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The Tar Sands Disaster

Mike

Well-known member
NY Times Op-Ed - IF President Obama blocks the Keystone XL pipeline once and for all, he’ll do Canada a favor.

Canada’s tar sands formations, landlocked in northern Alberta, are a giant reserve of carbon-saturated energy — a mixture of sand, clay and a viscous low-grade petroleum called bitumen. Pipelines are the best way to get this resource to market, but existing pipelines to the United States are almost full. So tar sands companies, and the Alberta and Canadian governments, are desperately searching for export routes via new pipelines.

Canadians don’t universally support construction of the pipeline. A poll by Nanos Research in February 2012 found that nearly 42 percent of Canadians were opposed. Many of us, in fact, want to see the tar sands industry wound down and eventually stopped, even though it pumps tens of billions of dollars annually into our economy.

The most obvious reason is that tar sands production is one of the world’s most environmentally damaging activities. It wrecks vast areas of boreal forest through surface mining and subsurface production. It sucks up huge quantities of water from local rivers, turns it into toxic waste and dumps the contaminated water into tailing ponds that now cover nearly 70 square miles.

Also, bitumen is junk energy. A joule, or unit of energy, invested in extracting and processing bitumen returns only four to six joules in the form of crude oil. In contrast, conventional oil production in North America returns about 15 joules. Because almost all of the input energy in tar sands production comes from fossil fuels, the process generates significantly more carbon dioxide than conventional oil production.

There is a less obvious but no less important reason many Canadians want the industry stopped: it is relentlessly twisting our society into something we don’t like. Canada is beginning to exhibit the economic and political characteristics of a petro-state.

Countries with huge reserves of valuable natural resources often suffer from economic imbalances and boom-bust cycles. They also tend to have low-innovation economies, because lucrative resource extraction makes them fat and happy, at least when resource prices are high.

Canada is true to type. When demand for tar sands energy was strong in recent years, investment in Alberta surged. But that demand also lifted the Canadian dollar, which hurt export-oriented manufacturing in Ontario, Canada’s industrial heartland. Then, as the export price of Canadian heavy crude softened in late 2012 and early 2013, the country’s economy stalled.

Canada’s record on technical innovation, except in resource extraction, is notoriously poor. Capital and talent flow to the tar sands, while investments in manufacturing productivity and high technology elsewhere languish.

But more alarming is the way the tar sands industry is undermining Canadian democracy. By suggesting that anyone who questions the industry is unpatriotic, tar sands interest groups have made the industry the third rail of Canadian politics.

The current Conservative government holds a large majority of seats in Parliament but was elected in 2011 with only 40 percent of the vote, because three other parties split the center and left vote. The Conservative base is Alberta, the province from which Prime Minister Stephen Harper and many of his allies hail. As a result, Alberta has extraordinary clout in federal politics, and tar sands influence reaches deep into the federal cabinet.

Both the cabinet and the Conservative parliamentary caucus are heavily populated by politicians who deny mainstream climate science. The Conservatives have slashed financing for climate science, closed facilities that do research on climate change, told federal government climate scientists not to speak publicly about their work without approval and tried, unsuccessfully, to portray the tar sands industry as environmentally benign.

The federal minister of natural resources, Joe Oliver, has attacked “environmental and other radical groups” working to stop tar sands exports. He has focused particular ire on groups getting money from outside Canada, implying that they’re acting as a fifth column for left-wing foreign interests. At a time of widespread federal budget cuts, the Conservatives have given Canada’s tax agency extra resources to audit registered charities. It’s widely assumed that environmental groups opposing the tar sands are a main target.

This coercive climate prevents Canadians from having an open conversation about the tar sands. Instead, our nation behaves like a gambler deep in the hole, repeatedly doubling down on our commitment to the industry.

President Obama rejected the pipeline last year but now must decide whether to approve a new proposal from TransCanada, the pipeline company. Saying no won’t stop tar sands development by itself, because producers are busy looking for other export routes — west across the Rockies to the Pacific Coast, east to Quebec, or south by rail to the United States. Each alternative faces political, technical or economic challenges as opponents fight to make the industry unviable.

Mr. Obama must do what’s best for America. But stopping Keystone XL would be a major step toward stopping large-scale environmental destruction, the distortion of Canada’s economy and the erosion of its democracy.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
The most obvious reason is that tar sands production is one of the world’s most environmentally damaging activities.

