Peak Oil

Alberta seeks more Keystone pipeline support
CBC News
July 9, 2011

Alberta's energy minister says he's going to push the federal government to more actively promote TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline to the American government.

In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Ron Liepert said he expects to meet with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver before the federal-provincial energy ministers conference at the end of July and will push for some help convincing the Americans to approve the pipeline.

Madagascar Oil and Total drop Africa’s biggest oil sands project
Frik Els | July 1, 2011

Madagascar Oil’s annual report released on Thursday shows the company is scuttling its project with French giant Total to develop a massive oil sand deposit on the island estimated to contain 1.2bn barrels of oil after three years of extensive work. The Bemolanga bitumen deposit adjacent the Tsingy de Bemaraha nature reserve (pictured) was first drilled in the late 1800s and would have cost upwards of $8bn to bring into operation.

Climate Change: It's bad and getting worse
Severe weather events are wracking the planet, and experts warn of even greater consequences to come.
Dahr Jamail
Al Jazeera, June 23, 2011

The rate of ice loss in two of Greenland's largest glaciers has increased so much in the last 10 years that the amount of melted water would be enough to completely fill Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes in North America.

Enviros, celebs plan W.H. protest
POLITICO [reprinted in the Seattle PI]
Published 03:41 a.m., Thursday, June 23, 2011

A group of environmentalists and liberal celebrities are organizing civil disobedience protests at the White House against a proposed oil pipeline - with the emphasis on "civil."

In an open letter, actor Danny Glover, activists Bill McKibben, James Hansen, David Suzuki and others ask for volunteers willing to risk arrest at the White House from mid-August to Labor Day.

But they don't want downtown Washington to look like Vancouver after the Stanley Cup Finals.

Shell – Chevron – Marathon, Game Over

After Gutenberg Blog: June 23, 2011

While this blog disagreed with Hansen’s position on nuclear power for base-load electric power, this blog agreed with the position this leading climate scientist takes on tar sands. Treehugger began their interview on Climate Change and Intergenerational Justice by noting Hansen’s concern: “the phase out of emissions from coal is, itself, an enormous challenge. However, if the tar sands are thrown into the mix, it’s essentially game over.” And, James Hansen elaborated upon his aversion to such development.

Tar Sands development edging closer in Trinidad and Tobago?
RBC appears at Trinidad government forum extolling their record in Canada's tar sands

by Macdonald Stainsby
April 19, 2011
Mediacoop.ca

In December of 2010, Rainforest Action Network [RAN], issued a press release that was full of praise for the Royal Bank of Canada adopting a new framework around investments in companies involved in tar sands production.

Government failure on oil-sands royalties shameful, says AFL

"The Tories are allowing billions of dollars to slip through their fingers
while they say we can't afford to keep schools open," laments McGowan

EDMONTON, April 15 /CNW/ -The Auditor General's Report on oil-sands royalties confirms Albertans' worst suspicions - that the Progressive Conservative government cares more about the energy industry's bottom line than what is in the best interests of Albertans, says the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL).

BLM reconsidering acreage for oil shale, tar sands

The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Apr 13 2011

The Bureau of Land Management will conduct a “fresh” study to determine how much public acreage to open to potential oil shale and tar sands development, the agency announced Wednesday.

In 2008, under the Bush administration, the agency amended eight area management plans in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming to open about 1.9 million acres for oil shale development and more than 430,000 acres for tar sands.

Estonia sees rock as future of global energy

By Anneli Reigas (AFP) – Mar 22, 2011

NARVA, Estonia — A huge excavator bites into the earth of an open-cast mine, as the operator skillfully mans the controls in a cabin four storeys from ground level.

For the small Baltic state of Estonia, rock is the future of energy.

The European Union nation of 1.3 million generates 97 percent of its electricity thanks to oil shale -- sediment formed 400-450 million years ago, containing hydrocarbons. Its industry forecasts that shale's use can only expand.

Feds to consider tars sands, shale projects

The Associated Press April 13, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY

The federal government says it will take a fresh look at commercial oil shale and tar sands plans in the Western United States.

The Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday it would soon begin performing environmental studies for potential projects on federal land in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The agency is seeking public comment.