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.
Alberta rethinks film funding rules after anti-oilsands doc gets cash
Thursday, December 11, 2008
CBC News
A documentary that takes a critical look at the oilsands is raising a big stink at the Alberta legislature.
It turns out that Downstream, by U.S. documentary maker Leslie Iwerks, was funded in part by the provincial government.
That's prompted the government to take a closer look at how films get funded in Alberta.
Great Lakes, Great Peril: Oil and Water
Little city is at center of a great debate
Pipes link the Great Lakes with massive oil reserves in friendly Alberta. They may bring jobs, energy and pollution. And it's all happening as the century of oil gives way to the century of water.
By Dan Egan of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 6, 2008
Great Lakes-Alberta tar sands connection
Journal Sentinel
First of two parts
Superior - U.S. dependence on foreign oil conjures images of derricks pecking at Saudi Arabian sands or supertankers steaming for coastal refineries.
Tar Sands: The worst fuel on the planet?
A Reporter's Notebook: "Midwest oil mining a crude idea to many: Are we now scraping the bottom of the barrel?"
Photo from chicagotribune.com. Taken by Jiri Rezac / WWF UK.
As Minnesota sanctions the transport and use of oil sands--the second largest reserve of usable crude in the world--it takes a prominent role in a transcontinental controversy.
Many argue our state is on the wrong side.
From dead birds to sick humans and fish, hardly anyone has anything positive to say about the new carbon intensive fuel polluting our air and water.
David Suzuki: Tar sand wealth comes with environmental costs
By David Suzuki and Faisal Moola
If you want to be scared, you don’t need to watch a horror movie or read the latest Stephen King bestseller.
Real terror can be found by simply firing up Google Earth, the computer program that allows users to look at satellite pictures of any place on the planet. By mousing over and zooming in, you can see what Alberta’s tar sands look like from space.
It is not a pretty sight. In fact, it’s scary—and for good reason.
B.C. government awards tenure to BP Canada for coalbed methane project
December 8//2008
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The provincial government has given the green light to a contentious coalbed methane project in southeastern B.C.
Energy minister Richard Neufeld says BP Canada has been awarded tenure for its Mist Mountain project, near Fernie in the East Kootenay region.
Billions of litres of tainted oilsands water leaking: Report
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, December 09, 2008
OTTAWA - Oilsands production is releasing four billion litres of
contaminated water into Alberta's groundwater and natural ecosystems every
year, according to a new national report that was immediately dismissed as
"false" by the provincial government.
The annual volume of water pollution in 2007 would have been enough to
fill Toronto's Rogers Centre, but could be stopped if the federal
StatoilHydro scraps C$16 bln oil sands upgrader
Thu Dec 4, 2008 2:21pm EST
(Recasts with additional comment and detail, changes dateline from OSLO)
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Norway's StatoilHydro (STL.OL: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Thursday it scrapped plans to build a C$16 billion ($12.6 billion) upgrader for its Canadian oil sands holdings, the latest in a string of big-ticket cancellations in the oil-rich but expensive region.
Alberta to seek tax breaks for oil sands
Capital writeoffs for bitumen upgraders on wish list for struggling sector, as finance ministers prepare to meet
SHAWN MCCARTHY
Globe and Mail // December 8, 2008
OTTAWA — The Alberta government is seeking federal tax breaks for the newly struggling oil sands sector, including accelerated capital writeoffs for upgraders, as sliding oil prices and high costs have caused companies to delay or shelve development plans.
Ottawa promises to protect oilsands from economic crisis
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, December 05, 2008
OTTAWA - The Harper government pledged to protect the oilsands sector from economic uncertainty as it challenged opposition parties on Friday to explain how their proposed coalition would regulate pollution from the western Canadian industry.
More time granted to comment on pipeline
Groups petitioned U.S. State Department on behalf of farmers, ranchers
Thom Gabrukiewicz • tgabrukiew@argusleader.com • December 6, 2008
People will have much more time to comment on the application for a presidential permit required to build TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
