Tag: Oil sands
Is a legacy of toxic tailings in the cards for future generations of Canadians?
Dave Burkhart November 2, 2010
Although deterrents were deployed this time around, more migratory birds landed and perished last week in oil sands tailings lakes in Northern Alberta, ironically only a few days after the court sentenced Syncrude for a similar incident that took place in 2008. These ongoing bird deaths are but one symptom of a greater problem.
People, climate, water: all good reasons to say no to Enbridge (Part 1)
Mike Ambach June 21, 2010
In 2007, WWF recognized the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement with a Gift to the Earth – our global organization’s highest accolade for a contribution to conserving the living world. The agreement provides increased protection and ecosystem management for 6.4 million hectares of coastal rainforest along BC’s rugged north coast, or around 25 percent of the world’s remaining temperate rainforest ecosystem. But the Great Bear agreement covered only the terrestrial portion of the region, and was established at a time when oil and gas transport and development was kept to a minimum along this part of BC’s coast. Now, the Great Bear ecosystem is facing an increasing threat from marine oil spills.
Canada’s declining image
Zoë Caron June 21, 2010
An interesting segment on CBC's The National last night focused on Canada's image abroad. Things aren't looking so good, mostly because of our environmental record.
A tale of tailings and birds: The Syncrude duck trial (Part 2 of 2)
Dave Burkhart May 27, 2010
The court heard testimony of how significant resources were required to deploy and operate Syncrude’s bird deterrent program. Over the years the company had reduced the number of scarecrows, cannons and bitumen containment booms that were deployed annually. The court heard how Syncrude had also reduced the number of employees working on bird deterrent crews over the years from a high of 14 in 2001 to just eight in 2007, despite the commissioning of an additional large tailings lake when the Aurora North mine began operation in 2002. On April 14th 2008, the date that Syncrude had determined would be the start of that year’s bird deterrence operations, only two employees were available to work on the deterrence team.
Conservation v. industrial development: The Syncrude duck trial (Part 1 of 2)
Dave Burkhart May 26, 2010
Where I live in St. Albert Alberta, we are fortunate to have a large shallow lake on the outskirts of town that hosts thousands of birds in their migratory travels every spring and fall. For as far back as I can remember there has been a power line running along the shoreline of the lake. In the past we would lose a few birds every year to the line but that changed a few years ago when the company that operates the electrical distribution system installed flappers on the wires to make the birds aware of the hazard and warn them off. The flappers work; we seldom find dead birds under the power line these days.