Energy and how it is captured and consumed is barely viable in tar sands production. While the amount of oil in places such as the tar sands in Alberta or the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela may have deposits of similar size to the reserves of countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, the return of new energy after expending energy in production is not even close. In Iraq, the process of using one barrel of oil generates 100 new barrels. In the tar sands, estimates of 3 to 1 and even as low as 1.5 to 1 have been made. Offsetting the net energy loss would require minimally 25-30 tar sands facilities for one Saudi plant operating at the same capacity.
Enbridge to keep seeking public approval for Northern Gateway pipeline
Jeffrey Jones
Lake Louise, Alta. — The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Nov. 29 2013
Enbridge Inc. will keep trying to win public approval for its Northern Gateway oil pipeline to the Pacific coast from Alberta even with the clock winding down to a crucial regulatory decision for the contentious project in the coming weeks, its chief executive officer said on Friday.
Energy East, Line 9 pipelines would be boost for Quebec refinery sector: Suncor
Jeff Lewis | 12/11/13
CALGARY – Rival plans to pipe Alberta crude east would safeguard jobs and encourage investment in Quebec’s struggling refinery sector, the president and chief executive of Suncor Energy Inc. said Tuesday.
The Next Frontier for Pipeline Organizing Is Your Backyard
The Nation
November 4, 2013
Rick Perlstein
October 14, 2013
Tzeporah Berman Silences Environmentalists, Targets Corporate Deal in Tar Sands Push
Corroding Our Democracy
by MACDONALD STAINSBY
Counterpunch.org
On September 23, 2013 Democracy Now and Amy Goodman conducted an interview with Tzeporah Berman on the issue of Canada’s government and their extreme over-reach in attacks on science and all manner of environmentalists. Focusing intently on the tar sands, the interview did well to highlight the more than dubious moves of the current Conservative government to promote tar sands in particular at all costs.
October 22, 2013
Big Green, Sun Media and Elsipogtog
Fracking Indigenous Country
by MACDONALD STAINSBY
If anyone doubted that it’s a good thing that Sun News in Canada has been both going broke and also denied the ability to force their way onto Canada’s basic cable system (vastly expanding their audience and getting themselves included in most homes with television subscriptions by default), the racist rantings of Ezra Levant in response to the recent RCMP attack on the Mi’kmaq community of Elsipogtog ought to clear it up.
Are green groups ready for tarsands deal?
by Dawn Paley on Nov 20, 2013
The Georgia Straight
Gone are the days when the tarsands were an obscure experiment in making oil from tar. Today, the bitumen deposits in central and northern Alberta have become a political hot potato, an issue forced onto the world stage by coordinated protests and direct actions.
Photos
But a look at the history of the environmental groups that have signed on to the tarsands protests raises the question of whether or not an agreement between green groups and tarsands operators is on the horizon.
Oil sands industry fights back
Criticism piles up
By Yadullah Hussain, Financial Post November 15, 2013
As withering criticism of the oil sands continues unabated, the industry is fighting back, armed with its own set of facts and highlighting the strides made in tackling the environmental issues that have sullied its reputation.
Quebec premier defends [Energy East] pipeline
CARLETON-SUR-MER, Que. - Quebec Premier Pauline Marois has defended a pipeline project that would see Western Canadian oil pumped across her province.
Marois says the controversial Enbridge Inc. proposal to reverse the flow of one of its pipelines could be a boon for Quebec — particularly since it would supply oil refineries in Montreal.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, she said the Alberta crude would be cheaper than oil purchased from abroad.
Oil-by-rail shift squeezing plans for new pipelines — including Keystone
Jeff Lewis | 13/08/30
Financial Post
CALGARY • The tug-of-war between railroads and pipelines in North American oilfields is only just getting started.
In recent months, the popularity of moving crude on tracks has sapped commercial support for new pipelines from oil fields in West Texas to North Dakota’s Bakken. Now it’s raising questions about the importance of Keystone XL, TransCanada Corp.’s controversial project designed to connect Alberta’s booming oil sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Keystone XL: Two conflicting truths
by Erica Alini on Thursday, August 29, 2013
Joshua Roberts/Reuters
