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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Keystone Pipeline to Threaten Water? South Dakota

Expert: Oil would pass near water supply
Some question safety of aquifers with proposed pipeline
By Terry Woster
twoster@midco.net
October 18, 2007

PIERRE - A proposed crude-oil pipeline would pass near some shallow underground water sources in Marshall and Brown counties, an expert says.

The route proposed for a Trans-Canada Keystone Pipeline through South Dakota was altered during planning stages to limit the distance across shallow aquifer areas that the line would travel, Heidi Tillquist said in testimony filed with the state Public Utilities Commission.

"Playing politics with pipe" -- Oilweek

Playing politics with pipe

TransCanada’s Keystone project wins NEB approval, but disdain from unions for exporting refining jobs to the United States

Dale Lunan

Back in the day, opposition to big-inch pipeline projects would come from a host of stakeholders with a direct connection to any new pipeline: First Nations protecting sacred grounds and traditional hunting territories; environmentalists concerned about the impact of pipeline construction on fragile ecosystems; farmers and ranchers worried about the loss, temporary or otherwise, of productive land.

Citing 'safety concerns,' feds fight LNG project back east -- but not along BC's coast.

Unstable Mix: Politics and Liquefied Natural Gas
PM Harper: Opposes LNG shipments through New Brunswick waters.
Citing 'safety concerns,' feds fight LNG project back east -- but not along BC's coast.
By Rob Annandale
October 11, 2007
TheTyee.ca

Chuck Childress moved to "paradise" over 40 years ago. He enjoys nature, but this veteran of the mining, construction and pulp and paper industries is no enviro-fundamentalist.

Massive Fire @ Suncor

Alberta oil sands fire forces mass evacuation of facility
By: Canadian Occupational Health & Safety News
October 15, 2007

FORT MCMURRAY (Canadian OH&S News) -- More than a thousand workers from an Alberta-based energy company were sent home following an early morning oil sands fire at a facility 25 kilometres north of Fort McMurray earlier this month.

Canada needs word of common purpose

Canada needs word of common purpose
Oct 16, 2007 04:30 AM
James Travers

OTTAWA - Imagine a throne speech that sets Canada's direction instead of putting it on course for an election. Imagine, too, a prime minister boldly beginning a frank discussion on the challenges clouding a bright future.

How much would that change the words Governor General Michaëlle Jean speaks tonight for Stephen Harper? Dramatically.

Tar Sands and Water: Fort MacKay and Fort Chipewyan (Video)

Video footage shot by oilsandstruth.org with the Dominionpaper.ca & Msguided.org over the course of the summer, huddled together into amateur documentary form (click on the story to view all five parts):

Part one:

Part two:

Nobel Gore? A Prime Time Hypocrite

October 15, 2007
A Prime Time Hypocrite
Nobel Gore?

By JOSHUA FRANK

Al Gore has returned to the political spotlight in exalted fashion with a Nobel Peace Prize in hand, propping himself up for a potential presidential bid in 2008. Front and center in Gore's new rhetorical entourage is the state of nature, and in particular, global warming. And while Gore may be delivering an important message about the fate of our fragile ecosystems, one must be weary of the messenger's past. For Gore's own environmental record leaves much to be desired.

An oil & gas Shangri-la in the Arctic?

Published on 10 Oct 2007 by ASPO-USA / Energy Bulletin. Archived on 10 Oct 2007.
An oil & gas Shangri-la in the Arctic?

by Dave Cohen

Scientists say the Arctic contains 25% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas. Why not 100%?
— Stephen Colbert, from the Colbert Report

Water needs for potential oil shale industry could complicate thing (Colorado)

Water needs for potential oil shale industry could complicate thing

BY DENNIS WEBB
garfield county correspondent
September 15, 2007

GRAND JUNCTION — America’s thirst for oil is threatening to add to the thirst for water in the West.

Meeting the nation’s energy needs also is threatening water quality in the region, speakers said Friday at a seminar in Grand Junction on energy development’s impacts on water. The seminar was organized by the Colorado River District, based in Glenwood Springs.

Reflecting on Marx and money gone mad-- Rabble

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.