Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Social Impacts

Social Impacts. Overnight injections of migrant workers will not build healthy communities and can have severely adverse impacts on existing communities, especially those of indigenous nations on their traditional lands. Such development brings vices and long term displacement too often. Drugs, alcohol and associated violence spreads. Hunting becomes difficult when the land is threatened, leading to a further loss of culture and tradition. In towns like Fort McMurray there is no planning for the future, but merely consumption in the present. However transient the individuals may be, the populations will not leave, as “development” takes on a logic all its own. All levels of run away development are subordinate to that development, not social need.

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"We are willing to pay for our emissions with offsets."

How Crude
Midwest refineries source more crude from tar sands; emissions will rise
Posted at 12:39 PM on 12 Feb 2008

Conoco not Planning Immediate Expansion in the Tar Pits

Conoco content with current oil sands position
Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:54am EST

HOUSTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The head of ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) in Canada said on Wednesday the company is content with its oil sands position and has no current plans for expansion.

"We have a substantial resource position, and at this time, we're focused on developing that resource position," Kevin Meyers, president of ConocoPhillips Canada, told reporters after a CERA conference breakfast meeting.

CNRL Raises Costs Estimates-- Again

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, the company that is already using Temporary Foreign Worker labour from behind fences to construct their massive "Horizon" project, is one of the biggest anti-union, pro mining, and generally reactionary, "cost-cutting" corporations already deep at work in the tar pits. These projections are released in order to soften up an audience to their desire to ramp up TFW's, for one-- also this is a set up for further de-regulation and more.

Chavez Threatens to Halt Oil Sales to US

Associated Press February 10, 2008

Chavez Threatens to Halt Oil Sales to US

Venezuelan President Threatens to Cut Off Oil Sales to US, Calls Exxon Mobil
'Outlaws'

By Sandra Sierra, Associated Press Writer

Caracas, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez on Sunday threatened to cut
off oil sales to the United States in an "economic war" if Exxon Mobil Corp.
wins court judgments to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets.

Exxon Mobil has gone after the assets of state oil company Petroleos de
Venezuela SA in U.S., British and Dutch courts as it challenges the

"Chiefs want pipeline royalties"-- Keystone

Chiefs want pipeline royalties
By Paul Turenne

A group of southern Manitoba chiefs is asking the federal court to overturn Ottawa’s decision to allow a massive pipeline project to be built in the province because the chiefs say the government did not fulfill its duty to consult them about it.

TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline project, approved by the National Energy Board and the federal cabinet last fall, would pump more than half a million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to Illinois and Oklahoma.

Manitoba Nations Fighting Keystone Pipeline in Court

Native bands ask court to block pipeline Updated at 4:41 PM
By Mary Agnes Welch

Some Manitoba bands have asked the court to quash a plan to build an oil pipeline through southern Manitoba, saying the federal government failed to consult with First Nations or offer compensation.

Enbridge Gateway Pipeline Across North BC Gets a "Boost"

Enbridge makes pipeline progress
(News) Saturday, 09 February 2008, 01:00 PST
GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff

Enbridge says it has secured third-party funding to advance the regulatory process of its proposed $4-billion pipeline project through northern B.C., which would open up the possibility of shipping Alberta oilsands oil to markets in Asia.

The company included the third-party funding information as part of an update on projects under development released in year-end financial results, a $636 million profit for 2007.

Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat

February 8, 2008
Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions
than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these
"green" fuels are taken into account, two studies being published
Thursday have concluded.

The benefits of biofuels have come under increasing attack in recent
months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental
cost of their production. These latest studies, published in the
prestigious journal Science, are likely to add to the controversy.

How the North Central Corridor and the Mackenzie Gas Project will Team to make Billions for TransCanada

Feb. 1, 2008

TransCanada acquisitions boost profit
$250 milion Bruce power overruns the lone dark spot in picture
CALGARY

TransCanada Corp. has seen its recent profits surge as the Calgary-based pipeline and power utility made several acquisitions and juggled a number of expensive mega-projects.

Profit for the fourth quarter was $377 million, up from $269 million. Revenue rose to $2.19 billion from $2.09 billion.

It's Not Nice to Let Eastern Canadians Freeze in the Dark

Strategic Petroleum Reserves
It's Not Nice to Let Eastern Canadians Freeze in the Dark

GORDON LAXER

The Globe and Mail
February 7, 2008 - Page A19

When Cape Bretoners were hit with a furnace-oil shortage in December as the
result of an early winter and late-arriving fuel tanker, it concentrated the
mind: With icy winter now gripping Canada, isn't it time to counter the
threat of longer and more widespread oil shortages in the near future?

Canada is usually an avid joiner of international conventions. But we're the