The Health implications in terms of these projects are vast, and not just the deadly explosions and industrial accidents that happen in production-—from reported increases in rare forms of cancer downstream from tar sands production to the pollution of fresh water leading to poisoned diets (fish, moose and plant toxicity)—-direct links are hard to establish but impossible to either rule out or ignore, especially where tarsand operations constitute overwhelmingly the greatest change to the environment in most corners of the continent effected directly by tarsand infrastructure.
Tarsands are an addiction
By SILVER DONALD CAMERON
Sun. Mar 15 - 6:22 AM
THE ALBERTA tarsands, says Andrew Nikiforuk, represent "a nation-changing event" which has made the rest of Canada into "a suburb of Fort McMurray." A distinguished Calgary-based journalist, Nikiforuk was in Nova Scotia in early March to discuss his new book, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent (Greystone, $20).
Suncor, contractors charged with dumping into Athabasca (article one of two)
JEFF CUMMINGS, METRO EDMONTON
March 11, 2009
Oilsands powerhouse Suncor and two of its contractors have been charged under Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act with 90 counts of dumping poorly treated sewage water into the Athabasca River.
The companies, which were all charged back in February 2008, are also accused of providing misleading and false information to the province for two years at Suncor’s work camp north of Fort McMurray.
Canada’s carbon sink has sprung a leak
Until recently, its vast forests vacuumed up carbon dioxide. Now that process has been thrown in reverse.
By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor/ March 10, 2009 edition
Reporter Mark Clayton discusses the dilemma facing Canadian foresters and climate scientists: is it worse to cut trees threatened by beetle infestation, or to allow them to remain in a natural state?
‘Tar sands are killing us’
Cree, Metis, Dene tell Sen. John Kerry
By Kate Harries, Today correspondent
Story Published: Mar 11, 2009
TORONTO – Dene, Cree and Metis activists from First Nations affected
by Alberta tar sands development made themselves heard in Washington
as Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice was making the rounds of
Capitol Hill.
They hand-delivered a letter to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., head of the
powerful Foreign Relations Committee, and later about 50 young people
Military keeping low profile during 2010 Olympics
By: Jennifer Ditchburn, THE CANADIAN PRESS
2/03/2009
OTTAWA - The Canadian military wants to keep a low profile when it comes
to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and that includes keeping its
budget in check and out of the headlines.
Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, commander of Canadian military operations at
home, underlined to a Commons committee Monday that "Operation
Podium" has so far stayed within its budget of $212 million for
specific military duties.
Climate Alarm: Scientists call emergency meeting
March 2nd, 2009
Last summer, for the first time in human history, boats could circumnavigate the North Pole. To the oblivious observer, this might seem like a good thing. Perhaps some green entrepreneur will build resorts on Finland’s Svalbard Islands. However, as we know, there’s a dark side.
The Canadian oil sands dilemma
March 1, 2009
by John Guerrerio,
Energy Examiner
Giant grinders loosen layers of dirt and sand to get to the oil below.
*Oilsands will never get a fair shake*
*Lamphier:* I've always had a thing for National Geographic. Without
access to its pictures, I'm sure I would have flunked Grade 5 geography.
My projects on the Great Pyramids of Egypt or the lost Incan city of
Machu Picchu would have been a crashing bore. I know that in my heart.
_*MORE...*
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Business/Oilsands+will+never+fair+shake/1...
* Canada needs the oil sands*
*NP:* National Geo-graphic magazine's current ar ticle on Al -berta's
Co-op backs Canadian oil fight
February 26, 2009
MANCHESTER-based Co-operative Financial Services said today it was backing legal action by Canada's Beaver Lake Cree Nation in its fight to stop tar sand developments by oil giants including Shell, BP and ExxonMobil.
CFS said it would fund the Alberta community's efforts to demonstrate the impact of tar sand developments on their traditional way of life and seek injunctions to prevent them.
It’s time to rethink harmful tar sands projects
By Roy Strang - Peace Arch News
February 17, 2009
There may, after all, be a small silver lining in the dark fiscal cloud hanging over us.
It’s so small that it’s hard to discern amidst the monetary gloom, but it’s there nonetheless.
