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.
Oil Versus Water
Toxic water poses threat to Alberta's Indigenous communities
by Kim Petersen
The Dominion
Alberta is replete with precious oil. Recovery of that oil from the tar sands, however, is putting another precious resource at risk: water. Dene and Cree First Nations people live close to and in the midst of the largest tar sand deposit in the Athabasca River region and oil extraction is harming their water supply.
Thu, October 11, 2007
Sex-trade workers charged after undercover police raids
UPDATED: 2007-10-11 03:18:22 MST
By NADIA MOHARIB
Undercover cops worked some of the city's prostitute strolls picking up working women now accused of sex-trade related offences.
The sweep by the vice and community-response units in the first week of October took them to four of five city strolls -- in the Beltine, East Village, Forest Lawn and near Eau Claire, where so-called high-end prostitutes work.
A Tale of Two Cities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Fort McMurray
To the Tar Sands
The Bad
Fort Muck: place of sex, drugs, violence, homelessness, massive trucks, polluted air and contaminated water. This is what we were told we would find at the end of deadly Highway 63, or in our case Secondary Highway 881. The city of 70 000 has been growing at a most alarming rate. In response, city council has gone so far as to call for a moratorium on new developments. The municipality simply can not keep up with endless stream of new arrivals and the associated demand for services.
Alberta Justice officials review oil sands deaths
FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA.
An on-site investigation into the deaths of two temporary Chinese workers at a northern Alberta oil sands tank construction site has been completed but findings have not been released.
The two men died last April when a massive tank collapsed at the multibillion-dollar Horizon oil sands project, killing the two temporary Chinese workers and injuring four more.
It will be up to Alberta Justice officials to determine whether charges should be laid against the company.
Canadian Press
AFX News Limited
Total to invest 1 bln usd a year in oil sands in Canada
10.11.07, 12:06 PM ET
PARIS (Thomson Financial) - French group Total is to invest 1 bln usd annually over the next few years in extracting oil from sand deposits in Canada, chairman Thierry Desmarest told an energy conference.
Desmarest said that by 2010 around 10 pct of worldwide oil production will come from oil sands and that this source of production is set to grow.
He underlined these oil sands are located in Canada, a country that does not pose any 'political problems'.
It's not just Alberta, it's the whole country
ANDREW NIKIFORUK
October 6, 2007
review: STUPID TO THE LAST DROP By William Marsden
How Alberta is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (and Doesn't Seem to Care)
The Globe and Mail
Vol. 298 No. 14, October 10, 2007 JAMA
Journal of American Medical Association
Peak Petroleum and Public Health
Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPH; Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH; Stephen Vindigni, MPH
JAMA. 2007;298:1688-1690.
Everyone’s Downstream: Tar Sands Realities and Resistance
Conference to be held at:
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
November 24-25th, 2007
http://oilsandstruth.org
I must comment on this-- This corporation is the one that is trying to re-shape human rights, migrant and labour rights law and is leading the way in getting the flood gates opened for massive amounts of "temporary foreign worker" programs. They have been operating in their "Horizon Oilsands Project" with 500 no-rights, no papers labourers. These workers are the ultimate in cost saving, and CNRL, apparently while making people "learn while they go on the job", have killed 2 in accidents and wounded four others, all from China. If this doesn't save them enough money, then nothing will.
Climate will alter travel patterns: UN
Published: Saturday, October 06, 2007
DAVOS, Switzerland -- Global warming will produce stay-at-home tourists over the next few decades, radically altering travel patterns and threatening jobs and businesses in tourism-dependent countries, according to a stark assessment by UN experts.
The UN Environment Program, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Tourism Organization said concerns about weather extremes and calls to reduce emissions-heavy air travel would make long-haul flights less attractive.
