Alberta Tar Sands is a category limited to the location and production of tar sand bitumen, an area the size of the state of Florida in northern Alberta province. The giant processing plants near Fort McMurray where the land itself is strip mined as well as the primarily "in situ" in-ground steam separation/production and extraction plants in the Peace and Cold Lake Regions, all in Alberta, are the "Ground Zero" of the single largest industrial gigaproject ever proposed in human history.
The process of removing the tar from the sand involves incredible amounts of energy from clean-burning natural gas (with nuclear proposed along side), tremendous capital costs during build up, incredibly high petroleum prices to protect investments, and the largest single industrial contribution to climate change in North America. Production also involves the waste of fresh water from nearby lakes, rivers and aquifers that have already created toxic tailing ponds visible from outer space. None of the land strip mined has yet to be certified as reclaimed. It takes 4 tonnes of soil to produce one barrel of oil. The tar sands are producing over 1.2 million barrels of oil a day on average. The oil companies, Canada and the United States governments are proposing to escalate production to 5 million barrels, almost all destined for American markets-- and lower environmental standards while doing so. They also would need to violate the national and human rights of many indigenous nations who are rightly concerned about many dire social, environmental and economic repercussions on their communities.
To get the needed energy supplies, diluent for the bitumen and diverted freshwater to produce and then to transport the flowing heavy bitumen for refining would require massive new infrastructure and pipeline building from three different time zones in the Arctic, across British Columbia and through Alberta in a criss-cross pattern, into pipelines to such destinations as California, China, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. This entire project is now estimated at over $170 billion dollars. And after the whole process described so far, only then will all this dirty petroleum get burned and expel greenhouse gasses into the air causing further climate change.
Canadian group pitches Alaska rail line for oil sands
Posted on February 4, 2014
By Jennifer Canfield
Juneau Empire
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Could a $15 billion railroad project reduce the cost of living in Alaska overnight? Matt Vickers, a lead member in the startup group G7G Railway Corp., thinks it can.
Suncor posts gains from Canadian oil sands
Feb. 4, 2014
CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Suncor Inc., the premier developer of Canadian oil sands, said production set a record in the fourth quarter with 409,600 barrels of oil per day.
Mining Tar Sands Produces Much More Air Pollution Than We Thought
Research shows that emissions of a class of air pollutants are two to three orders of magnitude higher than previously calculated
By Joseph Stromberg
February 3, 2014es
Environmental health risks of Alberta oil sands likely underestimated: study
John Cotter
EDMONTON — The Canadian Press
Feb. 03 2014
A new study suggests the environmental health risks of oilsands operations in Alberta’s Athabasca region have probably been underestimated.
Researchers say emissions of potentially hazardous air pollution that were used in environmental reviews done before approving some projects did not include evaporation from tailings ponds or other sources, such as dust from mining sites.
Canada tar sands set to benefit from EU 2030 climate plan
Last updated on 24 January 2014, 10:11 am
By John McGarrity
Oil from Canada’s carbon-intensive tar sands – one of the world’s single biggest sources of greenhouse gas pollution – could be used in the petrol tanks of European motorists from 2020 after the European Commission proposed to scrap curbs on imports of highly emissions-intensive fuels.
Tar sands flows to Europe set to surge
28 Jan, 2014
Reuters
New pipelines mean around 30 times more tar sands oil is likely to make its way to Europe than previously thought unless the European Union revives rules that would limit its use, figures showed on Friday.
The data from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a US environmental group, follows the publication of revised EU energy and environment policy for the next decade that drops specific goals on cutting the emissions of transport fuel.
Worker found dead at Suncor oilsands facility
Man had been missing for several hours before body found
CBC News Posted: Jan 19, 2014
A worker at the Suncor Energy oilsands facility near Fort McMurray, Alta., has died, the company reported Sunday.
In a press release, Suncor said the male employee had gone missing early Sunday. Emergency personnel with the company were called in around 7 a.m. to look for the worker. The worker was found dead on the scene a few hours later.
Suncor informed RCMP and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.
Canada's carbon emissions projected to soar by 2030
Tar sands expected to help drive 38% increase in emissions, Harper government admits in submission to the UN
Stephen Leahy
theguardian.com, Tuesday 14 January 2014
The tailings pond at the Syncrude mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Tar sands could become a 'stranded asset', campaigners say The tailings pond at the Syncrude mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Tar sands could become a 'stranded asset', campaigners say Photograph: Ashley Cooper pics/Alamy
Neil Young renews push on treaty rights, oil-sands development
BRAD WHEELER
The Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jan. 13 2014
On the day following his Honor the Treaties concert at Massey Hall, where he had lambasted the Canadian government’s handling of Alberta’s oil-sands development, Neil Young continued his campaign against the environmental policies of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration.
How Is Climate Change Reshaping Our Culture?
Tell us what you think. Then hear leading thinkers on shifts in tech, business, politics and nature at free Jan. 22 event.
By Geoff Dembicki, Today, TheTyee.ca
Jan 14, 2014
English Bay, Vancouver
