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.

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/drupal-6.28/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

Canadian Natural's cuts a blow to oil patch

Canadian Natural's cuts a blow to oil patch
Company scales back Horizon spending as list of stalled oil sands projects grows; 'this environment is scary'

NORVAL SCOTT

November 7, 2008

CALGARY -- The bulk of the next phase of the oil sands is effectively on hold.

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. slashed spending yesterday on its Horizon oil sands project, its biggest development ever, because of spiralling costs and lower oil prices, joining a long list of producers that have significantly scaled back or altered their plans.

TransCanada mum on Keystone XL spur into Bakken

TransCanada mum on Keystone XL spur into Bakken
By BLAKE NICHOLSON 10.31.08
BISMARCK, N.D. -

TransCanada Corp. says it has enough contracts with oil shippers to proceed with a second Keystone pipeline that would move crude oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast, though it is mum on the possibility of a spur into western North Dakota.

The Keystone XL pipeline would enter the U.S. in Montana and run through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma on its 1,980 mile route to Texas. It would not cross any part of North Dakota.

World's Crudest Extraction

World's Crudest Extraction
At the tar sands they’re digging up dirty fuel
November 8, 2008
by Macdonald Stainsby

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

EDMONTON, ALBERTA–When the Albertan government recently put forward $25 million to counter the negative press around tar sands mining, Premier Ed Stelmach strained credulity by stating: "In terms of David and Goliath, I've been in this position before, and now I'm here."

Kelly Lake Cree Nation Denounces Pipeline Bombings

On October 17th, the Kelly Lake Cree Nation released a statement (below)
denouncing the recent attempts to sabotage a nearby gas pipeline in
northeast British Columbia.

On October 11th and 16th there were two separate explosions directed at
the pipeline, which is owned by the Calgary-based EnCana corporation.

Neither explosion caused any serious damage to the pipeline, however the
second one created a small rupture that forced its temporary closure. As
root force explains, “workers had been on high alert since the first

Vancouver approves $100M bailout for Olympic Village developer

Vancouver approves $100M bailout for Olympic Village developer
Last Updated: Thursday, November 6, 2008
CBC News

The Southeast False Creek development site comprises 32 hectares of land, seven of which will be temporarily transformed into the Olympic Village during the Games. The Southeast False Creek development site comprises 32 hectares of land, seven of which will be temporarily transformed into the Olympic Village during the Games. (CBC)

Obama win could upset tar sands: Expert

Obama win could upset oilsands: Expert
NEIL MACKINNON /METRO CALGARY
November 05, 2008 05:06
AnswerTips-enabled

A Barack Obama presidency may hold some environmental trouble for Alberta’s energy dependent economy, says the University of Calgary’s Institute for United States Policy research director.

Stephen Randall said with Obama in power, a pipeline running from Alaska through Alberta to the States might not go ahead, causing an economic ripple throughout the province.

Ft. Chip residents, activists protest tar sands intrusion

Ft. Chip residents, activists protest oilsands intrusion
Clara Ho, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 12:00 am

Mike Mercredi is ready to fight what he calls the "slow industrial genocide" that oil companies are waging on the people in his hometown of Fort Chipewyan.

Last year there were over 20 deaths in the community of 1,200 people. Many were cancer-related deaths, which Mercredi said are linked to the oilsands activities in nearby Fort McMurray.

"Let's put a lid on it and slow things down," he said. "The graveyard is getting full."

French oil giant Total mulls exploiting Congo tar sands

French oil giant mulls exploiting Congo tar sands
October 28, 2008

BRAZZAVILLE (AFP) — French oil company Total said Tuesday that it was considering exploiting tar sands in the west central African country of Congo, where it is the chief oil and gas producer.

"In the future, there are things to do in oil and gas, and -- why not? -- tar sands," the company's director of sustainable development and the environment Jean Michel Gires told the 6th annual World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) meeting in Brazzaville.

Ethical Funds Company calls for pause in tar sands development

Ethical Funds Company calls for pause in tar sands development
By Travis Lupick

A “heady mix of litigious, liability, regulatory, and reputational risks” are in store for any company involved in Alberta oil sands development, a new report warns.

Funding uncertain from major shippers on Keystone pipeline

Oil sands-carrier pipeline may be delayed
Funding uncertain from major shippers on Keystone pipeline
By Tom Stundza -- Purchasing, 10/29/2008 9:42:00 AM

Uncertainty over the pace of oil sands development could delay the construction of a major pipeline that will connect Canada’s Alberta province to the U.S. Gulf Coast, potentially slowing the flow of bitumen to an untapped refining market. The key utility is worried about the level of funding from protential major shippers on the pipeline.