Shale Gas Issues from Various Jurisdictions

Shale Gas Issues From Various Jurisdictions ...... 6 Foreword ...... 6 Calls for Moratoriums and Bans ...... 7 Yellow Springs, Ohio Bans Fracking ...... 7 Contamination and Science ...... 8 Are leaking wells letting methane get into Dimock's water? ...... 8 No Fracking Way - By Deborah Goldberg ...... 8 Frack Brine On Montgomery County Roads? ...... 8 Perilous Pathways: Behind The Staggering Number Of Abandoned Wells In Pennsylvania ...... 9 A pipeline bringing natural gas produced by 'hydraulic fracturing' into New York City creates a new focus for environmental protest...... 9 Another Voice: Fracking spoiled farm’s hay fields ...... 9 Fracking's Dark Side Gets Darker: The Problem of Methane Waste ...... 9 THE SKY IS PINK: - ANNOTATED DOCUMENTS ...... 10 A Dairy Farmer Shares Her Story About Fracking: “What Have We Done?” ...... 10 Scottish drillers Australian wells produce carcinogenic water ...... 10 Science ...... 11 Bombshell Study: High Methane Emissions Measured Over Gas Field May Offset Climate Benefits of Natural Gas ...... 11 A Second Government Report Links Groundwater Contamination To Fracking ...... 11 The Report: Cabot’s Methodology Links Tainted Water Wells to Gas Fracking ...... 11 Hydraulic Fracturing 101 - Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing ...... 11 Tracing goes underground ...... 11 Oceans' rising acidity a threat to shellfish — and humans ...... 12 The Latest Science from Europe—Safe Fracking is a Fairy Tale ...... 12 SEARCHING FOR A MIRACLE - [ T H E C O N S E R V A T I O N I M P E R A T I V E ] ...... 12 Safe Fracking is a Fairy Tale—The Latest Science from Europe ...... 13 Questionable Science ...... 14 Natural Gas Fracking Industry May Be Paying Off Scientists ...... 14 Study finds little environmental impact from oil sands ...... 14 Pinkwashing Fracking? - How the Komen Board is Cashing in on Shale Gas ...... 15 Frackademia: Controversial SUNY Buffalo Shale Institute's Reputation Unraveling ...... 15 Science and Health ...... 16 Impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction on the environment and on human health ...... 16 Eurpoean Parliament ...... 16 No Compromise on NY Fracking Health Impact Assessment ...... 16 Interview with Larysa Dyrszka, MD - Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy ...... 16 Canadian Medical Association Motions – August 2012...... 16 Human Health Impacts Associated with Chemicals and Pathways of Exposure from the Development of Shale Gas Plays - Wilma Subra ...... 17 Public Health Implications of Hydraulic Fracturing ...... 17 Cancer rates in Barnett Shale climb, residents want answers why ...... 17 Can Gas Drilling Emissions Cause Heart Attacks? ...... 18 World-Renowned Scientist Dr. Theo Colborn on the Health Effects of Water Contamination from Fracking ...... 18 Gas Patch Roulette - How Shale Gas Development Risks Public Health in Pennsylvania ...... 18 Scientists: New GMO wheat may 'silence' vital human genes ...... 19 Economics, Legal, and Investigations ...... 20 Energy firms guaranteed revenue in sweetheart deals with Ontario ...... 20 Iceland’s Economy now growing faster than the U.S. and EU after arresting corrupt bankers ...... 20

1 Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation files constitutional challenge to Shell Oil Canada’s Tar Sands expansion application ...... 20 Winter of discontent seen ahead for Canada’s natural gas producers ...... 20 New role mulled for N.B. LNG plant ...... 21 Lawsuit challenges frackers' waste disposal practices in Arkansas ...... 21 A nine step plan to fix Canada's resource economy ...... 21 Depressed North American price makes LNG a risky business ...... 21 A nine step plan to fix Canada's resource economy ...... 22 As Australia pulls back on mines, Canada on alert ...... 22 21 New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment) ...... 22 U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Chevron Appeal In $19 Billion Ecuador Environmental Case ...... 23 Breitling Oil and Gas Morning Podcast #168 10-11-12 ...... 23 Politics: The Big Fracking Bubble: The Scam Behind the Gas Boom ...... 23 Fracking Jobs Cost Twice as Much as Green Jobs ...... 24 Phased-in shale gas could deter industry, lobby group says ...... 24 Natural gas industry ‘still hurting’ despite price bounce ...... 24 Big Oil and the US Chamber of Commerce Fight to Keep Foreign Bribery Flourishing ...... 25 Investment in renewable energy better for jobs as well as environment ...... 25 Wall Street, government double down on fracking as evidence mounts it causes serious illness .. 25 Dart shareholder hired hitman, broke sanctions & paid Tories £550,000 ...... 25 Who Wants to be a SHALEonaire? ...... 26 US Shale Gas Bubble is Set to Burst ...... 26 The Energy Rush - After the Boom in Natural Gas ...... 26 Talisman defers investing in Quebec's shale gas ...... 27 Total Reports First Writedown on Value of U.S. Shale Gas Assets ...... 27 Shale gas boom makes some Pennsylvanians richer — and some poorer ...... 27 Regulations and Enforcement ...... 28 U.S. Shale Gas Regulators Struggle To Keep Up With Rapid Development, Government Finds . 28 Report: ‘The Greener The Industry, The Higher The Job Growth Rate Over The Last Decade’ .... 28 West feels chill of low prices for natural gas ...... 28 National Energy Board says TransCanada has broken rules, launches audit ...... 29 Fracking the law ...... 29 Fracking Industry Fights Federal Regulation, Preferring Less Well-Funded States ...... 29 Colorado, Fracking the Law - Politics / Environment ...... 30 Environment and Climate Change ...... 31 Ottawa to unveil weakened emissions rules for coal-fired power ...... 31 Astounding Disrespect for the Public and the Truth ...... 31 Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) report ...... 31 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes Year 1 Interim Report ...... 31 Survey of radiocative minerals in New Brunswick - See map on last page ...... 32 Firms call on Tories to back 2030 carbon target for power sector ...... 32 Arctic Ice Melt, Psychopathic Capitalism and the Corporate Media ...... 32 Economic Reality Check—Climate Change Costs Big Bucks - David Suzuki ...... 33 Denmark Achieves Solar Energy Goal 8 Years Early ...... 33 ACID DEPOSITION FROM GEOENGINEERING ...... 33 An unfolding and emerging crisis in northeastern British Columbia's shale gas plays ...... 33 Glaciers Cracking in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide ...... 34 Morrison Lake mine rejected by B.C. government over concerns about salmon ...... 34 Collectively Photographing Fracking - The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project ...... 34 The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change ...... 34 Is there a scientific consensus on global warming? ...... 35

2 NOAA Bombshell: Warming-Driven Arctic Ice Loss Is Boosting Chance of Extreme U.S. Weather ...... 35 Declaration of a Political Emergency - Andrew Nikiforuk ...... 35 New report details how natural gas extraction is destroying forests in Pennsylvania ...... 35 Global Warming's Terrifying New Math ...... 36 Summer of Solidarity Inspires Autumn of Unity in Fight Against Fossil Fuels ...... 36 190 million tonnes of Arctic ice melt every day ...... 37 Geoengineering: Testing the Waters ...... 37 "Externalities" - David Suzuki explains the fallacy of conventional economics, in an interview done for the BBC...... 37 Climate researchers issue stern warning on natural gas ...... 37 New Brunswick Government News ...... 39 Shale gas report by health officer may remain secret ...... 39 New Brunswick not releasing shale gas study recommendations from health officer ...... 39 Shale gas opponents demand release of health study and public consultations ...... 39 N.B. health minister unclear whether shale gas report will be released ...... 40 Parts of shale gas health report will now be released Government officials still won't say how much or when ...... 40 Health Report Release Delayed - CBC Shift ...... 40 Full shale gas health report to be released ...... 40 Shale gas opponents question Leonard’s conflict – Trinity Today ...... 41 Shale gas opponents question Leonard’s conflict – CBC News ...... 41 Shale gas group imposes restrictions on meeting ...... 41 News and interview with Dr. Eilish Cleary, chief medical officer of health and Stephanie Merrill ... 41 Harry Forestell talks with NB Chief Medical Officer of Health Eilish Cleary,about her role in the fracking debate...... 42 Oct. 7: All our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows...... 42 New energy minister's sister resigns from shale gas job ...... 42 Dr. LaPierre Report on Shale Gas - The Path Forward ...... 42 Chief Medical Officer of Health's Recommendations Concerning Shale Gas ...... 42 LaPierre Report - Shale gas report rules out moratorium ...... 43 New Brunswick chief health officer warns of 'Boomtown Effect' with shale gas ...... 43 Small air polluters may no longer need permits ...... 43 LaPierre’s flawed reasons to rule out a moratorium on shale gas ...... 44 Moncton Free Press - LaPierre’s report is opinion, not science ...... 44 Comments on the Discussion Documents of the New Brunswick Natural Gas Group ...... 44 Shale gas produces fractured lines in New Brunswick ...... 44 Alward government dodging shale gas moratorium ...... 45 Comments on the Discussion Documents of the New Brunswick Natural Gas Group - Dr. Roderick Hill ...... 45 Shale gas produces fractured lines in New Brunswick - Financial Post ...... 45 Maritime News ...... 47 New Brunswick earns 'F' for information disclosure ...... 47 Professors debate N.B.'s shale gas future ...... 47 Fracking backwash frustrates oilman ...... 47 Shale gas group imposes restrictions on meeting ...... 47 For government subsidies, what price is too high? ...... 48 Q & A with Peter Hill, CEO of Triangle Petroleum Corp, on the fracking mess in Colchester County...... 48 Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan for Good Jobs, Stable Prices and a Cleaner Environment ...... 48

