International Stop the Tar Sands Day and Day Five of our “A Book a Day for the Month of May” Giveaway
It is Day Five of our “A Book a Day for the Month of May” giveaway in support of May Occupy General Strike Action. The first week's daily giveaway is for a copy of The Empowerment Manual by Starhawk.
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Today, May 5th, is International Stop the Tar Sands Day 2012. Events to protest the destructiveness of the Alberta Tar Sands are scheduled around the world including in Canada, the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. To locate an event in your neck of the woods check out the Stop the Tar Sands website, http://stoptarsands.yolasite.com/
The Alberta tar sands are considered the largest industrial project in human history and are likely to be the most destructive
The objectives of The International Stop the Tar Sands Day (ISTSD) include:
- Raise international awareness about one of the most destructive energy projects in the world - the tar sands of northern Alberta, Canada.
- Encourage and inspire everyday people like us to get involved in stopping the tar sands and climate change.
- Support Canadians as they confront the tar sands industry
- Show people there is a creative, positive, and fun way to bring about change.
Check out the video, The Tar Sand Walk of Shame to see the actions undertaken around the world by the group on last years International Stop the Tar Sands Day.
According to Tar Sand Watch, Polaris Institute’s Energy Program the environmental and social impacts of the tar sands are numerous. www.tarsandswatch.org,
Climate Change
“ Greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands production are three times those of conventional oil and gas production, tar sands production is expected to multiply as much as four to five times by the year 2015 to meet growing demands in the U.S…. the tar sands are now poised to become Canada’s largest single emitter of greenhouse gas” http://www.tarsandswatch.org/global-warming
Water Depletion
“Oil sands plants typically use two to four barrels of water to extract a barrel of oil from the tar sands, but some extraction methods can use as much as 7 barrels of water. The amount of water needed for the tar sands is seriously lowering the water levels of the Athabasca River, the Mackenzie Valley watershed and other related water sources in the region.” Read more -- http://www.tarsandswatch.org/water-depletion
Energy Security
“Currently, 66% of tar sands oil is being exported to the United States, while over 40% of the oil used in Canada is imported to fulfill the needs of Eastern Canada. …The tar sands industry is ensuring the energy security of the United States while ignoring the energy needs of the rest of Canada.” R ead more -- http://www.tarsandswatch.org/energy-security
Aboriginal Rights
“Many aboriginal groups are being left out of the process and run over in the race for development of the tar sands. First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories have claimed that traditional lands are being destroyed for tar sands exploration and extraction, and First Nations are not being included, or properly compensated for their lost and destroyed lands and water supplies.”
Read More -- http://www.tarsandswatch.org/aboriginal-rights
Military Links
“The U.S. Department of Defense is the world’s leading consumer of petroleum, sucking up about 340,000 barrels of oil every day, more than the total national consumption of Sweden or Switzerland. The Alberta tar sands are the centerpiece of an energy corridor for exports to the U.S. which is increasingly geared to fuel America’s military machine. Read More -- http://www.tarsandswatch.org/military-links
This is a defining moment in our history, a time to make a choice, to draw a line in the sand and say this is too far, too much is at stake and we have to make it our choice. Peter Barker, ISTSDay UK Organizer
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