Dan Woynillowicz — Mar 04, 2010
First, it was the ducks and now it's the Na'vi: it's shaping up to be a tough week for the oil sands industry.
Already dealing with disturbing videos of ducks struggling in tailings lakes, which have emerged during Syncrude's trial, today the spotlight intensified as environmental and First Nations groups launched an ad in the Oscar edition of Hollywood's Variety magazine. Drawing parallels between the wildly popular movie Avatar (and its native people, the Na'vi) and the oil sands development unfolding in northeastern Alberta, the ad serves to further damage the image of the oil sands. This at a time when the Edmonton Journal was already commenting that the oil sands' image is "back in tar."
Terra Simieritsch — Mar 02, 2010
It's been almost two years since 1,606 ducks died in one of Syncrude's northern Alberta tailings lakes. After the incident, we heard an apology from Syncrude - the sincerity of which can now be questioned given their bizarre decision to plead not guilty in court.
Dan Woynillowicz — Feb 10, 2010
The pressure is on - the international community has called us out on the serious environmental impacts of our oil sands, but instead of cleaning up the mess both industry and government are scrambling to spin the situation clean. Problem is, calling the oil sands clean won't make it so - and amidst increasing scrutiny the international community isn't going to fall for it.
Simon Dyer — Feb 09, 2010
Back in September 2006, we sounded alarm bells about the mismanagement of water withdrawals from the Athabasca River for oil sands development. Fast-forward three and a half years, countless committee meetings and a $4.6-million study and, sadly, little has changed.
Jennifer Grant — Feb 05, 2010
Environment Minister Jim Prentice claims Canada is aspiring to be a clean energy superpower. It’s a strange claim to make given that not too long ago the Conservatives were trying to sell Canada simply as an “emerging energy superpower.” While adding the word “clean” has a nice ring to it, this rhetoric couldn’t be further from the truth.
Karen Campbell — Jan 29, 2010
The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline would carry bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to the B.C. coast. Its construction would enable an expansion in oil sands production, which would result in significant new environmental impacts "upstream" from the pipeline.
Simon Dyer — Jan 25, 2010
We've recently heard from our colleagues in the environmental community that the province may be gearing up finally to release a wetland policy. The Alberta government had originally committed to put a new wetland policy in place by the summer of 2009, so it is long overdue.
Simon Dyer — Jan 11, 2010
In 2010, one of the issues on our radar here at Pembina is going to be whether oil sands companies are held accountable for cleaning up the tailings waste created by the oil sands extraction process.
Simon Dyer — Dec 11, 2009
The oil sands were the subject of a letter from members of the European Parliament to the business leaders of European companies operating in the Alberta oil sands. It asks them to cease those operations.
Simon Dyer — Dec 05, 2009
After a year that has seen world markets shaken by scandals and dubious accounting practices, it is no surprise to learn that the investment community now wants to know more about the liabilities around oil sands investments.
Dan Woynillowicz — Nov 27, 2009
I start my mornings with a cup of coffee and a quick scan of the headlines to see what's at play in the world of energy and the environment. Hey, it's my job. Like me, you probably saw the oil sands headlines again this week, spurred on by a quip from former American Vice President Al Gore. He said, "Gas from the tar sands gives a Prius the same carbon footprint as a Hummer."
Simon Dyer — Nov 25, 2009
Welcome to the Pembina Institute’s new blog about the environmental impacts of oil sands development.
