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.
The Globe and Mail does Tar Sands for a week
Dru Oja Jay-- The Dominion http://dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/dru/1641 (blog)
Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The first of the Globe and Mail's week-long series on the tar, I mean, oil sands has at least one interesting insight, though it'll be interesting to keep track of all the things that they don't mention.
Climate Neros fiddle while Rome burns
Jan 28, 2008 04:30 AM
Tyler Hamilton
Energy Reporter
Governments and industry love to talk about the things they plan to do, perhaps to detract attention away from what they haven't done or aren't doing.
How many radio or television debates have shown an environmentalist pointing out the devastating effects of oil sands and power production in Alberta, only to have industry officials tout concepts like "clean coal" or "carbon capture and sequestration" – as if the solution is here and the problem is being overcome as they speak?
Energy hogs rule
Elites love to pig out on energy.
Dateline: Monday, January 21, 2008
"We use 30 percent of all the energy... That isn't bad; that is good.
That means we are the richest, strongest people in the world and that we
have the highest standard of living in the world. That is why we need so
much energy, and may it always be that way."
— US president Richard Nixon,
November 1973
Things have changed since Nixon proudly proclaimed America the world's
biggest energy guzzler. Or have they?
by Chris Maser
Culture Change (January 06 2008)
Editor's note: This is Chris Maser's Part Three of his series for
Culture Change. I ate this one up, because ever since I read a 1987
article in Discover magazine by Jared Diamond, about hunter-gatherers'
working only a few hours a day a few days a week, I've been aware that
our modern way of life is not what it's cracked up to be. In Maser's
article there is solid anthropological insight applicable to our current
challenge as a dysfunctional society facing extinction. In his eighteen
Prince Rupert Harbour development threatens 10,000 years of Coast Tsimshian
history and thousands of human remains
PRINCE RUPERT (January 24, 2008) - The Allied Tribes of the Coast Tsimshian
struggle to protect the 10,000 years of history and thousands of human
remains that are threatened by development around the Prince Rupert Harbour,
says the Honourable Iona Campagnolo.
Campagnolo, the former Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, who
moderated a three-day seminar on Prince Rupert Harbour Archaeological
January 16, 2008
Feds expand temporary foreign worker pilot project
21 occupations added to expedited labour market opinion program
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Custom Handbook
The federal government has added 21 occupations to the expedited labour market opinion (E-LMO) pilot project, which makes it faster for employers in British Columbia and Alberta to hire foreign workers.
Airport passenger numbers still growing
By CHUCK CHIANG
Today staff
Tuesday January 22, 2008
If the Fort McMurray Airport seems more crowded than ever these days, it’s because that is exactly what’s happening, according to the latest passenger numbers.
The airport saw 559,059 passengers either board or get off scheduled commercial flights last year, a record high and 34 per cent higher than 2006’s 415,965 figure.
Airport officials said the pace of growth has surprised even them, noting that passenger numbers only reached 106,768 ten years ago.
Odour problem fix will cost $200M, Suncor says
Firebag output to be expanded
Reuters; With files from Canwest News Service
CALGARY - Suncor Energy Inc. says clearing up odour problems at its Firebag thermal oilsands operations near Fort McMurray will cost about $200 million, but it hopes to complete the work later this year, allowing it to boost output at the site.
Deline says no to further uranium development
Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 21, 2008
FORT FRANKLIN - The Deline Land Corp. will oppose all future uranium development in its district until outstanding issues having to do with the old Port Radium mine are resolved, the organization announced recently.
A different kind of climate politics is needed
Environment Minister Baird even copied his Washington mentors by holding out to the last minute and then dramatically withdrawing his objections so that the vote could be unanimous.
by Ian Angus
January 16, 2008
“We are ending up with something so watered down there was no need for 12,000 people to gather here in Bali to have a watered-down text. We could have done that by email.” —Dr. Angus Friday, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States
