Pipeline dreams turn to ashes for Big Oil
Rick Smith, The Star, May 17 2013
The arrogance of oil companies and the Harper government turned a previously obscure environmental issue into a much more potent concern regarding the erosion of democracy and fairness
Stephen Harper’s “omnibus” strategy to overhaul green laws was proposed by oil industry, says records
Mike DeSouza, O.Canada.com, April 10 2013
OTTAWA – Lobbyists from Canada’s oil and gas industry recommended the Harper government’s 2012 strategy to put multiple changes to a series of environmental protection laws into a single piece of legislation, says a newly-released internal federal document.
One tale told twice
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Government critics beginning to smell a rat over Kitimat oil refinery proposal |
Government critics beginning to smell a rat over Kitimat oil refinery proposal |
Senate endorses construction of Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas
By Associated Press, Published: March 22
WASHINGTON — The Senate has endorsed construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that is to carry oil from Canada to Texas oil refineries.
Senators voted 62-37 on Friday for the nonbinding measure. Seventeen Democrats and all 45 Republicans voted yes.
Corporate welfare not needed for LNG on West Coast
Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, March 21 2013
While Ottawa agreed in Budget 2013 to extend tax breaks for manufacturers for two years, a request by developers of liquefied natural gas terminals on Canada’s West Coast to receive similar tax savings fell on deaf ears.
Envoy to deal with First Nations concerns on pipelines
The Canadian Press, CBC News, Mar 19, 2013
Vancouver lawyer Doug Eyford to submit preliminary report to Harper by June
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named an envoy to deal with aboriginal opposition to resource development in Alberta and British Columbia.
Bitumen's Extraordinary and Popular Delusions
Andrew Nikiforuk, TheTyee.ca, 9 Mar 2013
Behold the latest mystical and ecstatic pronouncements of Keystone XL acolytes.
When to Say No
Editorial, New York Times, March 11, 2013
The State Department’s latest environmental assessment of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline makes no recommendation about whether President Obama should approve it. Here is ours. He should say no, and for one overriding reason: A president who has repeatedly identified climate change as one of humanity’s most pressing dangers cannot in good conscience approve a project that — even by the State Department’s most cautious calculations — can only add to the problem.
Vaya con Dios, Hugo Chàvez, mi Amigo
By Greg Palast, GregPalast.com, Mar 5 2013
For BBC Television, Palast met several times with Hugo Chàvez, who passed away today.
As a purgative for the crappola fed to Americans about Chavez, my foundation, The Palast Investigative Fund, is offering the film, The Assassination of Hugo Chavez, as a FREE download. Based on my several meetings with Chavez, his kidnappers and his would-be assassins, filmed for BBC Television. DVDs also available.
Media may contact Palast at interviews (at) gregpalast.com.
Venezuelan President Chavez once asked me why the US elite wanted to kill him. My dear Hugo: It's the oil. And it's the Koch Brothers – and it's the ketchup.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez dead at 58
The Associated Press, Globe and Mail, Mar. 05 2013
CARACAS, Venezuela —Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer Tuesday, silencing the leading voice of the Latin American left and plunging his divided oil-rich nation into an uncertain future.
Hay evidencias que EE.UU. habría inducido el cáncer a Hugo Chávez
RT Actualidad, 5 mar 2013
Hay evidencias concretas de que EE.UU. cuenta con la tecnología necesaria para atentar contra la vida del presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez, así lo aseguró la abogada y escritora Eva Golinger.
Alberta aboriginals oppose B.C. Hydro's Site C dam project; say needs more study
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press, Edmonton Journal, March 3, 2013
EDMONTON - Alberta aboriginals are lining up against an energy project deemed crucial to the B.C. economy.
Keystone XL pipeline would have little impact on climate change, State Department analysis says
Juliet Eilperin & Steven Mufson, Washington Post, March 1, 2013
Keystone XL: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
US State Dept, March 1 2013
Keystone XL Pipeline Evaluation Process Fact Sheet 2012 [
PDF version ]
Executive Summary
1.0 Executive Summary Front Cover [155 Kb]
2.0 Title Page [1889 Kb]
3.0 Executive Summary [12305 Kb]
Keystone XL DRAFT SEIS Cover Letter [95 Kb]
Keystone XL DRAFT SEIS Errata Sheet [54 Kb]
U.S. State Department says Keystone XL won't impact global warming
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, Mar. 01 2013
OTTAWA — TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline has cleared a significant political hurdle in the United States after a State Department assessment concluded the project would not contribute to the warming of the planet.
CKNW's Michael Smyth talks with David Hughes about LNG
Michael Smyth & David Hughes, Post Carbon Institute, followed by A.J. Goodman, Shale Resource Centre for Canada, CKNW, Feb 27 2013
B.C. concludes that carbon tax is working, yet rejects important next steps
Matt Horne, Pembina Institute, Feb 19 2013
I spent today in the B.C. budget lockup, and yes, it was as inspiring and exciting as I’m sure you can imagine a budget lockup would be. One of the things I was interested in was the outcome of the province’s carbon tax review, which was announced in last year’s budget.
Liberals' highly debatable budget plans include fiscal tricks, asset sales and tax hikes
Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, Feb 19, 2013
“How is the government balancing the budget? Is it credible? And will it withstand scrutiny?”Those are indeed the right questions to be asking about the B.C. Liberal government’s 2013 budget and fiscal plan. Things begin to go off course for de Jong and his colleagues once one gets to the answers.
B.C. Liberals hike taxes to balance budget
Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, Feb. 19 2013
Victoria — B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong has resorted to corporate and personal income taxes hikes for the first time in his party’s 12 year reign, on the eve of an election that threatens to unseat the B.C. Liberal government.
B.C. budget proposes first personal tax hike since Liberals took over in 2001
Brian Hutchinson, National Post, Feb 19 2013
VANCOUVER — B.C.’s Liberal government says it can make good on its promise to deliver surplus budgets this year and beyond, by hiking corporate and personal income taxes, selling off unused real estate and ratcheting down planned spending increases, ambitious measures described in a pre-election budget program that provincial finance minister Mike de Jong calls “plausible and achievable.”
BC Budget 2013
| Budget and Fiscal Plan: the main budget document; it lays out the Province’s three-year fiscal plan, including economic outlook, revenues, spending, tax measures, and forecasting risks and assumptions. |
Alfred Sorenson talks to CBC about LNG in BC
Alfred Sorensen, CBC Early Edition, Feb 15 2013
Alfred Sorensen of Pieridae Energy says LNG in BC is not as promising as Premier Clark states. Challenges include upstream gas production, fracking, water, power requirements. 10 million tonnes per annum plant may need 400 megawatts of electricity capacity. Mr. Sorensen was a partner in Galveston LNG which first proposed the Kitimat LNG project now owned by Chevron and Apache.
Bob Simpson: LNG snake oil for B.C.’s economic woes
Bob Simpson, Georgia Straight, Feb 14 2013
Forestry, mining, and agriculture all made cameo appearances in this week’s throne speech, but liquefied natural gas (LNG) had the starring role.
When the gruel is this thin, fantasy looks like a good alternative
Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, February 12, 2013
VICTORIA — Bereft of revenues, political momentum and much in the way of new ideas, the B.C. Liberals Tuesday staked the last throne speech of their current term on wild speculation about a single sector of the economy.
