Land

Tar Sands: The worst fuel on the planet?

A Reporter's Notebook: "Midwest oil mining a crude idea to many: Are we now scraping the bottom of the barrel?"

Photo from chicagotribune.com. Taken by Jiri Rezac / WWF UK.

As Minnesota sanctions the transport and use of oil sands--the second largest reserve of usable crude in the world--it takes a prominent role in a transcontinental controversy.

Many argue our state is on the wrong side.

From dead birds to sick humans and fish, hardly anyone has anything positive to say about the new carbon intensive fuel polluting our air and water.

David Suzuki: Tar sand wealth comes with environmental costs
By David Suzuki and Faisal Moola

If you want to be scared, you don’t need to watch a horror movie or read the latest Stephen King bestseller.

Real terror can be found by simply firing up Google Earth, the computer program that allows users to look at satellite pictures of any place on the planet. By mousing over and zooming in, you can see what Alberta’s tar sands look like from space.

It is not a pretty sight. In fact, it’s scary—and for good reason.

Billions of litres of tainted oilsands water leaking: Report
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, December 09, 2008

OTTAWA - Oilsands production is releasing four billion litres of
contaminated water into Alberta's groundwater and natural ecosystems every
year, according to a new national report that was immediately dismissed as
"false" by the provincial government.

The annual volume of water pollution in 2007 would have been enough to
fill Toronto's Rogers Centre, but could be stopped if the federal

More time granted to comment on pipeline
Groups petitioned U.S. State Department on behalf of farmers, ranchers

Thom Gabrukiewicz • tgabrukiew@argusleader.com • December 6, 2008

People will have much more time to comment on the application for a presidential permit required to build TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Mackenzie pipeline stakeholders ''disappointed'' at environmental review delay (Mackenzie-Delay)

CALGARY _ A panel examining the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline project said Friday it will take another year to complete its long-awaited review in the latest setback for the multibillion-dollar plan that originally hoped to have gas flowing in 2009.

Tar sands threatens millions of birds, report says
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
December 2, 2008

The development of the tar sands could lead to the loss of more than 160 million birds over the next 30 to 50 years because of the elimination of habitat and deaths from drowning in tailings ponds, according to a report being released today.

Enbridge brings experts to Burns Lake to inform locals
Published: November 25, 2008 11:00 PM

Enbridge held an open house on Nov. 17 at College of New Caledonia (CNC) as part of its efforts to let the public know what is going on with its Northern Gateway pipeline project.

Several dozen people attended the open house, which was held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm to allow people flexibility in attending the information session, and a dozen Northern Gateway engineers, environmental experts, and communications people were on hand to answer people’s questions.

TransCanada shores up liquidity for Keystone
Reuters
Published: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Despite uncertain markets, Trans-Canada Corp. closed its second big stock offering of the year Tuesday and secured a $950-million credit facility as it moved to shore up its balance sheet to cover the cost of building the $5.2-billion Keystone pipeline.

http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/redeye@coopradio.org/91-1-shutting_d...

Program Podcast: Redeye - Co-op Radio: Shutting down the tar sands

Podcast for Program: Shutting down the tar sands
In series: Redeye - Co-op Radio

The Alberta tar sands cover a vast area of huge open pits and tailings ponds.
The environmental consequences are enormous and make a mockery of
any Canadian attempt to reduce carbon emissions under the Kyoto
Protocol. Petr Cizek is a land use planner and author. He says that a

Controversy rocks lead-up to 2010 Olympics
Real News // November 26, 2008 (Video below)
2010 Olympics promotional train tour becomes target for protests across Canada