It is falsely assumed that big projects equal lots of jobs and, by extension, labour peace if not outright satisfaction. The size and scope of the tarsands means for incredibly dangerous work conditions-- some fatalities at the plants have already occurred. The products seldom get their "value added" in union-run locations, instead the heavy bitumen can be shipped to many different locations across North America for refining, denying benefits to the union. However, the Union does not represent the "guest worker", now being imported in increasing numbers as legislation is changed to make access easier, the term of exploitation last longer, without any new efforts or pathways to deciding to stay after helping tear up the earth.
Investors urged to kick the tar sands habit
New report claims carbon intensive projects to extract oil from Canadian tar sands present unacceptable business risks
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 29 Jul 2008
Investors are to be urged to shun controversial projects to extract oil from North American tar fields following the publication of a major new report that claims the carbon intensive processes involved represent an unacceptable environmental and business risk.
Unshackling the Mackenzie
McCrank offers blueprint to untangle NWT’s cumbersome regulatory regime
By Gary Park
For Petroleum News
Editor’s note: TransCanada’s proposed gas pipeline route from Alaska’s North Slope to Alberta gas hub does not go through the Northwest Territories.
Canada’s northern territories are a step closer to a simpler system to regulate development of their minerals, forestry and oil and natural gas.
Red tape ties up Mackenzie plan
Herald News Services
Published: Friday, July 25, 2008
As the Alaska pipeline clears political hurdles and marches forward, Canada's own multibillion-dollar plan to tap Arctic natural gas reserves in the Mackenzie Delta remains in regulatory limbo.
The fact wasn't lost on Northwest Territories industry minister Bob McLeod.
Despite the tone of the article below, there is much opposition in the community to this development, opposition whose voices need to be heard.
--M
Reservation officials discuss oil exploration
Business News - Native Business News
New Town, North Dakota (AP) 5-08
The chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes sees new opportunities in oil exploration but says it may come at a price.
A few quick notes on this:
TransCanada-- otherwise known as TCPL-- is a major sponsor of the 2010 Olympics destroying Vancouver and the lands of "BC". TransCanada is also a massive construction conduit for the expansion of the tar sands/tar pits up to 5 MILLION barrels a day (more than any other single country in the world minus Saudi Arabia for daily delivery). These plans are enunciated and spelled out in the SPP's round of talks from Houston, 2006.
TCPL is promoting the expansion of *both* northern pipelines for gas, and finally gave up the competition charade:
ATTENTION: ALL NEWS EDITORS
==> Pictures attached of 2nd Protest Against PNWER Summit
==> No Smooth Sailing for PNWER Elites: Marina Entrance Blocked by Activists
==> Activists cite lack of transparent process and public consultation in
PNWER decision making given wide scope of policy impacts from 2010 Olympics
to oil and gas mining
Wednesday July 23, 2008 Vancouver- A group of activists blocked access to
the Westin Bayshore marina today to protest the Pacific NorthWest Economic
Region (PNWER) summit. In doing so, they prevented delegates from boarding a
PNWER study on Energy "recommendations" for the Region
Nukes for the tar sands, massive new hydro projects in BC & AB, natural gas pipelines, new coal plants & more! And if we don't do this? Well, according to PNWER: blackouts, job losses and extreme price increases will occur! Be afraid, consume, and forget about everything else. This is to "help" stop climate change we are told. Coal, tar sands, these are now "solutions". Don't think about it, or else you will get a headache...
--M
*****
Alaska House OKs gas pipeline license for TransCanada Corp.
11 hours ago
JUNEAU, Alaska — The Alaska State House of Representatives has approved a state license for a Canadian company to pursue a natural gas pipeline project that could unlock 130 million cubic metres of North Slope gas reserves daily.
The House backed the plan on a 24-16 vote Tuesday. A reconsideration vote is planned Wednesday, but that's usually a formality. If approved then, the bill will go to the state Senate, which must approve or reject it before Aug. 2.
Understanding Energy Return On Energy Investment (EROEI)
POSTED July 15, 3:47 PM
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Energy Return On Energy Investment (EROEI) is an important concept to understand and a concept that is severely lacking in our current political debate on new energy sources.
EROEI is simply defined as:
EROEI = Energy Produced / Energy Used
2010 Organizing and the Tar Sands: Inspiring the SPP and Helping the Olympics
By Macdonald Stainsby; July 14, 2008 - Znet
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/18182
For much of the last year, many of the anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian forces across Canada have started to work towards converging many of the bigger issues to take place in 2010 into a larger whole.