3 Groups: something’s fishy about oil and gas consultation ...... 49 OTTAWA — Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is fighting through Canada’s federal court to keep its shipbuilding contract with the government secret...... 49 Access to Information Shows Town of Windsor Has Already Received Kennetcook Frack Waste- Water ...... 49 Irving Oil to offer natural gas at select locations ...... 50 Ban urged on treatment of waste water ...... 50 Pieridae Energy (Canada) Ltd. has announced plans to develop an LNG export plant in Goldboro, NS...... 50 Nova Scotia Frack Waste-Water Trade? ...... 50 Canadian News ...... 51 Ritz avoiding hard questions ...... 51 Unhealthy meat from an unhealthy industry ...... 51 ACTION ALERT: Call for a moratorium in the Gulf of St. Lawrence ...... 51 The Death of Innocence - The defunding and silencing of science...... 52 Canada's ozone science group falls victim to government cuts ...... 52 In defence of reason by Allan Gregg ...... 52 Canada’s Spy Groups Divulge Secret Intelligence to Energy Companies ...... 52 Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out ...... 53 Converting part of TransCanada’s Mainline could fuel domestic use ...... 54 Temporary Foreign Workers Alberta’s disposable workforce - Andrew Nikiforuk ...... 54 Exxon’s $3.1-billion bid for Celtic underscores oil majors’ LNG race ...... 54 Stephen Harper and the triumph of the corporation state ...... 54 Other News ...... 56 Shift by Cuomo on Gas Drilling Prompts Both Anger and Praise ...... 56 No Fracking Way - Russia and Natural Gas – the new “Red Scare”? ...... 56 Penn State Faculty Snub of Fracking Study Ends Research ...... 56 Future of fracking still uncertain in New York State ...... 57 Doctors, Nurses Press Cuomo on Hydrofracking Health Review ...... 57 Anti Fracking Health Experts Question Cuomo Adm Health Study ...... 57 Chesapeake Energy violated Clean Water Act ...... 58 Qatar to export U.S. domestic fracked gas from Texas terminal ...... 58 Can George Osborne give shale gas a boost with a 'generous' tax regime? ...... 58 Fracking Companies Using ‘Psychological Warfare’ Tactics To Silence Critics? ...... 58 Nigerian Law Suit Against Shell Opens in the Hague ...... 59 Challenging the oil and gas industry's energy independence message ...... 59 Silently gassing North Americans for profit ...... 59 Gas pollution seeps into government ...... 60 Energy Policy Forum - Tmely commentary and analysis on the state of energy Deborah Rogers . 60 Ecological Economics and Rio + 20; A Presentation Given by Deborah Rogers in Rio de Janeiro, June 2012 ...... 60 The Railroad Commission of Texas web site has a lot of data...... 60 Earthquake-Causing Fracking to Be Allowed within 500 Feet of Nuclear Plants ...... 60 17 Groups Petition EPA For Public Reporting Of Chemical Releases From Fracking, Other Oil And Gas Operations ...... 61 Shale is dumb but booming. What if it gets smart?: Campbell ...... 61 Koch-Affiliated Group Campaigns To Make Wind Tax Credit ‘So Toxic’ Republicans Won’t Back It ...... 61 Renewable Energy ...... 63 Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is a top 5 Global Module Supplier in 2011...... 63 Renewables - Ecowatch ...... 63

4 Australia's largest solar farm opens amid renewable target debate ...... 63 Tidal Power Capacity Potential in the UK Estimated at 153 GW ...... 63 N. Ireland Eyes Trifecta Of Offshore Energy Sources ...... 64 Sustainable Energy - Stanford University ...... 64 UK public favours wind turbines over shale gas wells, poll finds ...... 64 Solar Grid Parity Is Here Today ...... 64 A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity ...... 64 Oil and Pipelines ...... 65 Pipeline Whistleblower Exposes TransCanada’s Shady Safety Record ...... 65 UGI, Pennsylvania utility regulators propose Allentown gas explosion settlement ...... 65 Ambitious plans for oilsands would create lakes from waste ...... 65 The oil patch opens an eastern front ...... 66 Fort McKay tainted water solution exists, expert says ...... 66 Markey Calls for Full Undersea Survey Following Gulf Oil Sheen Sourced from BP's Macondo Well ...... 66 Converting part of TransCanada’s Mainline could fuel domestic use ...... 66 Activists disrupt speeches by Canadian Minister and Shell Chairman ...... 67 Pictures showing size of oil sands operation ...... 67 Quality concerns arose before TransCanada pipeline blast ...... 67 LNG – Liquified Natural Gas ...... 68 Argentina YPF Nationalization: Energy Crisis Provoked Government Expropriation Of Repsol YPF ...... 68 Repsol may sell Canaport LNG, report says ...... 68 Contact Exploration Announces Negotiations for New Brunswick Natural Gas Assets ...... 68 Eastern Canadian LNG export facility proposed ...... 68 LNG expert dismisses Goldboro export plant as long shot ...... 69 Miscellaneous ...... 70 “World’s Largest Frac Job” - Apache Corp...... 70 Encana says this is the largest: ...... 70 Responsible Drilling Alliance ...... 70 Roaring trucks, frac sand dust disrupt a river town's rhythm ...... 70 Video Links ...... 71 The Condamine River Gas Blowout, Australia ...... 71 Earth 2050 - Trailer ...... 71 Earth 2050 - full length video ...... 71 Gasland the movie ...... 71 Zeitgeist Revolution | Interview with Peter Joseph ...... 71 Texas Drinking Water Makes Pipes and Plumbing Radioactive ...... 72 Michael Parenti, Savvina Chowdhury, Sarah Regan panel: "State of the Struggle" ...... 72 The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis ...... 72

5 Shale Gas Issues From Various Jurisdictions

Foreword

The following documents have been collected by searching the web for information related to shale gas and from the Following web sites and

New Brunswick is NOT For Sale http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_132079906855023

New Brunswickers Concerned About Shale Gas http://www.facebook.com/ccnbshalegas

Ban Hydraulic Fracturing (hydro-fracking) In New Brunswick, Canada http://www.facebook.com/BanFrackingNB

Know Shale Gas NB – Support the legal action to stop Shale Gas in NB http://noshalegasnb.ca/news

NoShaleGasNB http://www.facebook.com/NoShaleGasNB

Shale Gas Info http://www.facebook.com/shalegas

Upriver Environment Watch http://www.facebook.com/groups/UpRiver/

Fracidental Drillers http://www.facebook.com/groups/133930663364584/

6 Calls for Moratoriums and Bans

Yellow Springs, Ohio Bans Fracking

On Oct. 1, the Yellow Springs Village Council voted 3-2 to adopt a Community Bill of Rights ordinance banning corporations from conducting shale gas drilling and related activities in the village.

Yellow Springs is the first municipality in the state of Ohio to enact a local Bill of Rights and protect those rights by prohibiting shale gas drilling and fracking and the ensuing injection wells. The first of its kind in Ohio local law asserts the fundamental rights of residents to clean air and water, and to protect the rights of nature. http://ecowatch.org/2012/yellow-springs-bans-fracking/

7 Contamination and Science

Are leaking wells letting methane get into Dimock's water?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ended its investigation of potential water contamination from natural gas drilling in July, yet it has publicly synthesized very little of the more than 100,000 pages of information it gained during six months of sampling and data-gathering in Dimock.

In official statements, the agency said it set out only to determine whether the water in Dimock is safe to drink and found that in most cases it is or can be treated to safe levels.

But emails released to The Times-Tribune and sampling results posted online show that an early focus of the EPA's interest in Dimock - the continued cause of high levels of gas in private water wells and the options for removing it - was largely dropped from the investigation the agency ultimately pursued in the township even though the EPA found methane above state review limits in a third of the private water wells it sampled. http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/are-leaking-wells-letting-methane-get-into-dimock-s-water- 1.1381012

No Fracking Way - By Deborah Goldberg

Take Pennsylvania, for example. In the beginning, Pennsylvania was letting the frackers take their wastewater, which is contaminated with very high levels of salts, to sewage treatment plants, where it was diluted with the sewage.

