Social Impacts

Premiers promote pipelines to Pacific
Tom Fletcher
BC Local News
June 16, 2010

Premiers of western provinces and territories wrapped up two days of
meetings in Vancouver Wednesday, pledging to strengthen their east-west
pipelines, power lines and rail links for trade to Asia.

Premier Gordon Campbell, who chaired the annual conference, said western
provinces produce 91 per cent of Canada's oil, 94 per cent of its natural
gas, 27 per cent of its hydroelectricity and all of its uranium, plus
growing sources of wind, bioenergy and solar power.

Liberal MP accuses government of stalling release of oilsands report

By Laura Stone, Canwest News Service
June 15, 2010

OTTAWA — A Liberal MP has accused the Conservative government of blocking the release of an environmental report that highlights the negative impact of the oilsands on Canada's freshwater supply, even as meetings to discuss the report are supposed to remain closed to the public.

Cenovus plans five-fold boost in oil sands output
Wed Jun 16, 2010

CALGARY, Alberta, June 16 (Reuters) - Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE.TO), the oil sands company spun off by EnCana Corp (ECA.TO) late last year, said on Wednesday its northern Alberta properties contain more than enough oil to support plans for a five-fold rise in production over the next decade.

A lot of people-- especially ENGO's from North America-- are systematically denying the possibility that we can do the organizing and politicking needed to build a movement that can *really* tackle climate change. The arguments are that the "political will" simply is not there. But what is never mentioned about this line of argument is that the needed will to get there, speaking planet wide, not only is "there" it is _already happening_.

Part One: Peak Oil Goes Mainstream

The Archdruid Report (June 09 2010)

Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society

Longtime readers of this blog will recall that one of its central projects
early on was an attempt to deconstruct the most deeply entrenched set of
myths industrial culture uses to define the future. To borrow a phrase
from Carlos Castaneda, the myth of progress and the myth of apocalypse
were worthy opponents, and I hope the confrontation with them was as
educational, and occasionally entertaining, to my readers as it was to me.

Delay refinery until health effects are studied, Alberta regulator urged

Josh Wingrove
Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
Globe and Mail
Jun. 11, 2010

The latest in a string of applications to build a massive oil refinery in an Alberta farming community – one coping with a rising cancer rate and soaring number of hospitalizations – should be put off until an inquiry can be called to examine the health impact of rapid industrial development, an energy hearing was told on Friday.

U.S. emissions laws could backfire, Alberta minister warns

By Archie McLean, Canwest News Service June 14, 2010

EDMONTON — New low-carbon fuel standards proposed in the Northeastern U.S. could actually slow the greening of the oilsands, Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner warned Monday.

“We need to make sure that whatever we do doesn’t have the unintended consequence (of discouraging further investment) into technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Renner said from Boston, where he was attending an energy forum.

Co-op campaign for ban on tar sands fuel

June 14, 2010

A coalition led by Manchester’s Co-operative Group has accused EU lawmakers of watering down landmark climate change legislation in order to allow fuels derived from the controversial Canadian tar sands to be imported into Europe.

Last year the European Commission’s proposals for the fuel quality directive penalised tar sands oil for emitting significantly more greenhouse gases than conventional oil, but following lobbying by the Canadian government all reference to tar sands has been dropped.

Alberta tar sands equipment supplier opens in Billings

By KIM BRIGGEMAN of the Missoulian | June 9, 2010

A major supplier of equipment to the rapidly expanding oil and gas market in the Alberta tar sands has set up shop in Billings.

Berry Y&V Fabricators plans to assemble modules in Montana and truck them north to the oil sands fields near Fort McMurray, according to a report last week in the Edmonton Journal.

Another big year for Alberta oil sands

By QMI Agency

Last Updated: June 7, 2010

Alberta oilsands production could see another big year as the economic recovery puts global crude demand back on track.

Overall production in the region ramped up 14% in 2009 despite the widespread economic downturn, unstable crude prices and global criticism aimed at Fort McMurray operations.

In 2009, Alberta squeezed out 1.49 millionbarrels per day of raw crude bitumen from the oilsands for a total of 544 million barrels, according to the province’s Energy Resources Conservation Board.