Not in our Backyard; Northern Saskatchewan Residents Protest Nuclear Waste Dump

By: Jennifer Graham, The Canadian Press - 08/16/2011

REGINA - Some northern Saskatchewan residents say they're drawing a line in the sand to protect the environment from nuclear waste. Details here.

North Sea Oil Spill: Shell Struggles To Shut Down Second Leak

By MEERA SELVA   08/16/11 Huff Post Green

LONDON -- Royal Dutch Shell has shut down the main leak at one of its North Sea oil rigs but said Tuesday it is struggling to stop a secondary spill....Details here.

PLT: Isn't it odd how oil companies have no problem in sucking oil from remote places....just problems repairing the leaks that happen!

The New Harper Government Sharpens its Claws on "The Enemy"

If you enjoy this blog, please consider 

donating to the author to keep it going. 

Just click on the link below.

Thanks! - Larry

                                                                                                      

PLT: I guess Prime Minister Harper's pledge to be a government "for all Canadians," should have contained a caveat…."except for asbestos widows." Harper's kinder, gentler regime has sent a threatening letter to a woman whose husband had died of an asbestos-related ailment for using the Conservative party logo on her website. The site consists of a personal essay telling of her husbands struggle with his disease and a reminder of Canada's shameless refusal to attach warnings to our asbestos exports. 
Please also read; "Harper Disgraces us all, Once Again," and "Help Convince Canada to do the Right Thing About Asbestos!"

Oil Consumption Hits All-Time High

Economic Recession a Blip on Oil Consumption's Upward Climb

World Consumed 87.4 Million Barrels Per Day in 2010

Washington, D.C.----Global oil consumption reached an all-time high of 87.4 million barrels per day in 2010, according to a new Vital Signs Online report from the Worldwatch Institute. The 3.1 percent increase more than makes up for the brief decline in consumption caused by the economic crisis.

"Between the recession, the BP oil spill, and instability in the Middle East and North Africa, oil markets have been on a roller coaster the last few years," said Worldwatch Sustainable Energy Fellow Saya Kitasei, who co-authored the report along with Worldwatch researcher Natalie Narotzky. "When the dust settles, however, it is clear that the momentum of future market growth has moved to the developing world, where oil consumption did not miss a beat during the recession and shows no sign of slowing."

Key findings from the report, which can be found at vitalsigns.worldwatch.org, include:

• After falling 1.5 percent between 2008 and 2009 due to the global financial crisis, global oil consumption recovered by 3.1 percent in 2010 to reach an all-time high of 87.4 million barrels per day.

• Oil consumption in countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was more than 7 percent lower in 2010 than in 2005, while consumption in non-OECD countries is up 20 percent since then.

• In 2010, oil remained the largest source of primary energy use worldwide, but its share of this use fell for the eleventh consecutive year, to 37 percent. Responding to this falling demand, global oil production fell 2.1 percent to 80.3 million barrels per day in 2009.

• One third of the increase in consumption came from China, which now uses over 10 percent of the world's oil.

• Political unrest in the Middle East-North Africa region and uncertainty about new regulations on deepwater offshore oil drilling have both further contributed to volatility in the global oil market.

• The Middle East remains the largest exporter of oil with 35.3 percent in 2010, followed by the former Soviet Union and the Asia Pacific region.

• Global proved oil reserves have been increasing since 1980 and reached an estimated 1,526 billion barrels in 2010.

• Canadian oil sands now contribute around half of that country's crude oil production and are expected to provide a growing share, but they are energy- and water-intensive to develop. In the case of pit mining, they can lead to extensive landscape alteration and large waste streams of toxic mining tailings.

For more information, including charts, trends, and graphs, please visit http://vitalsigns.worldwatch.org/vs-trend/global-oil-market-resumes-growth-after-stumble-2009

Note to media: For a complimentary PDF of the full report, please email nnarotzky@worldwatch.org.

About the Worldwatch Institute: Worldwatch Institute delivers the insights and ideas that empower decision makers to create an environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs. Worldwatch focuses on the 21st-century challenges of climate change, resource degradation, population growth, and poverty by developing and disseminating solid data and innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable society. The Institute's State of the World report is published annually in more than 20 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org

Why You Should Care About the Oilsands

By Clare Demerse , Pembina Institute - Au 8 '11
Anyone who works on climate change policy in Canada, like I do, ends up talking about the oil sands on a daily basis. Details here.

