Megaloads video: Giant rig opponents say its your land, water and air versus Exxon

Exxon Mobil is the world’s most profitable corporation-
A new video about their megaloads through Idaho and Montana to their vast toxic pits in Alberta-

Oil companies have colluded with the Idaho’s and Montana’s governors so they can make even more profits than if they built the machinery for the toxic Alberta tar sands mining in Canada.

20 most profitable companies. CNN Money.

Giant forest fires roam across northern Alberta

Strange May blazes burn a third of Slave Lake, Alberta, and threaten to cook the tar sands area-

It’s only mid-May, and it still struggles to get much above 60 degrees here in Eastern Idaho, but forest fires are torching northern Alberta, not all that far from the Arctic Circle. A third of the town of 7000 at Slave Lake burned.  In the general area, many of the giant tar sand pits have been evacuated.  This is near Ft. McMurray.  Temperatures have been in the high 70s and 80s.

Hundreds of homes now just smouldering rubble.  Premier, mayor shaken by scope of devastation in Slave Lake. Edmonton Journal. By Mariam Ibrahim, Ryan Cormier and Ben Gelinas

Other fires continue to burn across northern Alberta.   By Ryan Cormier, Edmonton Journal.

Raging fires stop oil and gas operations.  Hundreds evacuated from facilities.  By Dina O’Meara, Calgary Herald

Montana judge halts the building of megaload turnouts in Western Montana

Another roadblock to the use of Idaho Highway 12 and Montana highways as corridors for moving Alberta bound tar sand equipment-

This is good news, although likely temporary.

The turnouts constructed on the Montana side of Lolo Pass appear to be larger than the oil giant said and closer to Lolo Creek which already suffers from highway runoff.

Judge stops construction of big-rig turnouts in western Montana.  By Kim Briggeman of the Missoulian

Montana Wildlife Federation is going to sue over the oil megaloads

Idaho landowners and conservationists to get help from Montana allies-

National Wildlife Federation Prepared to Sue Montana Over Mega-loads. By George Prentice. Boise Weekly.

Exxon is now getting ready to test taking the megaloads up Highway 12 and through Montana. There could be as many as 200 gigantic loads from Exxon sent to Alberta. Some, however, are being broken down into smaller loads so they don’t have to travel on beautiful Highway 12.

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Here is some good news on the struggle fighting the tar sand oil. Ottawa fights EU’s dirty fuel label on oil sands. Climate Connections. The EU is going to label it as a dirty fuel.

Movement of giant oil equipment through Montana sparks Missoula protest

Oversized, outsized equipment protest. . . the first of years of citizen anger against environmental disruption and traffic delays?

It seems to me that this will not be a one time event because the passage of this huge equipment through north central Idaho and then Montana will be ongoing for many years.

Missoula demonstrators protest big rigs, fossil fuels at Exxon station. By Gwen Florio.  Missoulian

Big Fuel Spill from Rig on U.S. 12 (Lochsa River)

Even before the big oil modules, the river has been greatly threatened. This happened just before the big Idaho Supreme Court hearing on the judge’s order stopping the oil module transport-

Big Fuel Spill from Rig on U.S. 12. By George Prentice. Boise Weekly.

Tanker crashes and spills fuel along US Highway 12. Associated Press

Will this possible disaster (the oil hasn’t yet run into the river) influence the Idaho Supreme Court’s decision whether to overturn the injunction by 2nd District Judge John Bradbury to halt the oversized loads of massive tar sands equipment bound for Alberta?

Disgusting deformed fish show up below giant Alberta tar sands pits

Condition of fish in Lake Athabasca appall scientists, natives-

The tar sand pits have been called the world’s greatest on-going environmental disaster.  Many are fingering the pits as the cause of hideously deformed fish showing up downstream.

Mutant fish lead to calls for Ottawa to monitor oil sands. Bob Weber. Edmonton — The Canadian Press. “The fish are hard to look at.”

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New blog. Dirty Oil Sands

As oil gushes in Gulf, eyes are on sands to north in Alberta

Tar sands said to be solution from reliance on “petro-dictators”-

Of course, this is all at the cost of another huge insult to the planet as well as the northern Rockies.

One of the things that few seem to understand is that the worst environmental degradation comes from exploiting marginal (actually submarginal) resources. Drilling in deep water, polar regions, and production of energy from sources where net energy (actual new energy) is relatively small such as tar sands, show a very depleted resource and a horrible future.

As oil gushes in Gulf, eyes are on sands to north in Alberta. By Kim Briggeman of the Missoulian

Stop Alberta oil expansion

Stop the slow motion “gulf disaster” of Alberta tar sands oil-

Stop Alberta oil expansion. Guest column by Tom Woodbury. Western Watersheds Project. Montana Office.

It’s bad news for Idaho and Montana highways, but much more for Montana the world at large.

Satire: Alberta protesters scream for grizzly blood

Shades of Steven Colbert-
No more grizzlies !

Protesters scream for grizzly blood. By Darcy Henton and Jamie Hall, edmontonjournal.com in the Vancouver Sun.

Related

Time running out for Alberta’s dwindling grizzlies. Minister mulls reinstating spring hunt even as gov’t report recommends bears be listed as threatened species. By Darcy Henton, Edmonton Journal

Alberta grizzlies down to just 580 bears

Will they become a Canadian threatened species?