The wastewater was then discharged into rivers and streams. In short order we had a water quality violation in its drinking water supply for 350,000 people. http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=9765

Frack Brine On Montgomery County Roads?

Pennsylvania’s municipal water treatment plants were designed to handle the bio solids of sewage, not the radioactive compounds contained in shale gas drilling waste. They can’t handle the massive volumes of frack flowback produced in our state.

There’s now a long list of companies who want to sell or lease their services to drillers, along with their glorified mobile distillation units. But this, too, poses new problems and raises even more questions about shale gas waste regulation and oversight. Ultimately, waste recyclers still have to deal with the disposal of the super salty waste bi-product known as brine.

So now, recycled frack brine is to be sold - at around $.05 a gallon - to PennDOT (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) to spray on our roads for deicing in winter, and something called “dust suppression.” http://brynmawr.patch.com/blog_posts/frack-brine-on-montgomery-county-roads#photo-11619353

8 Perilous Pathways: Behind The Staggering Number Of Abandoned Wells In Pennsylvania

It wasn’t until 1955, almost a century after Drake drilled his well, that the state passed a law requiring operators to report the locations of their wells. The result is that western and northern Pennsylvania are pockmarked with hundreds of thousands of wells whose locations are essentially unknown.

These abandoned wells can be dangerous — especially as the latest energy boom draws a new wave of drilling activity to Pennsylvania. This summer, Shell was drilling for natural gas in Union Township, Tioga County, when a 30-foot geyser of methane gas and water erupted out of the ground.

Even without active drilling nearby, these wells can lead to problems. State regulators have investigated dozens of instances where gas has traveled through abandoned wells and reached the surface. At times, the methane has pooled into buildings and triggered explosions. http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2012/10/10/perilous-pathways-behind-the-staggering-number- of-abandoned-wells-in-pennsylvania/

A pipeline bringing natural gas produced by 'hydraulic fracturing' into New York City creates a new focus for environmental protest.

According to Occupy the Pipeline, the fracked gas threatens New Yorkers because gas produced from Marcellus shale has 70 times the average radioactivity of natural gas and very high radon content. The trouble with the noble gas (meaning that it is an inert gas) is that it was not one of the issues looked into by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission when it analyzed the pipeline project. The commission asserted that radon risk assessment was "outside their purview", said Robbins. But the element has been linked to increases in the risk of lung cancer among non-smokers, claims Occupy the Pipeline, and poses a special risk to New Yorkers with immuno-compromised systems the moment the gas is burned – dispersing the radon. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/12/occupy-pipeline-battles-fracking-threat-new-york

Another Voice: Fracking spoiled farm’s hay fields

Down the drill bit went to the Theresa sandstone 6,000 feet below. Up came tens of thousands of gallons of toxic drilling fluids to fill a pond built for that purpose. But, when four days of heavy rain washed out the small poly-lined pond, guess where all of those toxic fluids ended up? Yep, in my fields and an adjoining neighbor’s field. http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121015/CITYANDREGION/121019518

Fracking's Dark Side Gets Darker: The Problem of Methane Waste

Fracking for oil in North Dakota is so lucrative that when natural gas bubbles up alongside the oil, most oil companies simply view it as waste.

It's cheaper, in the short term, to burn the gas than it is to build the infrastructure to pipe and sell it--so they burn it. Across the North Dakota prairie, natural gas flares light up the night sky like huge torches. Every day, they burn off enough gas to heat half a million homes.

9 http://theenergycollective.com/peterlehner/130796/frackings-dark-side-gets-darker-problem-methane- waste

THE SKY IS PINK: - ANNOTATED DOCUMENTS

If it is not possible for gas to migrate from targeted formations, why does industry show so much evidence to the contrary in these, their very own documents? http://www1.rollingstone.com/extras/theskyispink_annotdoc-gasl4final.pdf

A Dairy Farmer Shares Her Story About Fracking: “What Have We Done?”

Carol French, a conventional dairy farmer in Bradford County, Pa., the county most heavily impacted by shale gas extraction in the state, shares her personal story with you. Her story is part of Public Herald’s +Truth campaign for Triple Divide, a documentary film about shale gas. Find out how you can share Your Story . http://www.publicherald.org/archives/16845/investigative-reports/energy-investigations/#comment-626

Scottish drillers Australian wells produce carcinogenic water

The Coal Bed Methane (CBM) operator behind the UK’s largest onshore gas development, Dart Energy, has found its old CBM wells in Australia are now producing carcinogenic water.

50% of Dart’s 7-year-old wells in Dalby, Queensland were found to be leaking by the Queensland government. Tests showed high levels of benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene (BTEX) in ground water close to the wells. These bores were drilled in 2004/5 when Dart was part of Arrow Energy. They were later allocated to Arrow when the companies split in 2010. http://frack-off.org.uk/scottish-drillers-australian-wells-produce-carcinogenic-water/

10 Science

Bombshell Study: High Methane Emissions Measured Over Gas Field May Offset Climate Benefits of Natural Gas

Air sampling by NOAA over Colorado Finds 4% Methane Leakage, More Than Double Industry Claims Led by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado, Boulder, the study estimates that natural-gas producers in an area known as the Denver- Julesburg Basin are losing about 4% of their gas to the atmosphere — not including additional losses in the pipeline and distribution system. This is more than double the official inventory, but roughly in line with estimates made in 2011 that have been challenged by industry. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/02/08/421588/high-methane-emissions-measured-over-gas-field- offset-climate-benefits-of-natural-gasquot/

A Second Government Report Links Groundwater Contamination To Fracking

Bloomberg's Mark Drajem and Jim Efstathiou Jr. report the EPA has found evidence fracking for natural gas contaminated groundwater in Pennsylvania. http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-data-links-groundwater-contamination-fracking-2012-10

The Report: Cabot’s Methodology Links Tainted Water Wells to Gas Fracking

Methane in two Pennsylvania water wells has a chemical fingerprint that links it to natural gas produced by hydraulic fracturing, evidence that such drilling can pollute drinking water. The data, collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are significant because the composition of the gas --its isotopic signature -- falls into a range Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (COG) had identified as that of the Marcellus Shale, which it tapped through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-02/cabot-s-methodology-links-tainted-water-wells-to-gas- fracking.html

Hydraulic Fracturing 101 - Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing

Description of the process and the purpose of chemicals used at various stages in thr process. Also includes health information with respect to chemicals. http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/hydraulic_fracturing_101

Tracing goes underground

DURHAM – A young company is working out of laboratory space in the Research Triangle Park to develop tracers made of synthetic genetic material that would detect if fluids used in a natural gas extraction technique called “fracking” end up in drinking water. http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/20381284/article-Tracing-goes-underground?

11 Oceans' rising acidity a threat to shellfish — and humans

The world's oceans have become 30% more acidic since the Industrial Revolution began more than two centuries ago. In that time, the seas have absorbed 500 billion tons of carbon dioxide that has built up in the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.

By taking in that amount — more than one-quarter of the greenhouse gas that has accumulated in the atmosphere — the oceans have buffered the full effects of climate change, scientists say: Temperatures have not risen as much as they would have otherwise, glaciers haven't melted as fast. Yet the benefits are coming at a cost to marine life, especially oysters, clams and corals that rely on the minerals in alkaline seawater to build their protective shells and exoskeletons. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-acidic-oceans-20121007,0,7494056.story

The Latest Science from Europe—Safe Fracking is a Fairy Tale

A joint report from Germany’s Federal Environment Agency and Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety was released in September. Among the conclusions about the environmental impacts of fracking: •Fracking technology can lead to groundwater contamination. •There are current gaps in knowledge about environmental risks. •Germany should use a step-by-step approach on the use of fracking. •There should be tight restrictions and a ban in areas that provide drinking water and spa regions. •Experts advise against large-scale fracking. •An environmental impact assessment should be conducted for every fracking project.

•Hydrofracking entails serious risks as well as minor risks. •Hydrofracking-induced incidents can do substantial harm to water resources. •The greenhous-gas footprint of shale gase is between 30 to 183 percent greater than that of conventional natural gas. •Some of the chemicals currently used in fracking should be replaced due to environmental risks. •Fracking should be banned in certain areas such as areas with severe tectonic risk, areas with pressurized artesian/confined deep aquifers and continuous pathways, and Germany’s Zone I and Zone II drinking water protection areas* and thermal spring conservation areas (which may be the same as the spa regions mentioned above). •Before fracking is allowed in broad areas, a new legal framework is needed as well as additional scientific knowledge. •For now, the only fracking that should be allowed is exploratory wells and single model demonstration projects—under extensive safety conditions—designed to define and optimize the state of the art, gain a greater understanding of the impacts of fracking, and test practices. Such efforts should only occur along with extensive in-depth dialogue with stakeholders and new statutory and planning structures. http://ecowatch.org/2012/safe-fracking-a-fairy-tale/

SEARCHING FOR A MIRACLE - [ T H E C O N S E R V A T I O N I M P E R A T I V E ] by Richard Heinberg Net Energy’ Limits & the Fate of Industrial Society http://www.postcarbon.org/new-site-files/Reports/Searching_for_a_Miracle_web10nov09.pdf

12 Safe Fracking is a Fairy Tale—The Latest Science from Europe

13 Questionable Science

Natural Gas Fracking Industry May Be Paying Off Scientists

Last week the University of Texas provost announced he would re-examine a report by a UT professor that said fracking was safe for groundwater after the revelation that the professor pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Texas natural gas developer. It’s the latest fusillade in the ongoing battle over the basic facts of fracking in America.

