For the rest of the world, from:
http://oilsandstruth.org/topics/climate-change-emissions
Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, in particular
carbon. 40% of Canada's emissions already come from Alberta alone, not
counting the entire tar sands infrastructure across North America nor
counting the projected increase in tar sands production or the
infrastructure built across the continent to accommodate such increases
in production. Factor it all in and you get the picture. You haven't
even burned the petrol yet.
and from:
http://greenparty.ca/media-release/2011-06-08/new-report-shows-total-oil-sands-emissions-close-double-widely-used-figures
*OTTAWA - *A new comprehensive report by an independent researcher,
Michelle Mech, is garnering attention as it shows that total
production-related greenhouse gas emissions from the Alberta oil sands
are close to double the National Inventory Report figure for 2008, which
is often loosely misinterpreted as representing the total emissions from
oil sands production. The oils sands category was eliminated in the
newly released 2011 National Inventory Report, which contains emissions
accounting for 2009.
"Mech's report is extremely well-researched and merits serious
attention," said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. "It is completely
unacceptable that the Harper government is trying to hide oil sands
emissions data from the UN. Now we have a new report that is even more
damning, as it takes into account all well-to-pump emissions. It is
even more apparent that any increase in production must be halted."
The federal government admitted last week to deliberately excluding data
showing a 20 per cent increase in annual pollution from the oil sands in
2009 from Canada's National Inventory Report to the UN.....
.....
The report provides a detailed accounting of oil sands
production-related greenhouse gas emissions. "Canada's National
Inventory Report (NIR) is only responsible for reporting greenhouse gas
emissions that occur in Canada. As well, certain 'in-Canada'
production-related emissions fell under other reporting categories and
were not included in the 2008 oil sands emissions total in the 2010
NIR. This is why the NIR's oil sands emissions figure should not be
interpreted as representing a grand total of well-to-pump emissions,"
said Mech. NIR reported that 5% of Canada's 2008 greenhouse gas
emissions (or 37.2 megatonnes) resulted from the oil sands. Mech's
report estimates that other production-related emissions could represent
over 35.7 megatonnes of additional pre-combustion emissions for 2008,
which could effectively double the NIR figure.
These other significant emissions, produced in the process of extracting
and converting bitumen into an end use fuel, include:
· Small oil sands companies that are not required to report their emissions,
· The 92% of in situ produced bitumen that was exported for upgrading,
· The oil sands refining done in Canada but categorized under 'refining'
rather than 'oil sands',
· Oil sands refining that was done in the United States,
· Transportation of bitumen blends and synthetic crude oil to refineries
in the United States,
· Emissions from the production and processing of natural gas used in
oil sands production,
· Biological carbon losses due to land use changes, using Global Forest
Watch's estimates.
The research report includes information on environmental impacts,
regulatory inadequacies, viable alternatives, and human repercussions,
including the effects on First Nations people, the exploitation of
temporary foreign workers, and the lives of mobile workers.
It also provides insight into the political, industry, and economic
factors influencing oil sands development, furnishes an overview of
crude oil pipelines and carbon capture and storage, and discusses
Canada's poor low carbon performance, global warming, and global
exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels.
Mech concludes, "The Alberta oil sands are impeding the enforcement of
adequate environmental policies and emissions reduction within Canada
and adversely influencing Canada's role in global climate change
initiatives. They are also setting the stage for further exploitation
of unconventional fossil fuels on a worldwide scale, which would lead to
a substantive increase in greenhouse gas emissions and provide a means
for global governments and industry to perpetuate the heavy use of
fossil fuels rather than seriously tackling the necessary conversion to
renewable energy, low carbon transportation and energy supplies, and
reductions in energy use."
The report can be downloaded at:
http://greenparty.ca/issues/alberta-oil-sands
Natalia
On 8/29/2011 5:21 AM, Ed Weick wrote:
What the oil sands really mean?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/say-yes-to-canadian-oil-sands/2011/08/28/gIQAl0HmlJ_story.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions
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