Peak Oil is starting to be understood across a broad spectrum, but the direct connection between peak oil, climate change and the American market-led attempt to squeeze all energy out of Alberta cannot be overstated. The smaller the global supply of oil gets, the more CO2 has been emitted and the more climate change will have advanced. This leads to more interest in the tar sands—because the profit margin goes ever higher the fewer alternatives there are for petroleum. Without Peak Oil bearing down on humanity, no economical reason would exist to produce this energy intensive, low-output petrol.
Oil: Tar sands less damaging than coal, insists Shell
· Profits from controversial source increase by 74%
· Group makes $7.9bn as Exxon hits record $11.7bn
* Terry Macalister
* The Guardian,
* Friday August 1 2008
Shell warned environmentalists and ethical investors yesterday that failure to exploit tar sands and other unconventional oil products would worsen climate change because it would lead to the world burning even more carbon-heavy coal.
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.
Naomi Klein: Bush Sees Crises in Fuel, Food, Housing and Banking as Chance to Exploit Us More
By Amy Goodman
Jul 20, 2008, 06:04
People are desperate for solutions but instead they're handed policies that don't solve the crises, and are highly profitable for corporations.
Russia and Venezuela Will Coordinate on Energy
By ANNE BARNARD // NYTimes
Published: July 23, 2008
MOSCOW — President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia declared Tuesday that their countries would more closely coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets and that they would work together on foreign policy, a sphere in which both countries have sought to counter American influence.
July 23, 2008
Will Offshore Drilling Help?
by Tam Hunt, Community Environmental Council
With oil prices topping new records every week, the chorus for increasing offshore drilling is growing. Will it help?
Canadian energy policy "Made in USA"
The window may be closing on what's left of Canadian decision-making power over our own energy.
Dateline: Tuesday, July 22, 2008
by Linda McQuaig
When Americans want something that lies in another country, the consequences for that other country can be severe.
Even if they don't actually invade, they put a lot of pressure on lesser countries to behave as they want.
The future of the oil sands is one of the most important and contentious issues facing Canada.
Calgary upstart to turn coal into liquid fuel
Alter NRG plans to build $4.5-billion coal-to-liquids plant that would produce 40,000 barrels a day of fuel by 2014
NORVAL SCOTT
July 23, 2008
CALGARY -- For most energy companies, figuring how to best turn Alberta's vast oil sands into lucrative gasoline is challenging enough. But Alter NRG Corp. is looking to go one better.
Suncor gets go ahead to ramp up Firebag In-Situ plant production
CALGARY, Jul 23, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) ----Suncor Energy Inc. reports that, effective July 22, the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has removed production constraints imposed on Suncor's Firebag in-situ oil sands operations.
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