Ohioans got their first taste last week of the latest public-relations campaign by the energy policy wing of the US Chamber of Commerce.

The campaign is loaded with rosy employment statistics, which trace to an April report authored by professors at three major Ohio universities and funded by, you guessed it, the natural gas industry. The report paints a bright future for fracking in Ohio as a job-creator. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/gas-fracking-science-conflict/? utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous

Study finds little environmental impact from oil sands

In 2010, a single oil-sands operation run by Suncor Energy released into the atmosphere 28,940 tonnes of volatile organic compounds, 22,210 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 14,011 tonnes of particulate matter.

With those three types of substances combined, Suncor emitted into the air pollutants equivalent in weight to nearly 4,800 city buses – and the company operates just one of several mines sprawling across the landscape north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

Yet when scientists drilled into lake bottoms 200 kilometres from those oil-sands mines, they discovered something surprising: At that distance, levels of those pollutants were negligible. In fact, the lake sediments, whose layers opened a window onto hundreds of years of air and water quality, showed that in many ways those lakes are cleaner today than they were decades, and even centuries, ago.

The research is controversial. Three researchers – David Schindler, from the University of Alberta, Kevin Timoney, a water expert, and Peter Lee, executive director of Global Forest Watch Canada – argued against its conclusions. Dr. Timoney and Mr. Lee posted an online commentary calling its methods “problematic.”

It doesn’t help that the work was funded by Suncor. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/study-finds-little-environmental-impact-from-oilsands/article4597707/

14 Pinkwashing Fracking? - How the Komen Board is Cashing in on Shale Gas

Begos wrote, “Opponents of fracking say breast cancer rates have spiked exactly where intensive drilling is taking place — and nowhere else in the state…But researchers haven’t seen a spike in breast cancer rates in the area.”

As his main source of expertise on the breast cancer issue, Begos turned to Chandini Portteus, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Scientific Programs.

Sara Jerving of the Center for Media and Democracy came to diametrically different conclusions in her April 2012 probe for PR Watch

See the article for connections to the oil and gas industry. http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/11/pinkwashing-fracking/

Frackademia: Controversial SUNY Buffalo Shale Institute's Reputation Unraveling

[We] conducted an analysis of the report and identified a number of problems that undermine its conclusion: data in the report shows that the likelihood of major environmental events has actually gone up, contradicting the report’s central claim; entire passages were lifted from an explicitly pro-fracking Manhattan Institute report; and report’s authors and reviewers have extensive ties to the natural gas industry.

“Universities are so short of money, professors are under a lot of pressure to raise research funding in any manner possible.”

The oil industry's eagerness to fill the void for its personal gain can be seen through the case study of what we at DeSmog have coined the ongoing "Shill Gas" study scandal at the State University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo). http://www.desmogblog.com/2012/09/19/frackademia-the-brewing-suny-buffalo-shale-resources- society-institute-storm

15 Science and Health

Impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction on the environment and on human health Eurpoean Parliament

This study discusses the possible impacts of hydraulic fracturing on the environment and on human health. Quantitative data and qualitative impacts are taken from US experience since shale gas extraction in Europe still is in its infancy, while the USA have more than 40 years of experience already having drilled more than 50,000 wells. Greenhouse gas emissions are also assessed based on a critical review of existing literature and own calculations. http://europeecologie.eu/IMG/pdf/shale-gas-pe-464-425-final.pdf

No Compromise on NY Fracking Health Impact Assessment Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL

Four years of study and thousands of pages have been devoted to the study of fracking’s impact on New York’s environment, but no such analysis has been carried out for public health.

New Yorkers Against Fracking joins the call for a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to determine what high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing would mean for the health of New Yorkers. Designed in accord with national and international health guidelines and inclusive of public participation, a comprehensive HIA is the widely accepted standard for prospective health studies. This HIA should include quantitative and economic analyses and must be led by an independent team of expert researchers untethered to gas industry funding or state agencies led by political appointees. An expedient, ad-hoc “review” that is not carried out with transparency and public input and that does not follow the established protocols of a comprehensive HIA is unacceptable. http://ecowatch.org/2012/no-compromise-on-ny-fracking-health-impact-assessment/

Interview with Larysa Dyrszka, MD - Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy

Larysa Dyrszka, MD discusses the use and utility of a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) as a decision making tool for unconventional natural gas development in an interview with PSE board member Adam Law, MD. http://www.heinz.org/grants_spotlight_entry.aspx?grantee=148

Video direct link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jYtbBwQblU&feature=player_embedded

Canadian Medical Association Motions – August 2012.

The following motions were passed at the CMA in August, 2012.

16 "19. The Canadian Medical Association supports the creation of a federal- provincial/territorial partnership to monitor the environmental and adverse health effects of natural resource extraction projects. (DM 5-33)

20. The Canadian Medical Association calls for timely and comprehensive public access to all government and industry environmental health-related data gathered during monitoring of natural resource extraction projects. (DM 5-34)"

Human Health Impacts Associated with Chemicals and Pathways of Exposure from the Development of Shale Gas Plays - Wilma Subra http://leanweb.org/our-work/water/fracking/human-health-impacts-associated-with-chemicals-and- pathways-of-exposure-from-the-development-of-shale-gas-plays

Video presentation 74 minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9SEBpVJRwU

Public Health Implications of Hydraulic Fracturing

A presentation on natural gas extraction and how it might affect New York http://www.upstate.edu/cnymph/pdf/hydraulic_fracturing_implications.pdf

Cancer rates in Barnett Shale climb, residents want answers why

"The thing that all these people have in common is drilling in their neighborhood."

People still living in the area surrounding Squibb's old neighborhood in Wellington Estates in Flower Mound are concerned about possible cancer clusters, after a string of leukemia cases in children and breast cancer in women.

Residents wonder if the danger isn't just down the street, where there is natural gas drilling in the Barnett Shale. State air testing near some natural gas facilities revealed high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing toxin. http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-calls-to-invesigate-cancer-cases-in-barnet-shale- story,0,5969894.story

Native Youth Caravan to Powershift

On Oct. 26- 29 of this year, over a thousand youth from across the country will converge on Ottawa for Powershift to discuss, strategize, and act on the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

In Aamjiwnaang First Nation, a lawsuit put forth by EcoJustice and community members targets the Ontario government's approval of a Suncor tar sands smoke stack which has been knowingly operating at above acceptable human health limits. Aamijiwnaang has 63 chemical refineries within 50 km of the

17 community and Community-monitoring has reported that 40 per cent of the population requires inhalers to breath and 39 per cent of women have experienced miscarriages. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/249069?show_todos=true

Can Gas Drilling Emissions Cause Heart Attacks?

Now new research shows that high levels of ozone can increase the risk for heart attacks and stroke. EPA toxicologist Robert Devlin exposed healthy young volunteers to high levels of ozone - levels that reflect the same cumulative dose they would receive had they been working outside for eight hours in a place like Los Angeles. Or the Upper Green River Basin of Wyoming, where ozone levels can get as high as 124 parts per billion (ppb) - that's way over the US federal limit of 75 ppm and higher than Los Angeles on its smoggiest day. http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.ca/2012/06/can-gas-drilling-emissions-cause-heart.html http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/341777/title/Ozone_hikes_cardiovascular_risk http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/03/wyomings-smog-exceeds-los- angeles-due-to-gas-drilling/1#.T-m27vXpzHM

World-Renowned Scientist Dr. Theo Colborn on the Health Effects of Water Contamination from Fracking

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun a review of how the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," can affect drinking water quality. We speak to Dr. Theo Colborn, the president of the Endocrine Disruption Exchange and one of the foremost experts on the health and environmental effects of the toxic chemicals used in fracking. http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/14/world_renowned_scientist_dr_theo_colborn

Gas Patch Roulette - How Shale Gas Development Risks Public Health in Pennsylvania

As the drilling boom picks up speed and reaches more places, it is now resonating in new communities.From a growing number of stories told by individuals nationwide to conferences held by academics and public agencies, the “dots” between health symptoms and gas facilities are very slowly but surely being connected.

