGARY -- A majority of Canadians and Americans see the oil sands as economically important, but Canadians are more concerned about related environmental problems, a survey has found.

The study, carried out by public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard, found that 75 per cent of Canadians surveyed, and 68 per cent of Americans, believe future development of the oil sands is a "good thing."

Bingaman Says Canadian Oil Sands Aren't Restricted by U.S. Law
By Tina Seeley

June 11 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. legislation prohibiting the federal government from buying alternative fuels that have higher greenhouse-gas emissions doesn't apply to Canadian oil sands, Senator Jeff Bingaman said.

``Producing fuel from oil sands is not a new technology,'' Bingaman said today at a meeting of the Canadian American Business Council in Washington. The New Mexico Democrat said he supports clarifying language that the House of Representatives has already approved.

Hyperbolic invective like this should be embraced and treasured, not shunned. It is a sign of power, and not vulnerability that hogwash can be printed like this.

--M

Oil sands tarred with environmentalists' brush
By: Marilyn Scales

In the last couple of weeks environmentalists have loudly condemned Canada's oil sands producers. They call the industry dirty, polluting and a potential cause of increasingly foul emissions from U.S. refineries. These loudmouths have even reverted to the name "tar sands" lest anyone think "oil sands" is more benign.

Small band has big bite
Slave River Journal, June 11/2008

A small First Nation group in the southern part of the Municipality of Wood Buffalo is suing the Alberta provincial government for failing to ensure its treaty rights. Industrial encroachment near the Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation is destroying their way of life, according to Chief Vern Janvier.
“Today we’re at the point where we see no future where we are,” Janvier told reporters in a press conference Wednesday, June 4.

Finding their voice [Economist]
Jun 12th 2008 | OTTAWA
Canada delivers an official apology to its increasingly assertive indigenous peoples

Green groups say US refiners produce more greenhouse gases with oilsands

(AlbertaIndex, June 10, Tuesday) --- Two green lobbies have charged that US refiners will produce much more greenhouse gases processing Canada’s oilsands than if they used ‘traditional’ crude oil.
The Washington DC-based Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Toronto-headquartered Environmental Defence Canada (EDC) said the emissions production increase would be the equivalent of 16 new refineries in the US.

Heavy Problem: Dirtier Oil, Though Cheaper, Sparks Green Backlash
June 12, 2008, 11:45 am
The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Casselman reports:

Cheap oil! Get your cheap oil here!

Well, “cheap” may be pushing it. But even as benchmark crude futures have soared above $130 per barrel, there’s still oil out there for about $105 a barrel. The bad news: it’s nasty stuff.

No balance on tar sands
Jun 10, 2008 04:30 AM

Prime Minister Stephen Harper often talks about finding the right balance between economic growth and environmental protection.

But Harper put growth well ahead of the environment last week when he gave the green light to Imperial Oil's proposed $8 billion Kearl tar-sands project, which is predicted to create 3.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually – equivalent to putting another 800,000 cars on the road.