The growing use of heavy oils, tar sands, bitumen, petroleum coke, etc., by industry since 2000 or so has resulted in rapidly surging levels of vanadium emissions, according to a new study from Duke University. To be more specific, human-related emissions of vanadium now surpass those of natural sources by a factor of 1.7 —
This is part of a 10-part series on the “Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries.” Read, share, and check in tomorrow for the next part, which will focus on sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). 4. Petroleum Coke (Pet Coke) Fossil Fuel Source: Oil Pet coke is a rapidly expanding byproduct
This is part of a 10-part series on the “Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries.” Read, share, and check in tomorrow for the next part, which will focus on formaldehyde. 6. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Fossil Fuel Sources: Oil and Coal In actuality, this is not a single listing — polycyclic aromatic
Citing significant safety concerns, the government of British Columbia, Canada, has announced its formal rejection of the proposed ‘Northern Gateway’ tar sands pipeline which would, if approved and built, bring 500,000 barrels of (diluted bitumen) oil straight through the pristine rainforest along the ‘Spirit Bear Coast’, en route to points east and south (mostly, China,
Public opposition to the Keystone “Tar Sands” Pipeline continues to increase, with protests against ‘the dirtiest fuel on the planet‘ taking new and increasingly organized public forms of civil disobedience in the United States and around the world. Last week, the “National Week of Action Against Tar Sands Profiteers” resulted in over 50 protest actions against
Germany’s largest research institution — one of the world’s most prestigious — has withdrawn from a multi-million dollar Canadian-funded “tar sands” research project, citing the tar sands’ significant environmental concerns as posing a ”risk to our reputation”. “It’s a clear signal that Canada’s energy and climate policy is not accepted by the international community, especially
Four days before President Obama promised, during his second inauguration address, to combat climate change, officials at the US State Department received a new report by scientists which details how a particular byproduct of the Keystone XL pipeline — “Petroleum Coke” — renders the project even more dangerous to the climate than previously estimated. The
Protesters yesterday mounted joint occupations of TransCanada’s corporate offices in at least three cities as the increasing protests against the Keystone “Tar Sands” Pipeline escalated into more public, direct confrontations. Various reports confirm 50 to 100 people ‘stormed’ the Houston offices of the giant Canadian oil company, utilizing street-theater tactics such as hanging orange
Protests against the Keystone Pipeline — and other new fossil fuel pipelines (i.e., Enbridge) — continue across North America and are increasing in scope. From Canada to the southern United States, people are organizing a variety of protests, locally and on a nationwide basis. Among the more dramatic of these is the ongoing “Tar
Note: This article is satire. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to Canadian oil giant TransCanada for its innovative public policies on climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadian fossil-fuel infrastructure company, whose earnings exceeded $1 billion in 2011, has received strong praise from environmentalists in recent days over its unique
The Canadian fossil fuel giant Transcanada (net earnings 2011: $1.5 billion) is encountering increased resistance from the “Tar Sands Blockade” in eastern Texas — now in its 18th day of an extensively constructed “tree sit-in.” And it is employing increasingly draconian police measures to prevent any public awareness of the protests and confrontations. Today, two
Protest against the controversial Keystone XL “Tar Sands” Pipeline has escalated dramatically in recent days, largely unreported in the national media. Protesters have established a human blockade in front of the construction path of the pipeline, in an old oak forest outside of Winnsboro, Texas. The confrontation is shaping up to be a defining
Former Imperial Fleet Supreme Commander Darth Vader, in his first public appearance in years, today announced his support for Mitt Romney for President. Vader’s endorsement, the subject of much backroom gossip in recent weeks, was secured after the selection of Paul Ryan as the Vice Presidential candidate, according to a Dark Star spokesman. “The
The Keystone XL is still clinging for life in the U.S. Senate. Here’s a note from 350.org: It’s crunch time: the US Senate will be voting on Keystone XL very soon, as early as this week. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated that he will allow a vote on an amendment to approve the pipeline during
In what some enviro groups are calling a ‘nice gesture’, but others, such as Greenpeace, are calling ‘green washing’, twelve Alberta Tar Sands developers — the largest oil sands producers in the world — including Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Cenovus Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips Co., have joined up to form Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
Oh my, they just can’t stop. The House GOP seems dead set on destroying the country and destroying the planet. Here’s the latest, via Climate Progress, on its push to develop the dirtiest fuel on the planet (you thought tar sands were bad?!): by Joe Romm Rep. Cantor (R-VA): In addition, Chairman Hastings will add provisions