The health survey and environmental testing project described in the following pages is part of this critical process. Between August 2011 and July 2012, Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) investigated the extent, types, and possible causes of health symptoms experienced by people living in the gas patches of Pennsylvania. http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/gas_patch_roulette_full_report

18 Gas Patch Roulette: The Full Report By

Nadia Steinzor, Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project Wilma Subra, Subra Company and Lisa Sumi, environmental research and science consultant http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/Health-Report-Full-FINAL-sm.pdf

Scientists: New GMO wheat may 'silence' vital human genes

Australian scientists are expressing grave concerns over a new type of genetically engineered wheat that may cause major health problems for people that consume it.

University of Canterbury Professor Jack Heinemann announced the results of his genetic research into the wheat, a type developed by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), at a press conference last month. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/332822

19 Economics, Legal, and Investigations

Energy firms guaranteed revenue in sweetheart deals with Ontario

The Ontario government has inked a string of sweetheart deals with private-sector energy companies, promising them guaranteed revenue regardless of how much electricity they produce and sell into the market. In some cases, the companies receive 100 per cent of their revenue for operating the plants at well below half their capacity. The cost is passed on to consumers. The contracts have been shrouded in secrecy, with both government and company officials citing commercial sensitivity. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/energy-firms-guaranteed-revenue-in-sweetheart-deals- with-ontario/article4578751/

Iceland’s Economy now growing faster than the U.S. and EU after arresting corrupt bankers

See the video in the document http://americanlivewire.com/world-economic-news-icelands-economy-now-growing-fas/

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation files constitutional challenge to Shell Oil Canada’s Tar Sands expansion application

ACFN’s challenge outlines the government’s failure to uphold Treaty 8, and to force better protection of the resources needed to sustain rights protected under Treaty 8.

“We have repeatedly tried to engage with both the government and Shell to find better way to address our rights,” stated Chief Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. “However, the government has not listened to us or made meaningful attempts to accommodate the ACFN in relation to the impacts of this and other tar sands projects. They have failed to accurately inform themselves of what our people truly require in order to protect our lands and rights.” http://acfnchallenge.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/for-immediate-releaseathabasca-chipewyan-first- nation-files-constitutional-challenge-to-shell-oil-canadas-tar-sands-expansion-application/

Winter of discontent seen ahead for Canada’s natural gas producers

Investors looking for a rebound in the price of the commodity and corresponding gains in the shares of gas producers Encana Corp, Tourmaline Oil Corp, ARC Resources Ltd and others may need to be patient. There is little on the horizon to suggest that prices are going to rise in the near term.

I think we’re in for a long period of low gas prices . . . We have to get used to that idea http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/01/winter-of-discontent-seen-ahead-for-canadas-natural-gas- producers/

20 New role mulled for N.B. LNG plant

A liquefied natural gas plant and terminal in New Brunswick could be converted into an export facility to help develop the region’s onshore oil and gas industry, says the president of Corridor Resources.

Phillip Knoll told an energy conference Thursday in Halifax that Canaport LNG in Saint John is underutilized and a candidate to make the switch.

“There are international parties very interested in that,” he said during a panel about onshore development. http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/143780-new-role-mulled-for-nb-lng-plant

Lawsuit challenges frackers' waste disposal practices in Arkansas

An amended class action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Little rock against Southwestern Energy, XTO and Chesapeake Energy over the wells they've drilled to dispose of waste material by injecting it underground. The suit is brought on behalf of anyone living within three miles of the injection wells. The named plaintiffs live a miles or less from injection wells in Faulkner, Conway and Independence County. http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/10/05/lawsuit-challenges-frackers-waste- disposal-practices-in-arkansas

A nine step plan to fix Canada's resource economy

Canada will never be a true resource superpower until it shuns “rip-and-ship” extraction, embraces sustainability and shares the wealth with future generations.

Canada is hampered by a “fragmented approach to resource policy” that is often reactive to external events, such as the U.S. decision to block the Keystone XL oil pipeline, growing opposition to the Northern Gateway pipeline and state-owned CNOOC Ltd. of China’s $15-billion bid for Calgary-based oil producer Nexen Inc., said the report, based more than 160 interviews with industry players and experts. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/a-nine-step- plan-to-fix-canadas-resource-economy/article4593322/

Depressed North American price makes LNG a risky business

EDMONTON - Shipping North America’s surplus natural gas to willing buyers around the world has become a dream of producers and governments.

But also this week, Cheniere Energy, owners of the only approved U.S. LNG export terminal project in Louisiana, signed a deal with foreign customers that is based on North American gas prices, not the hoped-for oil-linked index used in Asia. The difference is huge. Japan has been paying more than $17 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu), while U.S. gas trades in the $3 range.

21 “All assumptions for LNG are fallible, including what is going to happen in shale gas.” http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Depressed+North+American+price+makes+risky+business/ 7351551/story.html

A nine step plan to fix Canada's resource economy

Canada will never be a true resource superpower until it shuns “rip-and-ship” extraction, embraces sustainability and shares the wealth with future generations.

As Australia pulls back on mines, Canada on alert

When China sneezes, other nations catch cold – especially ones that have thrived by supplying the Asian giant with raw materials.

Long viewed as one of the world’s most attractive mining jurisdictions, Australia is now facing challenges that go beyond just the global economic slowdown. Costs have boomed in its mines and its wages are now some of the highest in the global industry. It is also suffering from a shortage of skilled labour.

“Their economy is so connected to mining … any change in those markets, China or the iron ore price, hits them pretty hard” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/as-australia- pulls-back-on-mines-canada-on-alert/article4595219/

21 New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment)

This special issue presents the results of approximately 20 new studies on energy return on investment, including 10 empirical studies of particular energy resources and a similar number examining methodological issues and the social and economic implications of changing EROIs. The studies cover the most important energy resources currently used by Western society, as well as several possible alternatives. The results, which have great consistency across studies, have enormous implications for our economies and for society more generally. http://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/New_Studies_EROI

22 Predicting the Psychological Response of the American People to Oil Depletion and Declining Energy Return on Investment (EROI)

One of the studies from previous link

The continued availability of cheap, high energy return on investment (EROI) oil, however, is increasingly in doubt.

Americans will need to acknowledge the reality of biophysical constraints if they are to adapt to the coming energy crisis. http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/11/2129/pdf

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Chevron Appeal In $19 Billion Ecuador Environmental Case

The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected Chevron's latest attempt to block global enforcement of a historic $19 billion environmental judgment from Ecuador's courts, removing another hurdle for rainforest indigenous groups as they continue their efforts to seize billions of dollars of Chevron assets around the world. http://chevrontoxico.com/news-and-multimedia/2012/1009-us-supreme-court-rejects-chevron-appeal-in- 19-billion-ecuador-environmental-case

Breitling Oil and Gas Morning Podcast #168 10-11-12

New records released by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Friday reveal over 85% of state’s shale gas production is now coming from just 6 of the 67 counties that make up Pennsylvania. This follows an eerie pattern of contraction in productive shale gas areas as seen in the Texas Barnett shale formation. Fully half of Pennsylvania shale gas production comes from Bradford and Tioga counties on the New York State border.

This is a far cry from the industry’s early on claims shale gas reserves were to be found in abundance throughout an entire shale formation and could therefore be obtained using a “manufacturing model” of widespread and uniform drilling which resulted in a land rush that threw the state into chaos and uncertainty as the shale gas boom took off in Pennsylvania over the last 5 years. http://www.breitlingoilandgas.com/breitling-oil-and-gas-morning-podcast-168-10-11-12/? utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=breitling-oil-and-gas-morning-podcast-168-10-11- 12

Politics: The Big Fracking Bubble: The Scam Behind the Gas Boom

Aubrey McClendon, America's second-largest producer of natural gas, has never been afraid of a fight. He has become a billionaire by directing his company, Chesapeake Energy, to blast apart gas-soaked rocks a mile underground and pump the fuel to the surface. "We're the biggest frackers in the world," he declares proudly over a $400 bottle of French Bordeaux at a restaurant he co-owns in his hometown of Oklahoma City. "We frack all the time. What's the big deal?"

23 According to Arthur Berman, a respected energy consultant in Texas who has spent years studying the industry, Chesapeake and its lesser competitors resemble a Ponzi scheme, overhyping the promise of shale gas in an effort to recoup their huge investments in leases and drilling. When the wells don't pay off, the firms wind up scrambling to mask their financial troubles with convoluted off-book accounting methods. "This is an industry that is caught in the grip of magical thinking," Berman says. "In fact, when you look at the level of debt some of these companies are carrying, and the questionable value of their gas reserves, there is a lot in common with the subprime mortgage market just before it melted down." Like generations of energy kingpins before him, it would seem, McClendon's primary goal is not to solve America's energy problems, but to build a pipeline directly from your wallet into his. http://m.rollingstone.com/entry/view/id/22971/pn/all/p/0/?KSID=3cb7dc9cce849c82b9131a7d760f8435

Fracking Jobs Cost Twice as Much as Green Jobs

Generally speaking, spending on green investments creates approximately three times as many jobs as spending the same amount of money on maintaining our existing fossil fuel sector. The reasons are straightforward. First, clean energy investments are simply more labor intensive. Also, a higher proportion of overall spending on the green economy remains within the domestic economy as opposed to purchasing imports. http://www.alternet.org/economy/lets-get-serious-fracking-jobs-cost-twice-much-green-jobs?paging=off

Phased-in shale gas could deter industry, lobby group says Investors may move on if they can't move quickly

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says a go-slow approach to shale gas development in New Brunswick could deter the industry in the province.

