Archive for the ‘Alberta Coal/ Coal Bed Methane’ Category

Why carbon capture is an illusion

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
posted by JR

On March 10, Environment Minister John Baird released detailed regulations to address global warming. These so-called tough measures lean heavily on new technology that captures and stores greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Baird says catching carbon emitted from coal-fired power plants and tar-sands projects, then burying it deep underground, is a large part of Canada meeting its greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2020 and 2050.

This is unlikely. Even if we set aside the fact that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has set new, weaker goals so that Canada is no longer holds up its share of the Kyoto agreement, the sorry truth is that carbon capture and storage is a kind of fool’s gold — all glitter and promise, but of no real worth. It won’t enable us to meet even these weaker commitments, and it will be an expensive, diversionary tactic while Canada climbs the carbon charts.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080318.wcomment0319/BNStory/Front/home

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Independent water review sought of Alberta coal-bed methane effects

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
posted by admin

Landowners who claim that oil and gas drilling has contaminated their tap water want the province to reopen investigations into their complaints.

In letters sent Wednesday to Alberta Environment, the landowners contend an Alberta Research Council report, released in January, was inadequate and should be reviewed by independent scientists.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=29bb0eb7-ac91-49eb-884e-03cf12570ffa 

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BLM to study elk’s reaction to natural gas development

Thursday, March 20th, 2008
posted by admin

CHEYENNE (AP) — The Bureau of Land Management says it’s undertaking a four-year study of an elk herd in the Fortification Creek area of Campbell County and how the animals are affected by coalbed natural gas development.

Thirty-nine elk will be collared and monitored to determine the amount of development activity the animals can tolerate. The study will look at disturbances including traffic levels, noise and habitat loss.

Read the entire atory here:

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/03/19/local_news_updates/18local_03-19-08.txt 

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Emissions caps will reshape energy industry, experts predict

Thursday, March 13th, 2008
posted by admin

CALGARY – Ottawa’s massive planned changes to emission regulations for power producers and oilsands projects have the potential to remake Alberta’s generation industry – and scare investment from bitumen extraction and upgrading, experts say.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=6260ef5a-829e-4b44-8983-c5aa04c6abf1&k=55705

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Stelmach out of tune with Albertans

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
posted by admin

Almost every day of the campaign – tomorrow is election day – he has been ambushed by embarrassing revelations that have shot holes in his government’s key economic strategy: extracting and selling the oil in the tar sands of northern Alberta.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/308301 

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BP still mulling coal-bed extraction north of Glacier National Park

Thursday, February 28th, 2008
posted by admin

KALISPELL – Canadian politicians and industry remain keenly interested in coal-bed methane reserves north of Glacier National Park, despite an announcement last week that such plans were off the table.

“We are still very interested in the potential of the Canadian Flathead,” said Jessica Whiteside, spokesperson for BP Canada. Her company already has begun collecting environmental data there, in anticipation of energy development, “and we do plan to continue those environmental studies.”

The reason BP Canada continues investing in the Flathead, even after British Columbia’s government pulled that drainage out of a broader project, is because the company “will ask for coal-bed methane rights in the Flathead” sometime in the future.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/02/28/news/local/news03.txt 

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Emissions for the poor, tax breaks for the wealthy

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
posted by admin

The Harper government is sometimes accused of favouring the rich while ignoring the poor – even cozying up to wealthy oil barons at the expense of regular Canadians.

It would be nice if Harper could say it wasn’t so. Unfortunately, there’s enough evidence in the climate change file alone to make the case.

Soon after coming to office, the Harper government abruptly eliminated a $500 million program, the Energuide for Low Income Households, designed to help poor families do home retrofits to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In stark contrast, the government’s last budget effectively assured wealthy oil and gas corporations that all of the federal tax breaks they currently enjoy, amounting to about $1.4 billion each year, would remain in place until at least 2010.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/306147

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MT senator Baucus says BP dropping coal-bed methane project

Thursday, February 21st, 2008
posted by admin

HELENA — Sen. Max Baucus says BP America is dropping its potential coal-bed methane project in British Columbia. The project had raised concerns about environmental effects in the province and Montana.

Baucus says BP America President Bob Malone informed him of the decision.

In Montana, the prospect of coal-bed methane development in southeastern British Columbia triggered concern that waters flowing into Glacier National Park would be harmed. The Flathead River Basin spans the British Columbia-Montana border.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS01/80221011

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BP Abandons Green Plans, Goes Back to Carbon

Thursday, February 21st, 2008
posted by admin

Under the leadership of former CEO Lord Browne, British Petroleum had made steps to move its business model beyond only petroleum and into newer and greener energy sources.

But with oil prices at record highs, and expected to stay there, new CEO Tony Hayward has decided to forget about environmental initiatives and return BP to its profitable roots.

The move is part of Hayward’s larger overhaul of the energy giant, including a cost-cutting program that will see 14,500 jobs cut and nearly $1 billion trimmed from overhead costs. The company has decided that high oil prices are here to stay, and has decided to maximise its profit by focusing on that area including a much greater investment in the Canadian oil sands. The oil sands in Canada have recently been in the news after being labelled “the most destructive project on Earth”.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/business/bp-abandons-green-plans-goes-back-to-carbon/820

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Montana has a lot at stake in B.C. mining proposal

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
posted by admin

This project, dubbed the “Mist Mountain Project,” would cover an area the size of the city of Tucson, Ariz. (193 sq. mi.).  The CBM project would transform a source of our clean water and a vital wildlife haven into a single-use, industrial zone with 1500 CBM wells, attendant road networks, compressor and pump stations, gas flares and power lines.  The effluent and runoff would arrive in Flathead Lake in 72 hours.  Glacier Park and Flathead River and Lake would be forever damaged.

Read the entire story here:

http://www.headwatersnews.org/Letter.Hadden021908.html 

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