Posted on 10 April 2013 by John Hartz

15 things you need to know about the tar sands oil spill

As the second week of toxic air in Mayflower begins, here are more of the questions this disaster raises and some of the current answers, subject to future refinement.

15 things you need to know about the tar sands oil spill by William Boardman, AlertNet, Apr 8, 2013

A Conversation with Premier Alison Redford

On April 9, the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings hosted Alison Redford, the premier of Alberta, for a discussion on the the Alberta-U. S. energy relationship, environmental efforts undertaken by her administration, and the Keystone XL pipeline. 

Senior Fellow Charles Ebinger, director of the Energy Security Initiative, provided introductory remarks. Brookings Trustee Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, moderated the discussion with Premier Redford.

U.S.-Alberta Energy Relations: A Conversation with Premier Alison Redford, The Brookings Institute, Apr 9. 2013

Canadian visits U.S. to promote oil pipeline

Alison Redford, the premier of the Canadian province that is home to the oil sands formations that would supply the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to the United States, said Tuesday that critics of the project had distorted its environmental effects and exaggerated the impact of developing the oil.

Canadian Visits U.S. to Promote Oil Pipeline by John Broder, New York Times, April 9, 2013

Does tar sand oil increase the risk of pipeline spills?

Recent pipeline spills may have been caused by the combination of aging infrastructure and new types of oil.

Does Tar Sand Oil Increase the Risk of Pipeline Spills? by David Biello, Scientific American, Apr 4, 2013

How stupid do they think we are?

This just in:  building a pipeline to carry the dirtiest oil ever used, creating 17% more greenhouse gasses than conventional oil and hastening the greatest environmental disaster ever faced by humanity, has no negative environmental impact.  At least that’s the conclusion of the Environmental Impact Statement issued by the State Department … 

Keystone XL's Impact Statement:How stupid do they think we are? by John Atcheson, Common Dreams, Apr 9, 2013 

Keystone pipeline opponents demand (further) review

On Monday afternoon, a coalition of environmental and public interest groups fired off a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and the State Department's Inspector General, Harold Geisel, demanding a probe into the agency's handling of its widely criticized environmental review of the proposed project. Chief among the charges: that the third-party contractor hired to conduct the analysis, Environmental Resources Management, effectively lied when asked by the State Department, in a screening questionnaire, whether it had any potential conflicts of interest. 

Keystone Pipeline Opponents Cite State Dept. Funny Business & Oozing Oil To Demand (Further) Review by Tom Zellar Jr., The Huffington Post, Apr 8, 2013

New Coalition Makes Compelling Case

A group called “All Risk, No Reward” aired ads opposing the Keystone pipeline yesterday during the Sunday news shows and will soon be targeting Democratic donors and youth.

All Risk, No Reward: New Coalition Makes Compelling Case Against Keystone XL Pipeline by Ryan Koronowski, Climate Progress, Apr 8, 2013

Redford interview: no plan for $40 carbon tax

Alberta premier Alison Redford is in Washington, DC today to speak about her province’s energy resources and environmental policies as the Obama administration continues to review the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Redford interview: no plan for $40 carbon tax by Luiza Ch. Savage, MacLean's, Apr 9, 2013

Reporter threatened with arrest

ExxonMobil said Lisa Song would be charged with criminal trespass if she didn’t leave the command center where federal authorities are working.

InsideClimate News Reporter Threatened With Arrest at Ark. Oil Spill Site by Susan White, InsideClimate News, Apr 5, 2013

Risking more oil spills by rail

A rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline by President Barack Obama would push more of Canada’s $73 billion oil exports onto trains, which register almost three times more spills than pipelines.

Killing Keystone Seen as Risking More Oil Spills by Rail by Rebecca Penty & Jim Efstathiou Jr, Bloomberg, Apr 8, 2013

The Stonewall of climate change?

If decision-makers take as long to act on this issue as they did on gay rights, we will all be wearing scuba masks to rallies.

Is the Keystone XL pipeline fight the Stonewall of climate change? Op-ed by Bill McKibben, The Guradian, Apr 8, 2013

Where Are the Environmentalists?

The cleanup is still underway from a massive pipeline spill in Mayflower, Arkansas, but you don't hear anything about it at public hearings across the nation dealing with the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline. Resolutions supporting the controversial KXL pipeline have now been introduced in seven states, but while TransCanada, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Chamber of Commerce have been lobbying in force for the bills to pass, there have been few opposing voices by either Democrats or environmentalists at public hearings dealing on the measures.

Seven State Keystone XL Resolutions, Where Are the Environmentalists? by Nick Surgey, Common Dreams, Apr 9, 2013