Arguments
2013 SkS News Bulletin #15: Alberta Tar Sands and Keystone XL Pipeline
Posted on 7 June 2013 by John Hartz
- Another major Tar Sands pipeline seeking U.S. permit
- Arkansas pipeline spill casts shadow over Keystone XL
- British Columbia opposes proposed Northern Gateway pipeline
- Canadian crude output to double by 2030 on oil sands growth
- Canadian workers now oppose Keystone XL
- First Nations seek alternatives to tar sands destruction
- Key parts of State Dept Keystone XL review are 'without merit'
- Keystone XL builder 'extremely confident'
- Keystone XL threatens true American ‘energy independence’
- Reid: Keystone XL vote coming
- TransCanada digging up defective segments of new pipeline
- West Coast link crucial for oilsands
Another major Tar Sands pipeline seeking U.S. permit
Canadian energy giant Enbridge is quietly building a 5,000-mile network of new and expanded pipelines that would achieve the same goal as the Keystone.
Arkansas pipeline spill casts shadow over Keystone XL
A leak in March that spewed 210,000 gallons near a residential area in Mayflower, Ark., is cited by Keystone XL opponents as a fresh reminder of the peril posed by the pipeline project.
Arkansas pipeline spill casts shadow over Keystone XL by Neela Banerjee, Washingto Bureau, Los Angeles Times, Jun 5, 2013
British Columbia opposes proposed Northern Gateway pipeline
The B.C. government has officially expressed its opposition to a proposal for the Northern Gateway pipeline project, saying it fails to address the province's environmental concerns.
The province made the announcement in its final written submission to the Northern Gateway Pipeline Joint Review Panel.
B.C. officially opposes Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, CBC News, May 31, 2013
Canadian crude output to double by 2030 on oil sands growth
Canada’s crude output will more than double to 6.7 million barrels a day by 2030, with almost all the growth coming from Alberta’s oil sands, an industry group representing the country’s petroleum producers said.
Oil sands production will rise to 5.2 million barrels a day by 2030 from 1.8 million currently, the Canadian Association of Oil Producers said in its 2013 annual forecast. More transportation such as pipelines and rail is needed to move the rising output, the group said.
Canadian Crude Output to Double by 2030 on Oil Sands Growth by Edward Welsch, Bloomberg, Jun 6, 2013
Canadian workers now oppose Keystone XL
Amidst the ongoing jobs-vs-environment debate, however, one voice is noticeably absent: the bitumen workers in Canada who are largely against long-term tar sands extraction and the building of the pipeline.
Exposed: Canadian Oil and Gas Workers, Many Unions, Now Oppose Keystone XL Pipeline by Peter Rugh, Truthout, May 31, 2013
First Nations seek alternatives to tar sands destruction
If the destruction isn't stopped in Alberta, we will be locked into a never-ending series of pipeline and refinery fights across the continent.
Beyond Protest: First Nations Community Seeks Alternatives to Tar Sands Destruction by Clayton Thomas-Muller, June 6, 2013
Key parts of State Dept Keystone XL review are 'without merit'
Dozens of leading scientists in the fields of climate change, public health and ecology have told the State Department that the findings of its draft assessment of the impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline are "without merit in many critical areas."
In unusually blunt advice, they urged the Obama administration to reject the pipeline as not being in the U.S. national interest.
Scientists: Key Parts of State Dept Keystone Review Are 'Without Merit' by John H. Cushman Jr., InsideClimate News, Jun 4, 2013
Keystone builder 'extremely confident'
The chief executive for Keystone XL oil sands pipeline builder TransCanada Corp. says he is 'extremely confident' the White House will approve the project.
Keystone builder 'extremely confident' by Zack Colman, E2 Wire, The Hill, May 31, 2013
Keystone XL threatens true American ‘energy independence’
The impending Keystone XL decision will signal whether the US is ready to move from quick profits to investments in renewable technology.
Keystone XL threatens true American ‘energy independence’ by John Mathews, The Conversation, May 29, 2013
Reid: Keystone XL vote coming
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thurdsay said the Senate will hold a vote on the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline
“There’s going to come a time when we'll vote on it. That's fine. It doesn't bother me at all,” Reid said during a Thursday media call without providing a timeline for action.
Reid: Keystone XL vote coming by Zack Colman, E2Wire, The Hill, Jun 6, 2013
TransCanada digging up defective segments of new pipeline
A Canadian company is repairing dozens of defects along the newly laid southern leg of the Keystone XL—the section of the oil pipeline that does not need approval from the U.S. State Department and is already under construction.
The Oklahoma-to-Texas pipeline is not yet operational, but landowners worry that the repairs hint at more serious problems that could someday lead to oil spills. The project will carry primarily Canadian oil—including diluted bitumen from Alberta's oil sands—from Cushing, Okla. to the Texas Gulf Coast.
TransCanada Digging Up Defective Segments of New Pipeline, Angering Landowners in Texas by Lis Song, InsideClimate News, Jun5, 2013
West Coast link crucial for oilsands
Consulting firm says value-added investment key for government action on Northern Gateway.
West Coast link crucial for oilsands: expert by Dave Cooper, Postmedia News, Vancouver Sun, Jun 5, 2013
You have to ask yourself why is Canada shipping raw, crude to the US of A. Why don't the refine it into petrol, diesel etc and get the value-added from their product. Not only is the Harper government an ecological disaster, they are economically dumb. You would expect a right wing government to at least have some economic smarts. I wonder how much revenue Canada is actually getting from this whole sorry mess in comparison with how much American companies are making. At least they are in line with former Canadian governments. Read Farley Mowat's book Sea of Slaughter to see how former governments have treated Canadian resources. The only reason Canada is green is that she has so much land with so few people. Until she gets rid of "first past the post" nothing will change.
A Canadian abroad.