Ya, because the environmental laws in 3rd world countries, where the majority of "traditional oil", comes from, are so stringent. :lol: :lol:




There is a less obvious but no less important reason many Canadians want the industry stopped:

2/3s are in favour :lol:



Then, as the export price of Canadian heavy crude softened in late 2012 and early 2013, the country’s economy stalled.

I thought they mentioned boom/bust?

“We will continue to see modest GDP growth in Canada. The growth projections are slightly lower in the near term . . . mainly in 2013-2014,” he said, although he did not provide detailed figures.
http://business.financialpost.com/2013/03/08/economists-slash-canadian-growth-forecasts-flaherty/


Both the cabinet and the Conservative parliamentary caucus are heavily populated by politicians who deny mainstream climate science.

There hasn't been any "global warming" in 12 years.


If some of the headlines were to be believed, a recent report from one of Canada's more prominent climate scientists seemed to suggest that maybe the Alberta oilsands won't be such a big environmental bad guy after all.


"I had heard the rhetoric that the tarsands would basically, if it was combusted, lead to game over for the planet Earth," Weaver told The Current.

But "the numbers came out quite small," he said.

"This doesn't mean of course that what's going on in northern Alberta is something that I support.

"It means that when we look at one aspect of the problem, which is the emissions, it's not as big on the global scene as perhaps some might think.



Canada’s record on technical innovation, except in resource extraction, is notoriously poor.



Canadian businesses are in for a greening, and one of the industries leading the growth of environmental technologies is found in the burgeoning northern Alberta oilsands projects.

New technologies and rapidly emerging environmental fields are mirroring the growth of tens of billions of dollars in energy projects ramping up quickly. It has put companies and professionals working in the environment in high demand as public pressure mounts to address global warming on several fronts.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/working/story.html?id=e61e5255-138a-4a9f-9297-b6a2bb59d08f :???:
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
In Calgary, average housing unit prices including condos and townhouses were up nine per cent to $460,800 from $422,400 in March 2012. That’s more expensive than the record $457,100 in February, which upset the previous high mark of $452,600 set in July 2007.

Single-family homes sold in the city averaged $518,400, ahead by nearly 10 per cent over March 2012, while condos were up nearly 11 per cent at $300,900 and townhouses were up 13.5 per cent at $355,500.

The average MLS sale price for a single-family home in February was $518,500, beating the previous record of $506,700 in July 2007.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/homes/Tight+market+drives+home+prices+higher/8184381/story.html#ixzz2PMdIoomA
 

Tam

Well-known member
Big poll support for pipeline: Celebrity arrests aren’t working

Two-thirds of Americans support building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil 1,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands through the Midwest to oil refineries in Texas, according to a new national poll by the Pew Research Center.

As environmental groups gear up opposition — the Sierra Club’s president and executive director have been arrested in a White House demonstration — it is clear from the poll that the once-potent lobby dubbed “Big Green” is not delivering its message to the country despite a bevy of celebrity busts. Just 23 percent oppose the pipeline.

Keystone XL is supported by a top-heavy (82 percent) majority of Republicans, a two-thirds-plus majority (70 percent) of independents and by 54 percent of Democrats. Only one group polled — liberal Democrats — showed even plurality opposition to the pipeline.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Apocalyptic prophecies were essentially ripped out of their biblical context and then applied to an ever-increasing variety of secular events so that much of its social justice was based on a political millennialism loaded with eschatological self-righteousness.
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=613270#613270


It's a perennial favorite of scammers to claim we face pending doom that can be averted only if we quickly send them more money or do what they want us to. From The Music Man's "Ya Got Trouble" to the emails purporting to be from family members who've been robbed or imprisoned overseas, the game is a constant money maker for the con men who employ it.
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=613272#613272


from the author of the opening post.

Carbon Shift: How the Twin Crises of Oil Depletion and Climate Change Will Define the Future

The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization

Is our world becoming too complex and too fast-paced to manage? The Ingenuity Gap

Environment, Scarcity, and Violence

Arctic Sea-Ice Loss and Extreme Weather

Catastrophic Dehumanization: the Psychological Dynamics of Severe Conflict

http://www.homerdixon.com/


Used to be that these "Apocalyptic prophecies" were solved by God, now these progressives believe Government is God, and can solve them, with a little more taxation. How much do they skim off the top?
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Tam said:
Big poll support for pipeline: Celebrity arrests aren’t working

Two-thirds of Americans support building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil 1,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands through the Midwest to oil refineries in Texas, according to a new national poll by the Pew Research Center.

