Community | August 27, 2008 | 15 comments

Canada's oil sands declared "Most destructive project on earth" as eco disaster looms

source: http://www.naturalnews.com/023982.html

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jefftego

http://www.naturalnews.com/023982.html

A report issued by the nonprofit organization Environmental Defense has declared petroleum extraction projects in Canada's oil sands to be "the most destructive project on Earth."

"When even former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed, who started the Tar Sands ball rolling, is calling for change, you know this is a major disaster," said Aaron Freeman, the group's policy director.

The report accuses the Canadian government of allowing the Tar Sands Project to emit levels of greenhouse gases that far outstrip any reductions made in other areas.

"Ottawa is letting the Tar Sands hold Canadians hostage on global warming," said Program Manager Matt Price. "The federal government is not using laws already on the books to require companies to reduce emissions and clean up their toxic mess."

The group also says that the project has contaminated rivers and groundwater with toxic chemicals, caused an increase in acid rain and created "health sacrifice zones" in the surrounding region.

On the same day as the report's publication, Canadian First Nations groups also attacked the Tar Sands Project for its contamination of community water supplies.

"Elders tell us water is the boss," said Councillor Willis Flett, of Mikisew Cree First Nation, "and without clean water we wouldn't exist. Now the boss is in trouble and needs our help."

"Nobody lives closer to the land and water than we do, and we've seen bad changes over the past dozen years," said Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. "As goes the water so go we, and we are seeing strange diseases now."

In 2007, Canada's national health agency launched a complaint against the Fort Chipewyan town doctor after he publicly complained about rates of abnormal diseases in the town.

"This is Canada's problem," Freeman said of the Tar Sands Project. "Our federal elected leaders need to clean it up or shut it down."
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15 comments // Canada's oil sands declared "Most destructive project on earth" as eco disaster looms

  • Valentin0o
  • justright
  • damnneargenius
    • 0
      damnneargenius  

    • It's funny how all life was built around the concept of renewable, sustainable systems until humans came along and "advanced" things to the point of self-destruction.

    • 4 years ago
  • globewatcher
    • 0
      globewatcher  

    • we only need oil because weve been made dependant on it. oil does not only come from the ground. farmers can grow many different crops for oil or ethanol production instead of our government paying them to grow nothing. then we could enslave the oil companies and make them re-build. yeah. or sieze assets and pay the landscapers to do it. i like it.

    • 4 years ago
  • mpgarr59
    • 0
      mpgarr59  

    • This report will change nothing--we have to have oil--we are destroying a good precentage of the mountains in the state of West Virginia in order to extract coal--it is estimated by some that by the end of this century--there will be few mountains left in that state to be untouched by the current extraction methods---I guess that the area up in Alberta and adjacent lands with the oil sands will be Canada's version of West Virginia--a denuded and destroyed landscape not fit for any life at all---but hey---somebody made some big time money doing both things and in this culture--isn't making money the most important thing of all??

    • 4 years ago
  • Elligirl
    • 0
      Elligirl  
    • Image

    • "'Comprehensive' review of Fort Chipewyan cancer rates announced"

      It looks like there's finally going to be a study of what the doctor was complaining about. Yay, I guess.

    • 4 years ago
  • Elligirl
  • NeoDotCom
  • SushiBandit
  • jefftego
  • benjaminV
  • BFAM_RVS
    • 0
      BFAM_RVS  

    • This is everyone's problem....unfortunately, not many people are in positiions to help improve the situation in Canada....what we can do is offer ideas for solutions and future improvements and hope that those that are closer enough to the situation to do something about it act on those ideas...and if that does not work, we will have to force change or by that time, we will already be fucked...

    • 4 years ago
  • AntiFacistCanuck
  • arenegade
    • 0
      arenegade  

    • help us canada, say NO to tar sands oil development. you know we (the usa) are just after the oil, dont sell yourself short. i could care less if my gas would be a hair cheaper, it's not worth the longterm effects.

    • 4 years ago
  • MissAmanda

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