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Alberta Oil Spill Causes Ecological and Public Health Disaster For Lubicon Cree Community

May 10, 2011 by CPP

I am still on vacation with my family, with only intermittent access to my email and the internet while I am away. This media release from the Assembly of First Nations, the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada, was in my inbox this evening, and I felt it was important to share it in a timely way. On April 29, 2011, a leak was discovered in the Rainbow pipeline in northern Alberta. Since then, it appears the provincial and federal governments have been slow to respond to this environmental and public health crisis.

Here is the statement from the AFN:

Little Buffalo First Nation in northern Alberta is in the midst of an ecological disaster and Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo today stated that the federal government, the Alberta provincial government, the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) and Plains Midstream Canada must take responsibility and immediate action to support the residents of the First Nation. There are reports of more than 28,000 barrels of oil spilled at a site 30 kilometers from the Lubicon Cree community.

“We have been monitoring this situation closely for the last seven days and I am seriously concerned by the lack of response for the people of Little Buffalo First Nation,” National Chief Atleo stated. “It is totally inappropriate and, in fact, dangerous if officials at the ERCB are refusing to deal with the fact that people in Little Buffalo are becoming sick from the effects of this disaster. The local school has already been closed. All parties need to work with the leadership and citizens of the community to take action now.”

On April 29, 2011, it was estimated that 28,000 barrels of oil was spilled near Little Buffalo First Nation, located in the Peace River Region of Alberta. Many residents, including children, are experiencing symptoms of nausea, disorientation, headaches, burning eyes and stomach pains. Neither the pipeline owner – Plains Midstream Canada – or the provincial government has met with the people of Little Buffalo First Nation.

The National Chief said: “We need immediate action and we are also calling for an independent investigation into this incident, with the goal of establishing urgent measures and regulation of oil spill incidents. We have a responsibility to protect Mother Earth and the traditional hunting and trapping territories of First Nations. We have made safer and healthier communities one of our priorities for the new federal government. This is a clear demonstration as to why we need plans in place to deal with future disasters.”

AFN Alberta Regional Chief George Stanley and an independent environment officer were in Little Buffalo First Nation yesterday for a fly-over of the area.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdq6UrPTLfU&feature=email]

Jeff Rubin: The Bar Has Fallen So Low Now Big Oil Is Pushing Alberta Tar Sands As “Green”

June 10, 2010 by Christine

Originally from The Huffington Post and then re-published in The Globe and Mail, economist Jeffrey Rubin, author of “Your World is About To Get a Whole Lot Smaller”, had this to say about the recent attempts by the governments of Alberta and Canada, as well as Big Oil, to rebrand the dirtiest project on earth, the Alberta tar sands, as “green” in the face of the Gulf oil catastrophe:

It’s funny how it’s taken the worst ecological disaster in U.S. history to suddenly make other forms of oil extraction and processing look green. Only months ago, the carbon trail from the massive planned expansion of tar sands production made Canada a pariah at the world environmental summit in Copenhagen. But now tar sands producers and others are promoting tar sands oil as an ecologically friendly alternative to the environmental risks of another deep-water oil spill.

How low the bar has fallen.

There’s nothing clean about the production of synthetic oil from tar sands. The production of a single barrel of synthetic oil pollutes some 125 gallons of fresh water and emits over 200 pounds of carbon dioxide, principally as a result of the combustion of the natural gas, over 1,000 cubic feet of it, needed to generate the heat to separate the oil from the sand and then process it.

Click here to read the full article on The Huffington Post.

Canada’s Ava Tar Sands – Scenes Too Shocking For the Theatre, Part II

May 1, 2010 by Christine

Here is a second video put out by Earthwatch, about the world’s dirtiest and most expensive oil, from Alberta, Canada: tar sands oil. After watching the video, follow the Na’vi’s advice: warn President Obama about dirty tar sands oil at http://action.avatarsands.org.

*Strong Language Warning – Not Suitable For Children*

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1tA60fXlKM]

Canada’s Ava Tar Sands – The Scenes Too Shocking For the Theatre

April 23, 2010 by Christine

From Earthworks, a new video, Canada’s AvaTar Sands – The Scenes Too Dirty For the Theatre. Here’s what they have to say about dirty Alberta tar sands oil:

The world’s dirtiest and most expensive oil comes from Alberta, Canada: tar sands oil.

And it’s fueling the U.S. oil addiction at a time when money should instead be invested in clean energy and clean energy jobs.

President Obama campaigned on a new energy economy: one that would create new jobs, one that would give us a cleaner, healthier environment.

But if he doesn’t reject the permit for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, he will increase America’s addiction to this dirtiest of oils. Watch this video, and then follow the Na’vi’s advice: warn President Obama about dirty tar sands oil at http://action.avatarsands.org

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PGQHuPP728]

TAKE ACTION: Click here send a letter to President Obama. Tell him there’s no place in the clean energy economy for the Keystone XL pipeline (click here for more information on what exactly this is), or dirty tar sands oil. Or better yet, phone or fax him at:

Phone:(202) 456-1111

Fax:(202) 456-2461