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.
Canada's tar sands: a dangerous solution to offshore oil
Alberta is the 'safe' option for US oil needs – but its tar sands are far more environmentally damaging than Deep Horizon
o Heather McRobie
o guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 May 2010
Speech by Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, before the G77 + China at the United Nations
May 7, 2010
I have come here to share the conclusions of the First World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, held last April 20th to 22nd in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I convened this Conference because in Copenhagen the voice of the peoples of the world was not listened to or attended to, nor were established procedures respected by all States.
Gulf spill hardens BC First Nations opposition to Enbridge tar sands pipeline
By David Beers May 5, 2010
The Tyee
A press release issued by the Wet'suwet'en and the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council matter of factly declares “Enbridge's pipeline and tanker project to British Columbia's coast isn't going to happen” and says the oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico has fortified B.C. First Nations’ opposition to the project.
BC First Nations took that message into a meeting of Enbridge Inc. executives and shareholders today in Calgary.
BP investors must urge transparency
Catherin Howarth
guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 May 2010
We are going to the ends of the earth to find the next barrel of oil – but at what price?
The as yet unstoppable oil spill gushing from a deepwater rig drilling for BP in the Gulf of Mexico looks set to have dire environmental and social consequences – for fragile ecosystems and wildlife, and for local residents and businesses. And let us not forget the 11 people who lost their lives in the explosion.
Keystone XL Pipeline hearing held in Fairbury
(5/06/2010) KHAS-TV - Thursday night, U.S. State Department officials will hear from the public about a pipeline that would carry Canadian oil through Nebraska. The first of 3 public meetings, starts at 7:00 Thursday night in Fairbury.
The TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline would run from tar sands near Hardisty, Alberta, to the Gulf Coast.
The hearings follow the release of a report about the environmental impact on Keystone XL.
Again, Thursday night's meeting begins at 7:00 at the Rock Island Railroad Depot.
Suncor Posts Profit After Crude-Oil Prices Advance
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
©2010 Bloomberg News
May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Suncor Energy Inc., Canada's largest oil company, posted first-quarter profit of C$716 million ($703 million) after crude prices jumped and last year's takeover of Petro-Canada lifted production.
Outgoing TransCanada CEO touts economic benefits of Alaska pipeline to Canada
By: Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
30/04/2010
CALGARY - Economic benefits from TransCanada Corp.'s planned Alaska natural gas pipeline are Canada's to lose, the outgoing chief executive of North America's largest gas shipper said Friday.
Obama Sheltered BP's Deepwater Horizon Rig
From Regulatory Requirement
By Tom Eley
06 May, 2010
Last year the Obama administration granted oil giant BP a special exemption from a legal requirement that it produce a detailed environmental impact study on the possible effects of its Deepwater Horizon drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico, an article Wednesday in the Washington Post reveals.
Leave it to the tar sands industry-- including CEO Rick George of Suncor (partners with the Canadian Boreal Initiative and the Pembina Institute) to find a way to spin the disaster in the Gulf as a good thing for the tar sands players. Yuck. These people simply do not have any morals or scruples and know no limits to their depths (so let's partner up with them!).
--M
Gulf's pain oil sands' gain, experts agree
'In face of real disaster...pretty benign operations'
Carrie Tait, National Post
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Li Ka-shing May Tap Israel for Oil-Sands Technology (For use in BP/Husky's Sunrise Project)
May 04, 2010
By Alisa Odenheimer and Mark Lee
May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing may invest in Israeli oil-sands companies to expand his interests in energy production.
Li’s Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. is keen to invest in oil-sands technology that limits environmental pollution, the billionaire told Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz in a meeting in Hong Kong today.