As environmental groups gear up opposition — the Sierra Club’s president and executive director have been arrested in a White House demonstration — it is clear from the poll that the once-potent lobby dubbed “Big Green” is not delivering its message to the country despite a bevy of celebrity busts. Just 23 percent oppose the pipeline.

Keystone XL is supported by a top-heavy (82 percent) majority of Republicans, a two-thirds-plus majority (70 percent) of independents and by 54 percent of Democrats. Only one group polled — liberal Democrats — showed even plurality opposition to the pipeline.


sorry Tam, didn't mean to be the next poster in this thread.
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
One thing for sure - the person who wrote that article does not know a lot about Canada other than the typical lefty tripe. Most of which is so wrong.

I love the fact that the "mainstream" US of A supports all of those human rights advocates in the middle east with their dollars to buy oil.

The reason there is such a backlash about our own oil industry is because the US of A is literally putting hundreds of millions of dollars into destroying the Canadian oil industry.

Just a few examples - some from well known publications and some from independents.

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2012/11/28/vivian-krause-u-s-greens-shut-down-canadian-oil/

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/20/crude-awakening/

http://greenpolicyprof.org/wordpress/?p=708

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/02/should-canadian-environmental-groups-be-barred-from-taking-foreign-money.html

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2012/06/26/canadian-pipelines-targeted-by-u-s-funds/

These are but a few examples - apparently the newest players are the Rothschilds.

I sure could have used a little of this money during the BSE crisis - but in those days the US wanted most Canadians in the beef industry to fail. Now they are making inroads in an attempt to kill another industry.

Yup - keep supporting those human rights advocates in in the middle east and cut your law-a-biding neighbours to the north - your largest trading partner and your ally - off at the knees.

Really folks - I am NOT as bitter as I sound! LOL Just freezing my azz off today.

Best to all

BC
 

Mike

Well-known member
If there wasn't anything in it for him, OT would be against it too. :roll:
He was wrong on who was fighting it in Nebraska, and he's Canada & Canadian hater as well.

Plus, he's too stupid to realize Buckwheat doesn't really care one way or the other, except that his buddies make big money from it. He just wants to appease his political donors..........
 

TexasBred

Well-known member
Broke Cowboy said:
One thing for sure - the person who wrote that article does ot know a lot about Canada other than the typical lefty tripe. Most of which is so wrong.

He77 he can see Canada from his front porch so he must be an expert on the country.

:wink:
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
TexasBred said:
Broke Cowboy said:
One thing for sure - the person who wrote that article does ot know a lot about Canada other than the typical lefty tripe. Most of which is so wrong.

He77 he can see Canada from his front porch so he must be an expert on the country.

:wink:

2,000 miles away. :roll:
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Tam said:
Big poll support for pipeline: Celebrity arrests aren’t working

Two-thirds of Americans support building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil 1,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands through the Midwest to oil refineries in Texas, according to a new national poll by the Pew Research Center.

As environmental groups gear up opposition — the Sierra Club’s president and executive director have been arrested in a White House demonstration — it is clear from the poll that the once-potent lobby dubbed “Big Green” is not delivering its message to the country despite a bevy of celebrity busts. Just 23 percent oppose the pipeline.

Keystone XL is supported by a top-heavy (82 percent) majority of Republicans, a two-thirds-plus majority (70 percent) of independents and by 54 percent of Democrats. Only one group polled — liberal Democrats — showed even plurality opposition to the pipeline.


I'd just like to see the "Bevy of celebrity busts" :shock: :D
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Tam said:
Big poll support for pipeline: Celebrity arrests aren’t working

Two-thirds of Americans support building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil 1,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands through the Midwest to oil refineries in Texas, according to a new national poll by the Pew Research Center.

As environmental groups gear up opposition — the Sierra Club’s president and executive director have been arrested in a White House demonstration — it is clear from the poll that the once-potent lobby dubbed “Big Green” is not delivering its message to the country despite a bevy of celebrity busts. Just 23 percent oppose the pipeline.

Keystone XL is supported by a top-heavy (82 percent) majority of Republicans, a two-thirds-plus majority (70 percent) of independents and by 54 percent of Democrats. Only one group polled — liberal Democrats — showed even plurality opposition to the pipeline.


I'd just like to see the "Bevy of celebrity busts" :shock: :D

Lindsayy Lohan will probably get arrested/busted again soon.
 

littlejoe

Well-known member
I'd just like to see the "Bevy of celebrity busts" :shock: :D[/quote]

Yup, that's the part that caught my eye too---gotta think maybe they need to be examined a tad more closely....
 
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