Hundreds Oppose Tar Sands Refinery

Hundreds in Bay Area to Oppose Toxic Refinery Expansion

WHEN: Tuesday, July 15th ; 6:15pm vigil, 7:00 p.m. hearing
WHERE: Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd.

WHAT: Hundreds of Bay Area residents will be attending tomorrow’s Richmond city council hearing on Chevron’s bid to expand the Richmond refinery to process more, heavier crude oil. Richmond residents and the wider Bay Area community see the expansion of the plant to burn ever-dirtier crude in direct opposition to California’s commitment to combat air pollution and climate change. Prior to the hearing there will be a community vigil led by a Richmond Catholic priest and an Oakland priest whose parishioners are employees of the Chevron plant.

Dene Water Worries

Dene water worries
Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 14, 2008

TETLIT’ZHEH/FORT MCPHERSON – Concern over the future of waterresources took centre stage at the 38th annual Dene National Assemblyin Fort McPherson last week.

Before the meetings even got underway, Dene chiefs had met with Premier Floyd Roland on Monday afternoon in Inuvik.

‘There was a lot of discussion on waterthat comes from the border. We don’t yet have an agreement with othergovernments,’ said Sahtu Grand Chief Frank Andrew.

With at least three conferences onwater planned in the next six months, including a national waterconference to be held in Yellowknife this November, some chiefs werecalling for a public inquiry into how the Alberta tar sands operationsare using water from the Athabasca River.

‘We have to make this as big orbigger than the Berger inquiry. We drink water. We don’t drink oil,’said Tlicho Grand Chief George Mackenzie.

A Very Sobering Graph

Below is a graph from a website of the Climate Emergency Network in Australia. It’s very striking to see what has happened with Arctic sea ice over the last 30 years–going down at a fairly consistent rate, overall–and then the precipitous drop from 2006 to 2007.

Carbon Capture Scam

Public Interest Groups Oppose Carbon Capture Scam

posted by Ananda in Freedom from Oil, Global Finance, RAN General on May 6th, 2008

In conjunction with the international release of a report by Greenpeace today – that identifies the ridiculous risk, uncertainty and cost associated with industry-driven plans for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS),

Public interest groups (from across the country) sent the following letter to Congress, demanding that taxpayer subsidies be disallowed CCS, and that safe, affordable and market-ready energy technologies such as wind and solar be funded instead.

Dear Members of Congress

On behalf of our members and supporters we are writing to express our opposition to any policies that promote or provide taxpayer subsidies for carbon capture and storage (CCS), the practice of trapping carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and storing it below the sea or beneath the surface of the earth.

Carbon Capture: the false solution

Carbon Capture and Storage A False Solution

Too late to be of use, much too expensive, ineffective, and unsafe Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

A fully referenced version of this article is posted on ISIS members’ website. Details here

An electronic version of this report, or any other ISIS report, with full references, can be sent to you via e-mail for a donation of £3.50. Please e-mail the title of the report to: report@i-sis.org.uk

Carbon capture and storage mega-projects collapse

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is intended to reduce the impact of burning fossil fuels by capturing CO₂ from concentrated sources such as power stations and storing it underground (see Box). CCS has wide support among governments as world oil supply is failing to meet demand while many countries still have large coal reserves.

Coal-fired power plants account for half of America’s electricity, and coal produces more carbon dioxide than any other commonly used fuel [1]. The coal-mining industry has been promoting CCS as “clean coal”, and even some environmental groups see it as a way of bridging the energy gap until renewable energies can be more widely deployed.

Highway to Hell

Canada’s Highway to Hell

Filed under: Environment — Stuart Vail @ 3:19 pm

Under growing pressure from U.S. politicians and environmentalists to clean up its act, Canada’s tar sands industry is responding with a $25-million PR makeover.

Canadian Labour Congress Challenges and Opportunities

CLC Convention Highlights the Challenges
Facing the Labour Movement in Canada

The following article appears on the websites of Socialist Voice (www.socialistvoice.ca) and the Socialist Project (www.socialistproject.ca).
By Roger Annis. The triennial convention of the Canadian Labour Congress held in Toronto from May 26 to 30 revealed the positive changes that have edged their way into the labour movement in recent years. It also showed the weighty obstacles that stand in the way of the organization’s transformation into a more militant, fighting force on behalf of the working class.

On the positive side, a number of resolutions reflected the social rights work and spirit of solidarity on important issues by Congress affiliates, union activists and social movements that overlap with the labour movement. Chief among these was a resolution opposing Canada’s participation in the imperialist war of aggression in Afghanistan. It was adopted by a large majority of delegates and it calls for an end to that war and the immediate withdrawal of Canadian soldiers. (The resolution and the debate surrounding it can be read on this author’s blogsite).

Book Review: Blue Gold

Are you pondering what book to read next? Ponder no more. Theresa from Pondering the Myriad Things tends to write well thought out, insightful book reviews about truly interesting green reads. That was why I asked her to be our next guest reviewer. She does not disappoint here with a powerful review of a powerful book.

No Celebration for High Oil Prices in Cowtown

Here’s one stampede Calgary isn’t celebrating

DEREK DeCLOET

ddecloet@globeandmail.com

July 15, 2008

CALGARY — The cowboy hats are back on the closet shelf; the cartoonish western window paintings that decorate most of the downtown office buildings here will soon be scrubbed away. The Calgary Stampede – a 10-day party during which “the productivity rate goes down and the birth rate goes up,” as one financial type puts it – is over. But in the oil patch, a sense of excitement remains.

Or does it? With oil above $140 (U.S.) a barrel and natural gas prices in the double digits, you might think you’d be able to literally smell the money in Canada’s energy capital. But the unmistakable scent of prosperity is tinged with – what is it? “Fear” is too strong a word. But “worry” isn’t far off.

“It’s not fun,” says Jim Davidson, chief executive officer of First Energy Capital.

Ontario Forest Act

Act will protect boreal forest

Jordana Huber

Victoria Times Colonist / Edmonton Journal / Regina Leader-Post / Montreal Gazette / Ottawa Citizen

TORONTO — Ontario will prohibit mining and forestry across a swath of northern boreal forest larger than the Maritime provinces, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Monday as part of a larger plan that will also include changes to the antiquated Mining Act.

Under a framework to be developed, McGuinty said 225,000 square kilometres — roughly half of Ontario’s boreal forest — will be protected and designated strictly for tourism and traditional aboriginal use.

The other half of the unspoiled forest will be subject to forthcoming changes to the Mining Act that will mandate early consultations and accommodation of First Nations, McGuinty said.

“Emerging economies are hungry for resources and their appetites are only going to grow,” McGuinty said. “It’s just a matter of time so that gives us time to plan for that development instead of just letting that happen.”