Economics drive tar sands operations. Record highs in oil prices, though still fluctuating, will make tar sand oil ‘economical’ (read: profitable) well into the future. Government subsidies to this environmentally disastrous process remain in place from a time when the federal government was sponsoring research into the possibility of recovering this oil. Stock prices of tar sands developers grow the more conventional oil is scarce.
Reflecting on Marx and money gone mad
by Duncan Cameron
October 9, 2007
The Bank of Canada is busily handing out money to buoy the Canadian financial system, resorting to purchase, and re-purchase agreements which allow financial institutions time to find more funds to satisfy their need for liquidity aka cash. Note that public money is readily available to banks with shortfalls, but not for the homeless.
Australian government report: Peak oil is real, get ready
by The Honourable Andrew McNamara
Future Oil Supply Uncertainty Highlighted
Media Release from the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation
A report tabled in State Parliament today highlights the need for Queensland industry, primary producers and communities to lessen their dependence on imported oil supplies.
Thu, October 11, 2007
Sex-trade workers charged after undercover police raids
UPDATED: 2007-10-11 03:18:22 MST
By NADIA MOHARIB
Undercover cops worked some of the city's prostitute strolls picking up working women now accused of sex-trade related offences.
The sweep by the vice and community-response units in the first week of October took them to four of five city strolls -- in the Beltine, East Village, Forest Lawn and near Eau Claire, where so-called high-end prostitutes work.
A Tale of Two Cities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Fort McMurray
To the Tar Sands
The Bad
Fort Muck: place of sex, drugs, violence, homelessness, massive trucks, polluted air and contaminated water. This is what we were told we would find at the end of deadly Highway 63, or in our case Secondary Highway 881. The city of 70 000 has been growing at a most alarming rate. In response, city council has gone so far as to call for a moratorium on new developments. The municipality simply can not keep up with endless stream of new arrivals and the associated demand for services.
Road to Riches: Pipeline Through Paradise
News: The race to claim Arctic fuel reserves could revive the proposed Mackenzie River Valley pipeline.
By James Ridgeway
October 10, 2007
Commissioners say they're not against pipeline
Oct 10, 2007 - 04:01:41 CDT
Associtaed Press
County commissioners along the route of a proposed oil pipeline from Canada held an impromptu meeting with Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer to tell him they're not all against the plan.
About two dozen commissioners met Monday night with Cramer while in Bismarck for the Association of Counties convention.
AFX News Limited
Total to invest 1 bln usd a year in oil sands in Canada
10.11.07, 12:06 PM ET
PARIS (Thomson Financial) - French group Total is to invest 1 bln usd annually over the next few years in extracting oil from sand deposits in Canada, chairman Thierry Desmarest told an energy conference.
Desmarest said that by 2010 around 10 pct of worldwide oil production will come from oil sands and that this source of production is set to grow.
He underlined these oil sands are located in Canada, a country that does not pose any 'political problems'.
It's not just Alberta, it's the whole country
ANDREW NIKIFORUK
October 6, 2007
review: STUPID TO THE LAST DROP By William Marsden
How Alberta is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (and Doesn't Seem to Care)
The Globe and Mail
Ottawa and Alta First Nation sign agreement-in-principle on $300M land claim
Fri Oct 12, 5:42 PM
By The Canadian Press
WABASCA, Alta. - Alberta's Bigstone Cree have signed an agreement-in-principle with the provincial and federal governments that would entitle the First Nation to almost $300 million and almost 570 square kilometres of land.
The Bigstone are calling it the largest land-claim settlement in Alberta and one of the largest in Canada.
The agreement means all sides will work to finalize the settlement, which stems from a treaty signed in the late 1800s.
TRANSPORT REVOLUTIONS
Moving people and freight without oil
by Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl
To be published by Earthscan in December 2007
(scroll down for an overview and for advance ordering information)
Richard Gilbert
Consultant on Urban Issues
focusing on transport, energy, waste management,
and urban governance
Web site: http://www.richardgilbert.ca
Anthony Perl
Professor of Political Science
Director, Urban Studies Program
Simon Fraser University
OVERVIEW