OK, we all love top 10 lists, right? Obama’s decision to shut down the permitting process for the Keystone XL oil pipeline was a good one… I’m sorry, a great one! Here are 10 top reasons why: 10. The pipeline has received extremely little actual government oversight. “[T]he Department of State allowed a contractor with
Here’s an email Bill McKibben sent to US 350.org supporters who have been working on Keystone XL last night: Just in case you thought there was anything subtle about the Keystone battle, you need to hear what the president of the American Petroleum Institute — the oil industry’s #1 front group — said yesterday:
by Jamie Henn A startling new study from the Center for Global Development shows that full development of the Canadian Tar Sands would have a devastating effect on global food production, especially in climate vulnerable continents such as Africa. A loss in agricultural productivity due to climate change will affect more than 3 billion people around
2011 was a big year for the environment, in some good ways and some bad ways. Here’s a quick run-down of the top 10 stories of the year, in my opinion: 1. Tremendously high levels of carbon emissions continue to warm Earth. Despite efforts to switch to clean energy, increase energy efficiency, and use more
Of course they don’t. Who would? But you know they’re doing everything they can to keep that a secret, given their recent withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol (because of the tar sands, no doubt). “In public, Canada’s environment minister says tar sands are “sustainable”, in private the government says there is no “credible scientific information”
Chiquita (yes, the banana company) has agreed to drop the use of fuel that comes from oil refineries that use oil from Canada’s dirty tar sands. Chiquita is working with ForestEthics to get off this dirty energy source. Kudos to Chiquita! (And, of course, a big “Thank You” to ForestEthics.) “Chiquita accounts for roughly
Studies NOT conducted by TransCanada, the company wanting to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline Republicans in Congress have pushed through for expedited review with a payroll tax cut bill, show that the climate-change-disaster-of-a-project would create between 5000 and 6000 temporary jobs (State Department Study) or only 500 to 1,400 temporary jobs but that the long-term result
Below is an important email and action opportunity I just received earlier today from Bill McKibben and Tar Sands Action. First, though, a quick note from Dr Joe Romm of Climate Progress: Obama and the Dems caved to the GOP, agreeing to a decision in 60 days on Keystone in return for a 2-month
The House GOP, despite saying last year that “riders” were an underhanded way of pushing political issues, and saying it wouldn’t use them, is sticking very unpopular anti-environment riders into a highly-wanted, bi-partisan tax cut bill. Scott Slesinger, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued the following statement in response: “Leaders of both parties
This video from Amy Goodman and Democracy Now cuts to the chase. The horror of this environmental disease known as tar sands ‘development’ is succinctly explained by young and indigenous activists. Tar sands development will push our planet of global warming and climate change tipping point, which is why hundreds of activists in Durban, South Africa (where
Dear friends, What comes next? That’s the question facing people all across the country — people in the climate movement, people in the Occupy movement, and all of us here at 350.org. Fired up by the momentous victory over the Keystone XL oil pipeline, we know one thing for sure: this movement has momentum, and we
One of the big arguments for the Keystone XL pipeline, which will now be approved no earlier than 2013, if at all, is that it will create a lot of U.S. jobs. Well, to put the matter bluntly, that is horse s***. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently compiled a handful of points
Well, I don’t think there’s much doubt about this: the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline that would be “the fuse to the biggest carbon bomb on the planet” or “game over” for the climate according to some climate scientists who spoke out against it was squashed (temporarily) by a groundswell of citizen action. After
The White House, and the U.S., and the world, saw the largest Keystone XL Tar Sands pipeline protest to date yesterday. Over 10,000 people (over 12,000 by some estimates) came out in opposition to the pipeline. The protesters were largely Obama supporters and came out decked in Obama gear to show him that they
The civic momentum to stop the Tar Sands Keystone XL pipeline continues to grow. Today, thousands of people got out and encircled the White House to show their solidarity in opposition to this train-wreck of a project. If you don’t know much about the the Tar Sands Keystone XL pipeline and are just tuning in
I got this on email from 350.org today (3 hours ago, Gmail tells me) and I thought it should be shared with you all. If, like me, you can’t attend the White House tar sands action planned for Sunday (November 6), there are still other ways you can help. Dear friends, I’m psyched about the
NRDC Trustee Robert Redford’s moving new video, recently released to the New York Times, is a strong critique which quietly tears apart the sales pitch for the unnecessary and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline.
