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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Street drugs, gangs on rise in the West

Street drugs, gangs on rise in the West
'Street-level' social problems worst in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver: study
Larissa Liepins, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, September 12

Western Canadian cities are fighting a rising tide of street drugs and gang activity, says a report released Tuesday by the Canada West Foundation.

In researching Hard Times: A Portrait of Street Level Social Problems in Western Canada, the foundation consulted 311 frontline workers, experts and community leaders.

Tahltan Protest against Shell/CBM takes campaign to British media

Protest against Shell takes campaign to British media
CATHRYN ATKINSON
September 11, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070911.BCSHELL11/TPSt...

Native protesters and environmental groups are taking the next round of their fight against a coal-bed methane exploration project in a remote part of central B.C. to the British media.

Nebraska: Keystone Pipeline Concerns Are Aired

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Story last updated at 1:16 am on 9/12/2007
Pipeline Concerns Are Aired

By: Nathan Johnson
nathan.johnson@yankton.net
http://images.morris.com/images/yankton/mdControlled/cms/2007/09/12/1988...

During a meeting Tuesday to comment on the Department of State's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Keystone Pipeline, area residents pinpointed what they see as shortcomings in the document.

Haisla Indian Act Government selling out to Liquified Natural Gas Port?

This article would make some sort of sense if the proposed deal recognized the ownership of the Haisla, and if they were to be paying taxes, rent, and more in the way of revenue sharing that actually represents the Haisla as the eternal owners of this territory. It does not do any of that. It is more in the model of typical land grabs with shady councils of bought and paid for corruption.

Suncor Trying to Buy Up Natural Gas Supplies for Tar Pits

However benignly this article is written, it means that the pipeline infrastructure from all directions-- BC, NWT, southern AB, lower 48 and more-- is expected to grow heading *into* the tar pits so that it can grow heading *out of* the tar pits. This doesn't include the "into" pipelines for 'diluent' kerosene needed to convert heavy bitumen into a flowing sludge mock-oil. This article is timed with the corporate projection announcement made by Suncor that they intend to overtake Syncrude as the single largest producer of tar sands mock oil this year. Small wonder, it's a matter of physics.

Canada's water 'on the negotiating table'

Canada's water 'on the negotiating table,' report says
Vague wording in NAFTA doesn't protect country against bulk shipments and other forms of sale to the U.S.
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070910.WATER10/TPStor...
September 10, 2007

Despite regular assurances from the federal government that Canada won't allow water exports, the country remains vulnerable to water diversions to an increasingly thirsty United States, says a new research paper commissioned by the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto.

Shell likely player in Peace River Nuke Plans (UK Press)

As always, when a corporation (with their pliant media friends) wants to get away with something completely unattractive-- such as using disgusting power forms to get disgusting power forms of energy--- turning nukes into tar! They will not likely speak clearly about what they are doing to the local population, lest that engender resistance. So, why not look at the international media (in this case, the conservative UK daily "Independent"), who will definitely talk about something so big, important and likely to help set international trends.

Canada’s Third World; The Plight of the Lubicon Cree

Canada’s Third World; The Plight of the Lubicon Cree
Posted: June 21, 2007
http://www.tarsandswatch.org/canada-s-third-world-plight-lubicon-cree
Cosanna Preston, June 19, 2007,

S Dakota: Keystone Pipeline to be Allowed Violation of Safety Standards

Pipeline builder can waive U.S. rule

Canadian company to use thinner steel
By Terry Woster
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070908/NEWS/7090...
Published: September 8, 2007

PIERRE - A federal agency will allow TransCanada Keystone to design parts of its proposed crude oil pipeline for a stress level higher than current U.S. standards.

Alberta Construction Workers Serve Strike Notice

Alberta carpenters serve strike notice
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070906.RTICKERMAIN06/...
DAVID EBNER

September 6, 2007

Carpenters in Alberta may briefly go on strike this weekend, a strange twist in prolonged and complicated contract talks between builders in the province and construction workers.