Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Land

Land, regardless of whether covered by forests, tundra or grasslands, is threatened by mining operations such as Alberta’s vast open tar pit operations, or through incredible networks of “right of way” cuts for pipelines that extend in the hundreds of thousands of miles, all told, and across the continent in four directions and to three oceans—either through feeding the tarsand operations with fossil fuel energy or through feeding energy markets from tarsand operations after production. In the case of pipeline right of ways, they can blast directly through mountains or be buried in permafrost if needed, to get the energy to move.

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Cuba gets ready for BP oil spill

Cuba is making preparations to protect its coast as the BP oil spill continues spreading through the Gulf of Mexico, Cuban officials said today.

News wires 15 June 2010

They offered few specifics about the preparations, but said Venezuela, Cuba's oil-rich ally, has sent a team of spill-fighting experts to help the communist-run island.

Millions of gallons of oil have gushed into the gulf in the 57-day-old spill and fouled 120 miles (190 kilometres) of US coastline.

Oil Shale or Shale Oil?

Oil Shale or Shale Oil?
A Case of Mistaken Identity

By Keith Kohl
Thursday, June 17th, 2010

There are few things in life that anger me more than one of my readers being swindled.

And you should be just as irritated, because it's your hard earned money that's at stake.

Now, you know that shale oil isn't new to us. We've been covering the development of shale deposits for years. And my readers and I know how well that's turned out investors.

When the shale rush began, it was impossible to pick a losing play. Of course, things are much different today. But I digress...

Liberal MP accuses government of stalling release of tar sands report

Liberal MP accuses government of stalling release of oilsands report

By Laura Stone, Canwest News Service
June 15, 2010

OTTAWA — A Liberal MP has accused the Conservative government of blocking the release of an environmental report that highlights the negative impact of the oilsands on Canada's freshwater supply, even as meetings to discuss the report are supposed to remain closed to the public.

Delay refinery until health effects are studied, Alberta regulator urged

Josh Wingrove
Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
Globe and Mail
Jun. 11, 2010

The latest in a string of applications to build a massive oil refinery in an Alberta farming community – one coping with a rising cancer rate and soaring number of hospitalizations – should be put off until an inquiry can be called to examine the health impact of rapid industrial development, an energy hearing was told on Friday.

Saskatchewan tar sands development could hurt environment: think-tank

Saskatchewan oilsands development could hurt environment: think-tank
By James Wood, Canwest News Service
June 13, 2010

REGINA — Developing Saskatchewan’s oilsands could harm the environment, a think-tank warns.

A fact sheet released by the Alberta Pembina Institute compares “in situ” extraction used for deep reserves of bitumen — like those found in Saskatchewan — and the surface mining used for shallower deposits.

U.S. emissions laws could backfire, Alberta minister warns

By Archie McLean, Canwest News Service June 14, 2010

EDMONTON — New low-carbon fuel standards proposed in the Northeastern U.S. could actually slow the greening of the oilsands, Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner warned Monday.

“We need to make sure that whatever we do doesn’t have the unintended consequence (of discouraging further investment) into technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Renner said from Boston, where he was attending an energy forum.

Offshore Drilling Backlash May Boost Shale, Tar Sands

Offshore Drilling Backlash May Boost Shale, Oil Sands

*Date:* /15-Jun-10/

*Author:* Jon Hurdle and Jeffrey Jones

The massive Gulf oil spill may hasten the development of shale gas and oil
sands, North America's two most important emerging energy sources.

The risk of pursuing deepwater oil reserves dwarfs the environmental concerns
facing both onshore sectors.

Neither Canadian oil sands petroleum nor natural gas from U.S. shale beds will
immediately substitute for delayed Gulf of Mexico crude output in the wake of a

Alberta tar sands equipment supplier opens in Billings, Montana

Alberta tar sands equipment supplier opens in Billings

By KIM BRIGGEMAN of the Missoulian | June 9, 2010

A major supplier of equipment to the rapidly expanding oil and gas market in the Alberta tar sands has set up shop in Billings.

Berry Y&V Fabricators plans to assemble modules in Montana and truck them north to the oil sands fields near Fort McMurray, according to a report last week in the Edmonton Journal.

2 weeks added to Keystone pipeline comment period (Kansas City, Mo.)

2 weeks added to Keystone pipeline comment period
By MARIA SUDEKUM FISHER
KANSAS CITY, Mo.
June 8 2010

A federal agency on Wednesday delayed approval of a draft environmental impact statement on TransCanada's $12 billion Keystone pipeline, which will move oil from Canada through several northern and Midwestern states.

The U.S. Department of State added two weeks to the public comment period for the Keystone pipeline's impact statement, pushing the end of the comment period to July 2 instead of June 16, a State Department official said.

Stelmach defends tar sands on foreign, domestic fronts

Stelmach defends oilsands on foreign, domestic fronts

Premier calls protests 'unfortunate'

By Jason Fekete, with files from Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald, and the Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald June 10, 2010

Alberta's oilsands are facing a new cross-border assault, with a community in the U.S. boycotting the resource and a cosmetics store in Canada demanding development be halted.