Highlights of Redford’s video are a repetition of all honest voices questioning the integrity of this issue and asking our government for accountability in regards to the tar sands. It is timely that we demand foresight with business, especially oil, and shine a light on the sheer lack of ethics and legitimacy in this process.
Everything is connected: the things we do, the things others do, affect people’s lives. The aura of our material planet is a body of energy that is part of us and extends around us from the inside out. This connectivity is showing up willfully in our streets. Bill Mikkiben points out: “We cannot solve the carbon problem until we solve the power problem.” He also acknowledges the good timing of now-linking movements of activism. The time of putting positive energy into a collective force is in action now as a space to heal these gaping wounds in culture and environment unfolds.
7 more good activism stories of the week we haven’t covered yet:
If a shrink were to examine the brains of North America’s political leaders, what do you suppose she would find?
What parts of what lobes would be addressing the cataclysmic changes our planet’s climate is undergoing?
While getting oil from the Saudi Arabia is not something I support, this ridiculous video (below) about “ethical oil” is trying to make my blood boil. I’m barely managing to keep my cool. If you think that getting oil from the tar sands of Canada could be ethical, check out this post: Tar Sands Oil Pipeline = Backwards Thinking (Humongous Climate Change Impact).
Here’s the completely deceitful video passed on to me via email:
By Bill McKibben
Dear Friends,
The last two weeks have been spectacular.
In Washington DC, phase one of the tar sands campaign has just come to an end, and 1,252 North Americans have been arrested in a massive civil disobedience campaign. This historic groundswell was focused on stopping the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline — but it also sent a larger message that people everywhere are willing to take bold action to move our planet beyond fossil fuels.
Some tip green activism news of the past few days for you:
Check out these top tar sands activism stories, followed by the most recent email from 350.org on this topic and more activism news:
Tar Sands activism and arrests continue at the White House, and activists around the world are now joining in from a distance in solidarity. Check out this note and call-to-action from 350.org that I received yesterday (and then more activism stories of the past day or so below that):
Climate change and tar sands activism continued at the White House today, with actress and activist Daryl Hannah (also covered by Think Progress), Greenpeace USA executive director Phil Radford, and more getting arrested.
Another big environmental activism story of the day was a letter from Tim DeChristopher from prison.
The stream of activists willing to get arrested in front of the White House to try to block the development of the Tar Sands XL pipeline in the U.S. continues to flow strong. Today, over 140 activists were arrested, including top NASA climate scientist Dr. James Hansen.
Some top activism news of the past few days:
The US State Department released today its finalized environmental review of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) does little more than affirm the State Department’s preliminary findings that the 1700-mile-long pipeline from Alberta, Canada to Texas will pose “limited adverse impacts” on the environment. The finding comes in spite of the fact that a branch of the Keystone pipeline already in operation has been riddled with leaks just in its first year of operation.
Here are some top activism stories of the past day or so. Check ’em out
Here’s a full repost from Climate Progress by leading climate activist Mike Tidwell, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago when I lived in Virginia. It’s on how activists overwhelmed the authority figures trying to squash their efforts at justice. Enjoy. Following the repost are other top activism stories of the day.
Other than the terrific piece new Planetsave writer and activist Kate Follot just wrote, here are some top activism stories of the past few days. They cover topics related to transportation, the tar sands, climate change, animals, nature, food, and more. Check them out:
