hipponormous
New member
And imply you have intimacy with nature, yukon? Pfffft
Alberta "oil sand" jobs
- Thread starter NOKUY
- Start date
Dead birds draw embarrassing attention to Alberta oilsands
Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, May 06, 2008
n the simple act of dying in a pool of toxic sludge, 500 oil-soaked ducks have embarrassed the heck out of governments and Alberta's oil industry.
They've also put an important issue squarely on the public agenda.
The dead ducks have forced people to ask, what sort of place is the Aurora tailings pond that it could kill off so many birds who did nothing more than light on its lagoon-like liquidity?
And what sort of development is Alberta's oilsands, tucked away in remote northern Alberta?
The April 28 duck debacle strongly suggests the area has become a cesspool for animal and, inevitably, human life.
At at time when environmental concern is soaring, those running the show at the oilsands doubtless are keen to tell their own story, without bothersome birds getting into the act.
The story, according to the script, is a positive one.
The Alberta government, on its Energy Ministry website, quotes Time magazine describing the oilsands as "Canada's greatest buried energy treasure."
The oilsands development currently accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all crude oil produced in the country. The tally will grow to two-thirds by 2010. It "represents a triumph of technological innovation."
As for the environment, "addressing the protection of the environment during development of this resource is a priority for the Alberta government."
"Stringent legislation and on-the-ground measures are already in place to protect the air, land and water during oil sands development."
Indeed, the province has even mandated an "oilsands environmental management division" within its Environment Ministry "specifically to enhance environmental protection during oil sands development."
This is the sort of story the province was peddling last week in Washington, D.C. Fully 70 per cent of oilsands output is U.S.-bound.
Alberta is planning to spend $25 million on a public-relations campaign about the oil project. As Premier Ed Stelmach explained: "Twenty-five million dollars is well spent in ensuring that we protect the integrity of this province."
The campaign should be delayed, out of respect for the ducks. At this point such an initiative would be viewed with cynicism.
Canadians are not eco-virgins. They gradually are getting up to speed on the oilsands. The fact is, this is a dirt-bag development, responsible for producing outrageous carbon emissions and using enormous amounts of water and natural gas.
Tailings ponds created from the endeavour obviously are toxic enough to kill birds. (Airguns, deployed to scare them off, were not in place because of weather conditions last week.)
Those downstream from the development have noticed grotesque abnormalities in the fish they catch and, in Fort Chipewyan, people have for some time been registering health complaints.
All that said, oilsands royalties are putting more than a billion dollars a year into the Alberta government's coffers, which is nothing to sneeze at.
And with the price of oil zooming, the oilsands in future will create even more wealth for Alberta, not to mention Canada. Alberta is creating good jobs for those from regions with high levels of unemployment.
Vacuous apologies that have been issued since the duck incident only demean and play members of the public for fools.
Syncrude's CEO Tom Katinas said: "We wanted to let people know how sorry we are this happened on our site and our resolve to help ensure it doesn't happen again."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the incident "a terrible tragedy . . . I think we expect better, to be quite honest. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening."
But how honest is Harper being? This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when you try to extract crude from a vast terrain composed of tarry sands. Vast tailings ponds of poisonous goo are a natural byproduct of the arduous process.
And, let's be candid, the only way Syncrude intends to prevent mass bird kills in future is not through a cleanup of the tailings ponds, but rather through more diligent use of airguns.
Canadians need to know the environmental truth about the oilsands. Only then can they responsibly decide whether the mess is worth the cash.
Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, May 06, 2008
n the simple act of dying in a pool of toxic sludge, 500 oil-soaked ducks have embarrassed the heck out of governments and Alberta's oil industry.
They've also put an important issue squarely on the public agenda.
The dead ducks have forced people to ask, what sort of place is the Aurora tailings pond that it could kill off so many birds who did nothing more than light on its lagoon-like liquidity?
And what sort of development is Alberta's oilsands, tucked away in remote northern Alberta?
The April 28 duck debacle strongly suggests the area has become a cesspool for animal and, inevitably, human life.
At at time when environmental concern is soaring, those running the show at the oilsands doubtless are keen to tell their own story, without bothersome birds getting into the act.
The story, according to the script, is a positive one.
The Alberta government, on its Energy Ministry website, quotes Time magazine describing the oilsands as "Canada's greatest buried energy treasure."
The oilsands development currently accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all crude oil produced in the country. The tally will grow to two-thirds by 2010. It "represents a triumph of technological innovation."
As for the environment, "addressing the protection of the environment during development of this resource is a priority for the Alberta government."
"Stringent legislation and on-the-ground measures are already in place to protect the air, land and water during oil sands development."
Indeed, the province has even mandated an "oilsands environmental management division" within its Environment Ministry "specifically to enhance environmental protection during oil sands development."
This is the sort of story the province was peddling last week in Washington, D.C. Fully 70 per cent of oilsands output is U.S.-bound.
Alberta is planning to spend $25 million on a public-relations campaign about the oil project. As Premier Ed Stelmach explained: "Twenty-five million dollars is well spent in ensuring that we protect the integrity of this province."
The campaign should be delayed, out of respect for the ducks. At this point such an initiative would be viewed with cynicism.
Canadians are not eco-virgins. They gradually are getting up to speed on the oilsands. The fact is, this is a dirt-bag development, responsible for producing outrageous carbon emissions and using enormous amounts of water and natural gas.
Tailings ponds created from the endeavour obviously are toxic enough to kill birds. (Airguns, deployed to scare them off, were not in place because of weather conditions last week.)
Those downstream from the development have noticed grotesque abnormalities in the fish they catch and, in Fort Chipewyan, people have for some time been registering health complaints.
All that said, oilsands royalties are putting more than a billion dollars a year into the Alberta government's coffers, which is nothing to sneeze at.
And with the price of oil zooming, the oilsands in future will create even more wealth for Alberta, not to mention Canada. Alberta is creating good jobs for those from regions with high levels of unemployment.
Vacuous apologies that have been issued since the duck incident only demean and play members of the public for fools.
Syncrude's CEO Tom Katinas said: "We wanted to let people know how sorry we are this happened on our site and our resolve to help ensure it doesn't happen again."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the incident "a terrible tragedy . . . I think we expect better, to be quite honest. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening."
But how honest is Harper being? This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when you try to extract crude from a vast terrain composed of tarry sands. Vast tailings ponds of poisonous goo are a natural byproduct of the arduous process.
And, let's be candid, the only way Syncrude intends to prevent mass bird kills in future is not through a cleanup of the tailings ponds, but rather through more diligent use of airguns.
Canadians need to know the environmental truth about the oilsands. Only then can they responsibly decide whether the mess is worth the cash.
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lol- hippie fucks? Uh, not quite. Quite the opposite in fact. I'm surprised you out of all people has a problem with people who want to defend our planet which is currently being ravaged by the same humans you hate. Not only that but you always talk about how much you love nature yet you have no problem with the environmental damage caused by these oil fields.
And ANWR is not a wasteland either. I would say its an important and vibrant wildlife that must be protected. I hear this from people all the time. Theres nothing up there so it must be a wasteland. Not true at all. Over 200 species of animals live in ANWR and this area is one of the last places on earth untouched by man. All it takes is one oil spill and this pristine land is forever contaminated. ANWR is home to several types of eco-systems as well. Drilling there is just fucking stupid. What we should be doing is looking for alternative sources of energy. Not ravaging every inch of the planet because we has humans deem an area a 'wasteland' when its really not. A wasteland to me is the city. A pristine eco system should never be called a 'wasteland'.
And ANWR is not a wasteland either. I would say its an important and vibrant wildlife that must be protected. I hear this from people all the time. Theres nothing up there so it must be a wasteland. Not true at all. Over 200 species of animals live in ANWR and this area is one of the last places on earth untouched by man. All it takes is one oil spill and this pristine land is forever contaminated. ANWR is home to several types of eco-systems as well. Drilling there is just fucking stupid. What we should be doing is looking for alternative sources of energy. Not ravaging every inch of the planet because we has humans deem an area a 'wasteland' when its really not. A wasteland to me is the city. A pristine eco system should never be called a 'wasteland'.
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hipponormous said:
you must have been on here before under another handle or you wouldent call me "yukon".
...i try to be nice to peeps, and ill never be the one that u can say is a shameless american who wastes resourses....the only magazine i get is backwoods home, and i try to live by it.
i could go on, but ill stop for now.
sirgrassalot...good post!
SalParadise
Member
NOKUY said:
NOKUY said:
I do remember you back in your Yukon days, and throughout the years have come to consider you as someone who held a great deal of respect for wild lands. As such, I really didn't think you'd make such a wild claim as "drilling oil there won't hurt shit." The jury is back on this one, Yukon - its not even refutable - oil well drilling causes massive damage to the earth and our ecosystems. As an outdoorsman and Alaskan, I really expected that you of all people would know that...
NOKUY said:
Pretty self-centered, but thats the voice of your typical American, isn't it? As long as the damage isn't in my back yard and I'm better off right now, the long term doesn't matter...
I'm tired of sacrificing beautiful and wild places in the name of energy, and drilling in a wilderness preserve only puts us on a more slippery slope than we already are. Where does it end? Do you advocate drilling anywhere oil is found? What about Denali? If oil is found there, are you down with drilling 'cause it'll give you what it "takes to keep you happy?"
What about your children, and what about mine? Shouldn't these rare places be saved so that they too can experience them the way we have, Yukon? We both have spent a lot of time in the wilderness in our lives, and I want my kin to be able to experience that magic, too. Trivial amounts of oil, such as those in the ANWR, are not worth the utter destruction drilling will cause. It will get you oil for a very short time, but it takes away something I cherish forever.
And in case you're interested, drilling in ANWR actually WILL hurt the caribou population... or so says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
hipponormous
New member
So in conclusion, Yukon wants money, and ignores the professional word of biologists, claiming this place to be a wasteland. He justifies ruining the pristine wildlife habitat that has been federally protected for decades just so he can make a buck. He actually trusts the oil companies when they say that the land can be returned to its original state. He wants to do all of this just so gas can be brought down by a penny per gallon in 20 years (according to the US gov't).
And then he tells us he's intimate w/ nature.
Is this a joke?
And then he tells us he's intimate w/ nature.
Is this a joke?
SalParadise
Member
ANWR: A Real American Wasteland
KnottyDollar
Member
NOKUY said:
Absolutely! Because there is no possible way anyone could decipher your unbelievably unique way of spelling a word backwords.
SalParadise said:ANWR: A Real American Wasteland
Im starting to believe that mister yukon has never even been to Alaska.
Uh oh! I called him yukon.. I must be an old member in disguise.
it's GOTTA be a wasteland . there's not a single starbucks, 7-11, walmart, or mcdonalds in any of those pics. case closed !
A wasteland is New York City...
ANWR is a far cry from a wasteland.
ANWR is a far cry from a wasteland.
KnottyDollar
Member
Thats a pretty big IF considering the track record of Big Oil.
okwildfire
Active member
well being based on trac record's...we will be fine...with all the closed mud system drilling now day's...i dont think that's going to be a problem...we have come alllooonnnggg way in the last 20 year's..lol what im thinking some of the people are thinking is this...any one remember the old black and white film's of water, mud and some oil blasting it's way through the top of the derick? i believe that's what they are thinking about when you say drilling..i dunno..just a thaught...i mean shit..i've been doing this since i was 18..i will be the first to tell ya if it's bad...people have the wrong picture in there head...and when people say big oil??? lol i wonder if any one can even name the top five without useing google??? people will say shell..texeco...bp...ect..but naw...they are pretty small beside the true "big oil" company's...i dunno..i've seen this stuff since the day i was born...it's not "evil" lol BUT i guess two penny's dont go real far in today's screwed up world..
KnottyDollar
Member
So, you admit you are inherently biased to the subject matter due to the fact thats its your profession and you have been around it since birth, which probably means its a family thing furthering the bias.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/...ational_wildlife_refuge/html/execsummary.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/us.html
So there's enough oil in ANWR for the USA for a year and a half? At maximum, 2.1 years. What's the point?
It takes something like two tons of oil sand to make a barrel of oil, and how efficient is the process? For every 100 barrels that are created, how many barrels are put into it?
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okwildfire
Active member
well yeah..it's what i do for a living..but that being said...i know how it's done..i see it allmost every day..hmm?? within 150 mile's all around me there are 1000's upon 1000's of well being drilled..or have been drilled...guess what??? you will not find a cleaner place, air and water wise...in the lower 48..biased..maybe..but for now..it's what we've got...and we have to do what we can with it...now with That being said..the company i work for at the moment (there pissing me off) none subject releated...lol...any who...they are one of the biggest researcher's (none goverment) in alt. energy there is...but to be honest..that's a hell of a way off..untill that day come's..i think we need to cut some of the flow of money to the middle east if we can..