A report released Monday by the provincial government recommended a phased-in approach to developing the contentious shale gas industry in New Brunswick.

Louis LaPierre, a professor emeritus in biology at the University of Moncton, suggested the provincial government choose two or three sites for hydro-fracking research and development, where regulations could be tested for their effectiveness. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/15/nb-shale-gas-report-reaction.html

Natural gas industry ‘still hurting’ despite price bounce

Canadian natural gas prices have more than doubled to $3 per million British thermal units since they hit a decade low of $1.43 in April, but nobody is in a mad rush to open the taps just yet. Impressive as these gains seem, a recovery that would truly lift the industry’s fortunes remains distant.

Gas well completion activity fell 61% in the third quarter compared to the second quarter, and is down 63% year to date, says Alta Corp. Capital.

24 A more sustained recovery in gas production could only occur at $6 to $8 per mcf, which no analyst is currently forecasting. And while many gas producers had switched over to liquids, or associated gas, that’s cutting margins too in the form of collapsed butane, propane and ethane prices. http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/18/natural-gas-industry-still-hurting-despite-price-bounce/

Big Oil and the US Chamber of Commerce Fight to Keep Foreign Bribery Flourishing

In a new lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), big energy extractors are pushing for carte blanche in their interactions with foreign governments, making it harder to track whether their deals are padding the coffers of dictators, warlords, or crony capitalists. http://truth-out.org/news/item/12224-big-oil-and-the-us-chamber-of-commerce-fight-to-keep-foreign- bribery-flourishing

Investment in renewable energy better for jobs as well as environment

BERKELEY – Investing in renewable energy such as solar, wind and the use of municipal and agricultural waste for fuel would produce more American jobs than a comparable investment in the fossil fuel energy sources in place today, according to a report issued today (Tuesday, April 13) by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/04/13_kamm.shtml http://rael.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/very-old-site/renewables.jobs.2006.pdf

Wall Street, government double down on fracking as evidence mounts it causes serious illness

A lot of the recent action centers on Pennsylvania, a state where scientists believe that a massive amount of natural gas is buried under the geologic formation known as the Marcellus Shale. Before landowners knew much of anything about what the fracking process entails — and especially not the environmental risks — they were rushed into leasing their land to companies and individuals who were fronting for Big Oil and Gas.

There was something else that Pennsylvanians didn’t know. These leases — which were indeed lucrative for some — were financed by the same reckless and speculative Wall Street practices that created the dot-com stock bubble in the 1990s, the housing bubble of the 2000s, and the student loan debt bomb of the 2010s. http://www.stuarthsmith.com/?s=wall+street+serious+illness

Dart shareholder hired hitman, broke sanctions & paid Tories £550,000

The company planning 22 Scottish coal bed methane gas wells – Dart Energy – has a dark secret. One of the company’s owners – Vitol – paid a Serbian war criminal $1m to enforce a business deal in 2001, broke Iraqi sanctions in 2007 and is being questioned over recent oil shipments to Iran. Vitol subsequently paid David Cameron’s Tory party £550,000.

25 In 2001 Vitol hired a notorious Serb hitman – Arkan – to intimidate a businessman with whom Vitol had a deal to sell oil. After the deal soured, a court ordered Vitol to pay the businessman $2m. The company then hired Arkan to ‘visit’ the the businessman. He subsequently signed a new agreement to set aside the court decision. As a reward for his services, Arkan demanded a $1 million fee. http://frack-off.org.uk/dart-shareholder-hired-hitman-broke-sactions-paid-tories-550000/

Who Wants to be a SHALEonaire?

A knock at the door, and there stands a landman promising to make you a “shaleonaire”. No general knowledge questions to answer, no questions to answer at all – just sign on the dotted line and you are on your way to wait by the mailbox for that check for GAZILLION of dollars.

Excerpt: State records show the well, a mile from her house, began flowing in July of 2010 and has generated 1.6-million cubic feet of gas in just two years. According to Chesapeake Energy, that’s about $630,000 in homeowner royalties. Green had never seen the production numbers, until we showed her. She immediately contacted a customer service representative at Chesapeake to ask where her money was. http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2012/10/26/who-wants-to-be-a-shaleonaire/

US Shale Gas Bubble is Set to Burst

For the past three or four years media sources in the U.S. trumpeted the “game-changing” new stream of natural gas coming from tight shale deposits produced with the technologies of horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing. So much gas surged from wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania that the U.S. Department of Energy, presidential candidates, and the companies working in these plays all agreed: America can look forward to a hundred years of cheap, abundant gas!

Now Krauss and the Times are singing a somewhat different tune. “After the Boom in Natural Gas,” co- authored with Eric Lipton and published October 21, notes that “. . . the gas rush has . . . been a money loser so far for many of the gas exploration companies and their tens of thousands of investors.” Krauss and Lipton go on to quote Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil: “We are all losing our shirts today. . . . We’re making no money. It’s all in the red.” It seems gas producers drilled too many wells too quickly, causing gas prices to fall below the actual cost of production. Sound familiar? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/US-Shale-Gas-Bubble-is-Set-to-Burst.html

The Energy Rush - After the Boom in Natural Gas

But while the gas rush has benefited most Americans, it’s been a money loser so far for many of the gas exploration companies and their tens of thousands of investors.

The drillers punched so many holes and extracted so much gas through hydraulic fracturing that they have driven the price of natural gas to near-record lows. And because of the intricate financial deals and leasing arrangements that many of them struck during the boom, they were unable to pull their foot off the accelerator fast enough to avoid a crash in the price of natural gas, which is down more than 60 percent since the summer of 2008.

26 Although the bankers made a lot of money from the deal making and a handful of energy companies made fortunes by exiting at the market’s peak, most of the industry has been bloodied — forced to sell assets, take huge write-offs and shift as many drill rigs as possible from gas exploration to oil, whose price has held up much better. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/business/energy-environment/in-a-natural-gas-glut-big-winners- and-losers.html?pagewanted=all

Talisman defers investing in Quebec's shale gas

“During the 3-month period ended Sept. 30, 2012, the company determined that it would not commit capital in the foreseeable future to exploration and evaluation activities in Quebec, where the prohibition regarding hydraulic fracturing for shale gas development has been reaffirmed,” Talisman said, adding it will book impairment costs for Quebec of $109 million before taxes or $82 million after taxes. http://www.ogj.com/articles/2012/10/talisman-defers-investing-in-quebecs-shale-gas.html

Total Reports First Writedown on Value of U.S. Shale Gas Assets

The explorer’s depreciation on Barnett shale holdings amounted to 700 million euros ($911 million) after taxes in the third quarter, according to Total’s spokesman Charles-Etienne Lebatard.

The impairment follows a combined $3 billion of write downs from BG Group Plc and Encana Corp. on the value of their gas properties in North America. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, also booked one-time charges of $2.84 billion on the value of U.S. shale gas assets in August after prices fell. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-31/total-reports-first-writedown-on-value-of-u-dot-s-dot- shale-gas-assets

Shale gas boom makes some Pennsylvanians richer — and some poorer

In recent years, states like Pennsylvania have seen a massive natural gas boom as improved drilling techniques have allowed companies to extract natural gas from shale rock in the Marcellus. The boom has helped drive U.S. natural gas prices down to stunningly low levels and has upended the country’s energy sector. But how does it affect the people living in those regions?

For states such as Pennsylvania, there are pros and cons. On the plus side, all that production creates thousands of jobs and boosts income for locals.

Properties that depend on groundwater, meanwhile, take a large home-value hit — up to 24 percent — if they’re within 2,000 meters of a new well. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/31/how-the-shale-gas-boom-is-making- some-pennsylvanians-richer-and-some-poorer/

27 Regulations and Enforcement

U.S. Shale Gas Regulators Struggle To Keep Up With Rapid Development, Government Finds

Legal limitations and a lack of key data have hampered the Environmental Protection Agency's oversight of shale production, said the report from the Government Accountability Office, Congress' non-partisan investigative arm.

