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.
IN MY HOMETOWN: Enbridge plans new pipeline
Kevin Bonham Grand Forks Herald
Published Monday, December 22, 2008
While the controversial Keystone Pipeline is being built across North Dakota — from Hardisty, Alta., to Illinois and Oklahoma — another pipeline company continues to expand in the region.
Reflections of Fidel
The unjustifiable destruction of the environment
CAN capitalist society avoid it? News about the issue is not encouraging. In Poznan, they are discussing the project to be presented in December of next year in Copenhagen, where the agreement that will replace the Kyoto Protocol will be discussed and voted on.
Vandals target another B.C. gas pipeline
Thu Dec. 18 2008
ctvbc.ca
Vandals have targeted another set of natural gas well sites in northeastern British Columbia, but authorities aren't immediately linking the latest attacks to three earlier bombings to EnCana pipelines in October.
Const. Jackelynn Passarell said Thursday valves were tampered with and shots were fired at well sites operated by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (TSX:CNQ) and Iteration Energy (TSX:ITX).
A moving speech by Casey Camp-Horinek of the Ponca Nation in Oklahoma on the
theft and industrial devastation of their lands. Many Ponca are dying
from cancer in what is now Oklahoma´s refinery "hub". Now there are new
plans for refineries to process tar sands bitumen from Alberta.
Then, Dave Malka went to the Coalition Yes rally early in December and
collected a few interviews of attendees. Some opinions about the coalition
you might have missed on the mainstream radio.
http://www.cjsr.ualberta.ca/news/news.php?s=riseup
Downloadable link:
Industry upset over JRP deadline
Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 15, 2008
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Reaction to news that the Joint Review Panel will not have its report on the embattled Mackenzie Gas Project ready until December 2009 has been uniformly negative and in some cases incredulous.
"You've got to be kidding" was the initial reaction of Ann Marie Tout, president of the NWT Chamber of Commerce.
Thumbs down: Oil slick
by Editors Dec 10, 2008
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is refusing a request by the Post-Tribune in Merrillville to provide a calendar showing when meetings were held dealing with the BP oil refinery’s air permit. IDEM approved a construction permit for BP in May, but environmentalists say it was improperly granted. IDEM has refused to release information on meetings leading up to the approval twice now — and has given two different excuses. The Post-Tribune is appealing.
Council of Canadians blasts Alta. gov’t (over possible censorship of film productions)
By CAROL CHRISTIAN
Fort McMurray Today staff
The Council of Canadians is asking Albertans to say no to censorship after the province recently suggested rethinking the funding of productions critical of the oilsands.
Who's dishing real oilsands propaganda?
Gov't decries environmentalist agenda, but refuses to subject data to non-partisan scientific scrutiny
By David Schindler December 15, 2008
This week, Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner is in Poland, expected to defend the oilsands from being considered as a source of "dirty oil." I don't envy him. In the past, international criticism has been largely based on the high emissions of greenhouse gases from mining the oilsands. This is changing rapidly in recent weeks.
NAFTA likely safe from oil-focused Obama administration: experts
The Canadian Press
November 5, 2008
OTTAWA — U.S. President Barack Obama may turn out to be far better for Canadian free trade and economic interests than candidate Barack Obama ever pretended to be, experts on both sides of the border agree.
Obama - triumphant Tuesday in his bid to become America's first-ever black president-elect - was far from neighbourly in his pronouncements impacting Canada during the campaign.
Sunoco set up the original endowment for the Pew Foundation, now called the Pew Charitable Trusts. They also began the corporation now known as Suncor.
Sunoco currently refines bitumen in Ohio and are planning to do so soon in their home turf of Philadelphia.
Sunoco has, through either Pew family members (J Howard Pew's heirs, J Howard started Sun Oil/Sunoco) or current board members and CEO's of Sunoco, a majority of the board of trustees of the Pew Charitable Trusts to this very day.
