Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Energy

Energy and how it is captured and consumed is barely viable in tar sands production. While the amount of oil in places such as the tar sands in Alberta or the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela may have deposits of similar size to the reserves of countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, the return of new energy after expending energy in production is not even close. In Iraq, the process of using one barrel of oil generates 100 new barrels. In the tar sands, estimates of 3 to 1 and even as low as 1.5 to 1 have been made. Offsetting the net energy loss would require minimally 25-30 tar sands facilities for one Saudi plant operating at the same capacity.

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Pew Boreal Front Group Makes Non-Statement About the Tar Sands

The International Boreal Conservation Campaign (www.interboreal.org) is another front group established by the Pew Charitable Trusts, much like the Canadian Boreal Initiative (www.borealcanada.ca). The Pew family built the original tar sands project, which became Suncor. Although the Pew family no longer owns Suncor, the family company Sunoco continues to refine much synthetic crude oil. This is their non-statement about the tar sands. Of course, no mention about a moratorium or a shut down. After all, Suncor is one of their partners in the Canadian Boreal Initiative.....

“The oilsands will get their gas no matter what. It‘s everyone else who needs to worry.‘‘

Dec 6, 2007 1:00:00 PM MST
TransCanada, Imperial led group to benefit from rumoured Mackenzie restructuring (TransCanada-Mackenzie)

CALGARY _ Analysts say a reworking of the Mackenzie Gas Project will be a boon for all involved, with pipeline operator TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) likely to see major returns and the Imperial Oil-led consortium (TSX:IMO) of producers relieved of much of the cost burdens that have threatened to kill the entire energy project.

UP IN SMOKE: a decade of Canadian inaction

UP IN SMOKE
Scott Harris / scott@vueweekly.com

a decade of Canadian inaction

http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx?i=7611

A decade after the international community agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, and five years since Parliament ratified the agreement, there isn’t a lot of good news about how Canada has done in living up to its international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rethinking the Implications of Climate Change and Peak Oil

by Richard Heinberg

MuseLetter #187 / November 2007

Environmental and development NGOs are now fixated on climate change to
the exclusion of nearly every other topic. Discussions in and among
these organizations center on capping carbon emissions and trading
emissions rights, and doing this internationally in a way that will be
deemed equitable by the global South and acceptable to the industrial
Northern countries.

Most of these policy organizations are seeking ways of implementing

It's the Tar Sands, Stupid-- Canada home to global warming's new ground zero.

It's the Tar Sands, Stupid
PM Harper: Bali ballyhoo.
Canada home to global warming's new ground zero.
By Mitchell Anderson
Published: December 4, 2007
email this article print this story
TheTyee.ca

You can't practice abstinence while running a brothel. Yet politicians of almost all stripes talk simultaneously about developing the Alberta oil sands while getting serous about reducing carbon emissions. Sound like a crock? It is.

Sharply drawn Journalism: Canadian Mining Comics

Sharply drawn
journalism
Local publishers Cumulus Press combine reportage with comics to take a look
at the mining industry

TAR SANDS EXTRACTION PITS:
From Extraction! A “Comix Reportage”

by CHRISTOPHER HAZOU

Local publishers Cumulus Press launch their first foray into the world of journalism and art this week with Extraction! A “Comix Reportage” about the Canadian mining industry and its effects on people and the environment around the globe.

Akaicho Land Trust "Largest Ever" [Doesn't Include Entire Thelon Region]

Akaicho Land Trust "Largest Ever" [Doesn't Include Entire Thelon Region]
By LEA STORRY, SRJ Editor 30.NOV.07

Some historic and sacred places of the Akaitcho Dene First Nations have recently been protected for the time being by Ottawa. Approximately 62,000 sq km of land have been preserved from further development.

“It’s a good news story,” said Dennis Bevington, Western Arctic Member of Parliament (MP). “It says a lot about the hard work and efforts the Akaitcho Dene First Nations have put into this.”

Hoaxers target Big Oil

Hoaxers target Big Oil
Monday December 3 2007

Environmental campaigners today appeared to have opened up a new front in the battle against Big Oil over climate change when they established a bogus website and sent out a press release committing BP, Shell and others to a 90% cut in carbon outputs by 2050 with no strings attached.

Settlers and natives, united against the government

THIS COUNTRY: ONTARIO: URANIUM EXPLORATION
Settlers and natives, united against the government
ROY MacGREGOR
December 3, 2007

Let us head down Snow Road on this morning when the plowed banks are higher than they have been any Dec. 3 for some time.

Let us visit on a bitter weekend when Environment Canada has predicted the coldest winter in 15 years.

And here let us talk about global warming - and the hints of heat to come in at least the next 15 years.

NDP yet to break its silence on peak oil

NDP yet to break its silence on peak oil
News Features
Publish Date: November 22, 2007

The federal Green party's B.C. organizer wonders how committed the
NDP is to climate change and addressing peak oil, especially when its
provincial leader, Carole James, drives a crossover SUV.

Ben West told the Georgia Straight he was unaware that James owns a
Subaru Forester–a cross between a regular car and an SUV–but said a
"crossover" SUV sounds like the "definition of hypocrisy".

"How often does she go off-roading? I'm curious," West said.