"Officials at EPA reported that conducting inspection and enforcement activities for oil and gas development from unconventional reservoirs is challenging due to limited information, as well as the dispersed nature of the industry and the rapid pace of development," the report said. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/us-shale-gas-regulators_n_1953135.html? utm_hp_ref=green

Report: ‘The Greener The Industry, The Higher The Job Growth Rate Over The Last Decade’

Industries that support a higher number of “green” workers who are making goods and services more environmentally friendly have experienced a higher rate of growth over the last decade than industries with fewer green jobs.

That’s according to a new study from the Economic Policy Institute, which analyzed data on the green workforce from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/10/984211/report-the-greener-the-industry-the-higher-the-job- growth-rate-over-the-last-decade/

West feels chill of low prices for natural gas

Canada’s western energy powerhouses are feeling the chill from sluggish natural gas markets. Sales activity at British Columbia’s auction for exploration rights nearly ground to a halt in September, while Alberta and Saskatchewan are being pinched as energy companies scale back their budgets for targeting new natural gas prospects.

B.C. government’s deficit forecast for the 2012-13 fiscal year widened to $1.14-billion from $968-million, largely due to dampened prospects in the natural gas sector. B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s Liberal government will be hard-pressed to present a balanced budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, as mandated by law.

In late August, Alberta forecast that its deficit could range from $2.3-billion to $3-billion in the 2012-13 fiscal year, or roughly three times higher than originally predicted, largely due to disappointing revenue from oil and bitumen royalties, and also less money raised at land sales. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/west-feels- chill-of-low-prices-for-natural-gas/article4607682/

28 National Energy Board says TransCanada has broken rules, launches audit

The National Energy Board says it's concerned Calgary-based pipeline giant TransCanada Corp. has broken the regulator's rules, as well as its own. A then-employee of TransCanada approached the board in May with concerns of "regulatory non- compliance," the NEB says in a letter posted on its website. But the board is nonetheless conducting its own audit to find out whether TransCanada is still breaking the rules and determine any "corrective actions that may be required."

Among other things, the NEB will look at: -- Confirmation that TransCanada's welding inspections and non-destructive examination practices meet NEB requirements. -- Whether changes to TransCanada's internal engineering guidelines meet NEB requirements. -- The remediation measures TransCanada has undertaken based on its internal audit. -- Whether its revised inspection processes meet requirements in the Onshore Pipelines Regulations, 1999 -- The adequacy on a new training program for inspectors. -- The job description of the new quality assurance/quality control manager. http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/national-energy-board-says-transcanada-has-broken-rules-launches- audit-1.993813

Fracking the law

Natural gas drilling has come to the South. However, states have been slow to respond with environmental and health regulations. North Carolina’s contentious moratorium on drilling runs until 2014, when the legislature will vote on as-yet-unwritten rules. In West Virginia — with just 17 state inspectors for 60,000 gas wells — municipalities are calling for a similar state-wide moratorium until safeguards and monitoring criteria are set.

“The U.S. faces a crisis in the enforcement of rules governing the oil and gas industry,” states a new report by Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121025/OPINION01/121029763?Title=Fracking-the-law

Fracking Industry Fights Federal Regulation, Preferring Less Well-Funded States

Under new rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, drillers must inform Washington via email two days before they extract natural gas through fracking. The intent behind the requirement is to strengthen Clean Air Act standards by reducing emissions from volatile organic compounds. According to OMB Watch, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, industry lobbyists are attempting to eliminate the new rule, so that drillers can go back to dealing just with state governments. The problem with this development is that state regulators often lack the necessary funding to properly protect the public from the dangers associated with fracking, based on a new report from the Government Accountability Office. http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/fracking-industry-fights-federal-regulation-preferring-less- well-funded-states-121026?news=846054

29 Colorado, Fracking the Law - Politics / Environment

The natural gas "gold rush" underway in 31 states is indeed "stirring up a hornet's nest," sparking pushback from communities that see themselves as the last line of defense protecting citizens against state and federal failures to regulate fracking.

Between 53 percent and 91 percent of wells go uninspected; violations go unrecorded, with few penalties.

Only four of 31 fracking states even have significant drilling rules. In October, environmental groups filed a lawsuit against California regulators for ignoring the dangers of fracking. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2012/10/29/fracking-the-law

30 Environment and Climate Change

Ottawa to unveil weakened emissions rules for coal-fired power

After a year of tough negotiations with companies and premiers that tested Ottawa’s resolve to fight climate change, Environment Minister Peter Kent is finally ready to present the final version of regulations to curtail greenhouse gas emissions from the coal-fired electricity sector. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ottawa-to-unveil-weakened-emissions-rules-for-coal- fired-power/article4519655/

Astounding Disrespect for the Public and the Truth

Well, an eye-opening study of primetime news coverage on global warming by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that 93% of primetime Fox News’ discussions of global warming are inaccurate, LiveScience reports. Examining the same at the venerable Wall St. Journal, UCS found that an astounding 81% is just plain wrong! See the next article in this document. http://cleantechnica.com/2012/09/29/guess-what-93-of-fox-news-wall-st-journal-reporting-on-global- warming-just-plain-wrong/

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) report

UCS’s analysis finds that: • Over a recent six-month period, 93 percent of Fox News Channel’s representations of climate science were misleading (37 out of 40 instances). • Similarly, over the past year, 81 percent of the representations of climate science in the Wall Street Journal’s opinion section were misleading (39 out of 48 instances).

UCS’s examination finds that the misleading citations include broad dismissals of human-caused climate change, disparaging comments about individual scientists, rejections of climate science as a body of knowledge, and cherry picking of data. Fox News Channel citations also included several discussions in which misleading claims dominated accurate ones. Furthermore, much of this coverage denigrated climate science by either promoting distrust in scientists and scientific institutions or placing acceptance of climate change in an ideological, rather than fact-based, context. http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/Is-News-Corp-Failing-Science.pdf

Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes Year 1 Interim Report

Appendix 1 – Year 1 Radon Test Results Page 7

A summary of the year 1 results is shown in the tables (Tables 2 to 3) below. Table 2 shows the percentage of participants in each province/territory with results below 200 Bq/m3, between 200 and 600 Bq/m3, above 600 Bq/m3, and then above 200 Bq/m3 (sum of the percentages between 200 and 600 Bq/m3 and above 600 Bq/m3). Note that these are a “raw” percentage, that is, the percentage

31 does not consider the population of that region; it is simply the number of results in a concentration category for each province or territory divided by the total number of results for that province or territory multiplied by 100. http://www.chba.ca/uploads/Policy%20Archive/2010/Health%20Canada%20Radon%20Survey %2015%20Dec%202010.pdf

Survey of radiocative minerals in New Brunswick - See map on last page

Note that redium and radon are decay products of uranium. The previous article discussed radon in New Brunswick. https://www.gnb.ca/0078/minerals/PDF/Mineral_Deposits_Uranium-e.pdf

Federal Map http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/auth/english/maps/economic/energy/uranium? layers=ura+ura1m+nucplants+nucplants1M+uramines+uramines1M+urafac+pop_cap+pop+prov+uraoc cur&scale=5200000.000000&mapxy=2123384+218560&mapsize=1150+1350&urlappend

Firms call on Tories to back 2030 carbon target for power sector

More than 50 businesses, including household names such as Asda, Sky and PepsiCo, have called on the government to put in place a 2030 target on decarbonising the power sector.

They argue that such a move – already backed by Labour and the Lib Dems – will stimulate investment and revitalise the UK's ageing energy infrastructure.

The businesses – including some of the biggest in the UK, and spanning a wide range of sectors from retailers to insurance and technology companies – have written to the chancellor to urge him to support a 2030 target that would in effect ensure that almost all of the UK's electricity was from low-carbon sources. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/08/firms-tories-2030-carbon-target

Arctic Ice Melt, Psychopathic Capitalism and the Corporate Media

The reality of changes to the Arctic has far outstripped most predictions. Only a few years ago, in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the bulk of models showed the Arctic ice cap surviving in summer until well past 2100. Now it's not clear that the ice will survive in summer past 2020.

On a sane planet, action would have been taken long before now to limit the risk. But, as Greenpeace International head Kumi Naidoo notes, fossil fuel industries have been working hard to corrupt the political process: Why our governments don't take action? Because they have been captured by the same interests of the energy industry.