To many Americans, Canada is still the “great white north” where multitudes of wildlife live in wilderness and “tree huggers” silly enough to want to see a bear or a wolf can go a see one behind almost every tree.

The reality is massive development, and especially in Alberta which has become essentially a petro-state.

Alberta’s government seems to sort of be moving toward more protection such as a permanent cancellation of the annual grizzly bear hunt against the strong resistance of some hunting groups.

A recent 5-year study that included most of Alberta (not its far north or Jasper and Banff*) using the most effect method — DNA analysis of bear fur — found only 581 bears. They had expected about a thousand. This is fewer than Montana’s grizzly population in and around Glacier National Park and adjacent Wilderness areas and backcountry.

The Alberta grizzly might be put on the Canadian threatened species list.

Here are a couple stories from the last few days.

• Grizzly population about 580. By Archie Mclean, edmontonjournal.com
• Alberta’s grizzly hunt decision a year off. By Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald (in the Vancouver Sun)
• Editorial. Protect the grizzlies. Calgary Herald September 20, 2009

While many think of these two national parks as a stronghold of the grizzly, there are not large populations there because their rugged nature means most of the Parks are not good bear habitat. Moreover, the biologically production areas are often filled with highways, towns, resorts, and railroads.

Alberta oil sand development is greatest single source of pollution in the world

Oilsands’ emissions surpass some countries-

Although the oilsands massive pollution has been posted on this blog before, including a video, the magnitude of pollution is amazing. If current trends continue, according the article below, in eleven years they will produce as much greenhouse gas as all the world’s volcanoes.

Oilsands’ emissions surpass some countries. By Mary Jo Laforest. The Canadian Press. Globe and Mail.

Officers ‘massacre’ 12 bears at northern Alberta landfill

The garbage dump was a popular local bear watching place-

This is a major controversy now in Alberta.

Officers ‘massacre’ 12 bears at northern Alberta landfill. Official defends decision to shoot scavengers at landfill. By Karen Kleiss, Edmonton Journal

Environmentalists setting up anti-oilsands training camp in Calgary

There is going to be a big fight over this rapidly growing development as its external costs become more widely known-

Environmentalists setting up anti-oilsands training camp in Calgary.  By Kelly Cryderman, Canwest News Service

For more information, here is the blog “Oil Sands Watch.” It has interesting information like “Oil Sands Development Could Claim More Than 160 Million Boreal Birds.”

Bishop says Alberta oil sands development is morally objectionable

Ft. McMurry Catholic Bishop joins with others in condemning what some say is the most environmentally damaging project on the planet-

Bishop spurns oilsands development.  Roman Catholic leader wants environmental concerns addressed; industry welcomes debate. Edmonton Journal.

More of a perennial problem — trains, grain, and grizzlies

Banff: Grizzly at risk again near mountain train tracks-

Grizzly at risk again near mountain train tracks. By Jason Markusoff; With Files From Jamie Komarnicki. Calgary Herald.

Alberta accused of failing grizzlies

Only 300 grizzlies left in all of Alberta-

Montana probably has 3 to 4 times as many grizzlies now as Alberta.

Alberta accused of failing grizzlies. Environmental groups demand action on bears. By Kelly Cryderman, with files from Hanneke Brooymans, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald

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Related. Continuing development of Alberta oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns. By Martin Hittelstaedt. The Globe and Mail.

Alberta is being trashed at an amazing rate. Ralph Maughan

Alberta oil sands. Huge environmental cost divides Pres. Bush from U.S. Mayors

Critics: Canada’s oil boom an environmental bust. Extracting oil from Canada’s open-pit mines poses unacceptable risks to the region’s rivers and forests, critics of the projects say. By Rob Gillies. AP.

They might strip mine an area as large as New York state.

While oil sands does yield a lot of net energy, the ratio is poor compared to traditional sources, making synthetic oil from the sands even more damaging in terms of greenhouse gases.

Of course President Bush thinks the oil sands are great, but U.S. mayors have passed a resolution against their use.

Alberta suspends grizzly hunt for fourth year in a row

Alberta suspends grizzly hunt for the fourth year pending the results of a five year study. The Canadian Press.

Alberta govt suspends wolf-poisoning program

Alberta govt. suspends wolf-poisoning program. Cathy Ellis, Canwest News Service

Will forthcoming Alberta grizzly plan stop the bears’ nosedive?

Biologists push for action on grizzly plan. Bear population continues in decline despite 2002 warning in report.
Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal.

Perhaps only 500 grizzlies are left in this vast province, fewer than the Bob Marshall/Glacier National Park grizzly recovery area* just to the south of Alberta.

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*Officially named the Northern Continental Divide recovery area.

Alberta’s oil sands development is the most destructive project on Earth

Yes it produces oil, but also more negative externalities (environmental and other damage) than any other on-going project on the planet, according to an Canadian environmental group.

Environmentalists’ report to call for Ottawa to act on oil sands. By Bill Curry. The Globe and Mail

View. Toxic Alberta. Part of a 15 part series.

Alberta protesters furious over wolf kill

Alberta protesters furious over wolf kill. By Jim Farrell. Edmonton Journal.

The government wants to kill wolves to protect caribou, but the caribou have been disrupted by all the natural gas development and exploration in the Rocky Mountain foothills.