Coal Power Plant Races Against Regulation

Shawn Mccarthy — Globe and Mail - Aug. 07 

Maxim Power Corp. is racing to beat proposed federal emission regulations that could derail its plan to build a 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the mountains of western Alberta. Details here.

PLT: Please sign the petition here. 

Worldwatch Mourns the Passing of Ray Anderson: Board Member, Champion of Sustainability, and Dear Friend

WorldWatch Institute Aug 11 '11

Washington, D.C.–The Worldwatch Institute is mourning the loss of Institute Board member and visionary business leader Ray Anderson, who died this week after a 20-month battle with cancer. Details here. 

Courtesy, the New York Times.

Climate of Denial - Can Science and the Truth Withstand the Merchants of Poison?

Rolling Stone Politics - by Al Gore

The first time I remember hearing the question "is it real?" was when I went as a young boy to see a traveling show. Details here.

The River Always Wins

Aug 8 The Dominion  Miles Howe

FREDERICTON—Over 1,500 people from across New Brunswick & beyond take to the streets to oppose fracking... Details here.

PLT: Gee I don't recall seeing any coverage of this in the mainstream media (MSM)! Surprise!

Help Convince Canada to do the Right Thing About Asbestos!

   
Dear Larry ,
We are asking you to show solidarity with asbestos victims in the Third World and support the campaign to demand the Canadian government ban asbestos mining and exports. Asbestos kills over 100,000 people every year, and Canada is a major player in the death-dealing industry.
In a change of tactics, we’re not targeting all Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) - but just one. A number of other like-minded organizations are also ‘adopting’ a MP and focusing their efforts on convincing him/her what their party is doing is wrong, unethical and immoral.
In our case – we have chosen to focus our efforts on the Federal Environment Minister, the Hon. Peter Kent, MP for Thornhill, Ontario.
Peter is an intelligent guy and knows what his government is doing is wrong. We need to encourage him to support an end to Canada’s mining and export of asbestos. Peter and his government can prevent thousands of cases of cancer if they only do what’s right.
Here is what we’re asking you to do:

1. Send a letter to Peter Kent (peter.kent@parl.gc.ca). See “Key Messages” below.
2. Mail a copy of your letter to his office: House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 (no postage is required).
3. Twitter him also (@mppeterkent). His Twitter stream is here.
4. Post your thoughts on his Facebook Wall
5. Call his Ottawa office (613-992-0253) and ask to speak with him. Keep calling until he, or a representative from his office, returns your call.
6. If you live in the Toronto area, call and ask to schedule a meeting with him (905-886-9911). Don’t take no for an answer! You can also visit his constituency office: 7600 Yonge St., Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 1V9

Please keep us informed of your efforts – we’d really appreciate it!
Key Messages:

• According to the World Health Organization, more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related disease.
• Asbestos is the "perfect carcinogen" as it acts as both a promoter and initiator of cancer.
• Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
• At the recent conference of the UN Rotterdam Convention in Geneva, the Harper government single-handedly prevented asbestos from being put on the Convention’s list of hazardous substances.
• Newly released documents show that back in 2006 the Canadian government rejected advice from Health Canada that asbestos be added to the UN list of hazardous substances.
• Billions of dollars will be spent over the next 20 years to remove asbestos from our Parliament Buildings because it's a cancer-causing substance.
• Canada mines and ships the majority of its asbestos to the Third World, particularly Asia. The world's leading experts predict that the sharp increase in asbestos use in Asia will see a surge of mortality and morbidity in the decades ahead.

Thank you for your consideration!
Sincerely,
John Bennett, Executive Director
Sierra Club Canada
jb@sierraclub.ca
Follow John Bennett on Twitter
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PLEASE ALSO READ: "Harper Disgraces us all Once Again."

Food Safety is Leaving Town - Please Sign Petition!

Food Safety First Aug 10'11

PLT photo  After decades of protecting consumers against dangerous products, federal food safety inspectors are being pulled out of meat plants that produce for local citizens in BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Details here.