32 These polluting corporations often exert their influence behind the scenes, employing a variety of techniques, including using trade associations and think tanks as front groups; confusing the public through climate denial or advertising campaigns; making corporate political donations; as well as making use of the "revolving door" between public servants and carbon-intensive corporations. http://truth-out.org/news/item/11970-arctic-ice-melt-psychopathic-capitalism-and-the-corporate-media

Economic Reality Check—Climate Change Costs Big Bucks - David Suzuki

A new scientific report concludes that climate change is already costing the world $1.2 trillion a year and is eating up 1.6 percent of global GDP, and rising. It’s also killing at least 400,000 people every year, mainly in developing countries. That’s not counting the 4.5 million people a year who die from air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. http://ecowatch.org/2012/economic-reality-check-climate-change-costs-big-bucks/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/26/climate-change-damaging-global-economy

Denmark Achieves Solar Energy Goal 8 Years Early

It seems that rapidly growing demand for clean energy and a solar-friendly government has allowed this European country to exceed that goal eight years before the target. Danish experts now predict that if this growth continues, 2020 levels of solar energy production will be 100 times what was first expected. http://www.care2.com/causes/denmark-achieves-solar-energy-goal-8-years-early.html

ACID DEPOSITION FROM GEOENGINEERING

We used a general circulation model of Earth’s climate to conduct geoengineering experiments involving stratospheric injection of sulfur dioxide and analyzed the resulting deposition of sulfate. When sulfur is injected into the tropical or Arctic stratosphere, the main additional surface deposition occurs in midlatitude bands, because of strong cross-tropopause flux in the jet stream regions. We used critical load studies to determine the effects of this increase in acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems. http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/pdf/aciddeposition7.pdf

An unfolding and emerging crisis in northeastern British Columbia's shale gas plays

This report raises questions about the cumulative environmental impacts of natural gas companies operating in north-eastern British Columbia’s (BC’s) energy zone. The area in question represents just over 15 percent (or over 140,000 square kilometres) of the total provincial land base. The zone area is larger than the State of New York or the State of Iowa. Other identified petroleum zones in BC (see map on page 6) will also be targeted for energy developments in years to come. http://www.bctwa.org/FrkBC-EnCanasCabin-Nov9-2010.pdf

33 Glaciers Cracking in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology have shown that the material strength and fracture toughness of ice are decreased significantly under increasing concentrations of CO2 molecules, making ice caps and glaciers more vulnerable to cracking and splitting into pieces, as was seen recently when a huge crack in the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica spawned a glacier the size of Berlin. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121010191749.htm

Morrison Lake mine rejected by B.C. government over concerns about salmon

Plans for a copper and gold mine in the province’s northwest have been rejected by the B.C. government because it could endanger salmon in the Skeena River.

The decision came as a surprise to the nearby Babine Lake First Nation, which had raised concerns that the mine would impact habitat and fish in the area. http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/rejects+proposal+copper+gold+mine+citing+concern s+over/7327826/story.html

Collectively Photographing Fracking - The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project

The most basic thing that photography does is visually describe what can be seen. The problem facing photographers of the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project is that what they wish to describe cannot be seen — an invisible gas buried deep underground. They have struggled to document the effect of the natural gas drilling commonly known as fracking.

The group’s photographs depict a heavy industrial process scattered across a rural landscape: amid miles of lush green forest or farmland, suddenly there is a shaved patch. Atop the clearing is a battery of drilling equipment: a tall derrick, bright klieg lights and lined troughs full of chemical wastewater. In some photographs, a long, steel pipeline snakes through the frame. In others, the flare from a drill rig lights the night sky. There are pictures of people, too: farmers who leased their land for drilling, homeowners with enough methane in their groundwater to light a tap on fire; and here and there, an industry employee. http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/collectively-photographing-fracking/

The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change

There is an overwhelming level of scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. Over 95% of actively publishing climate scientists agree that the earth is warming and that human activity is the cause. In spite of this agreement, only about 50% the general public think that scientists have reached a consensus on human-caused climate change. Two sources of the discrepancy are the unbalanced portrayal of the situation in the media, and the Manufactured Doubt Industry.

34 http://www.wunderground.com/resources/climate/928.asp

Is there a scientific consensus on global warming?

97% of climate experts agree humans are causing global warming.

In the scientific field of climate studies – which is informed by many different disciplines – the consensus is demonstrated by the number of scientists who have stopped arguing about what is causing climate change – and that’s nearly all of them. A survey of all peer-reviewed abstracts on the subject 'global climate change' published between 1993 and 2003 shows that not a single paper rejected the consensus position that global warming is man caused. 75% of the papers agreed with the consensus position while 25% made no comment either way, focusing on methods or paleoclimate analysis (Oreskes 2004). http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-scientific-consensus.htm

NOAA Bombshell: Warming-Driven Arctic Ice Loss Is Boosting Chance of Extreme U.S. Weather

Two new studies make a strong case that global warming is driving an intensification of high-pressure anomalies that in turn make North American weather more extreme. They add to a growing body of scientific observation and analysis on the connection between man-made climate change and extreme weather — and disasters.

So I can say, not coincidentally, Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance company is releasing a report next week based on its natural catastrophe database — the most comprehensive of its kind in the world — that concludes: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/11/989231/noaa-bombshell-warming-driven-arctic-ice-loss-is- boosting-chance-of-extreme-us-weather/

Declaration of a Political Emergency - Andrew Nikiforuk

Neither Canada nor Alberta has a rational plan for the tar sands other than full-scale liquidation. Although the tar sands could fund Canada's transition to a low-carbon economy, government has surrendered the fate of the resource to irrational global demands. At forecast rates of production, the richest deposits of bitumen will be exhausted in forty years.

Inadequate environmental rules and monitoring have allowed unsustainable mining to accelerate. Feeble fiscal regimes have enriched multinationals and given Canada a petrodollar that hides the inflationary pressures of peak oil. Canada now calls itself an "emerging energy superpower." In reality, it is nothing more than a Third World energy supermarket. http://www.andrewnikiforuk.com/Declaration%20of%20a%20Political%20Emergency.pdf

New report details how natural gas extraction is destroying forests in Pennsylvania

35 A new analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of two counties in Pennsylvania found that natural gas extraction creates "potentially serious patterns of disturbance on the landscape." Wellpads, roads, pipelines and waste pits are clearcuts in forests. Cumulatively they are very destructive to the natural ecosystem.

According to the USGS: "Changes in land use and land cover affect the ability of ecosystems to provide essential ecological goods and services, which, in turn, affect the economic, public health, and social benefits that these ecosystems provide." Habitat fragmentation decreases a forest's "abilty to support viable populations of individual species." http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/new_report_details_how_natural.html

The USGS Report http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1154/of2012-1154.pdf

Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

Meteorologists reported that this spring was the warmest ever recorded for our nation – in fact, it crushed the old record by so much that it represented the "largest temperature departure from average of any season on record." The same week, Saudi authorities reported that it had rained in Mecca despite a temperature of 109 degrees, the hottest downpour in the planet's history.

Since I wrote one of the first books for a general audience about global warming way back in 1989, and since I've spent the intervening decades working ineffectively to slow that warming, I can say with some confidence that we're losing the fight, badly and quickly – losing it because, most of all, we remain in denial about the peril that human civilization is in.

When we think about global warming at all, the arguments tend to be ideological, theological and economic. But to grasp the seriousness of our predicament, you just need to do a little math. For the past year, an easy and powerful bit of arithmetical analysis first published by financial analysts in the U.K. has been making the rounds of environmental conferences and journals, but it hasn't yet broken through to the larger public. This analysis upends most of the conventional political thinking about climate change. And it allows us to understand our precarious – our almost-but-not-quite-finally hopeless – position with three simple numbers. http://m.rollingstone.com/entry/view/id/29695/pn/all/p/0/?KSID=db170ce41e1e3cb830686c24059e3d0e

Summer of Solidarity Inspires Autumn of Unity in Fight Against Fossil Fuels

As thousands marched in the first national rally against fracking in Washington, D.C., 50 people walked onto the country’s largest mountaintop removal site in West Virginia and shut it down. Union workers locked out of the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, picketed beside environmentalists. In New York, Occupy the Pipeline challenged Spectra through sit-ins and lockdowns, while Puerto Rican activists battled (and halted) a natural gas pipeline through a campaign in which both islanders and the mainland diaspora took part. http://ecowatch.org/2012/fight-against-fossil-fuels/

36 190 million tonnes of Arctic ice melt every day

Antarctica is shedding an average of 190 million tonnes of ice every day, according to a landmark study that used satellites to ''weigh'' the vast landmass.

Although parts of East Antarctica are growing, glaciers in West Antarctica are melting faster, leading to a net loss of ice across the continent, according to the study published in the journal Nature.

''We're confident that the ice cover is shrinking, and the rate along the Amundsen Sea coast is accelerating,'' said the lead researcher Professor Matt King, of the University of Tasmania.

Rapid melting in some parts of the continent is partially offset by heavy snowfalls elsewhere, meaning that the net loss of ice per year is about 69 billion tonnes.Previous studies had struggled to accurately map the land mass under most of Antarctica's huge ice shelves, and this knowledge is crucial to measuring the thickness of the ice. http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/190m-tonnes-of-ice-a-day-has-sea-rising-less-than- 1mm-a-year-20121022-2817w.html

Geoengineering: Testing the Waters

There, an American entrepreneur named Russ George dumped 120 tons of iron dust off the hull of a rented fishing boat; the plan was to create an algae bloom that would sequester carbon and thereby combat climate change.

Mr. George is one of a growing number of would-be geoengineers who advocate high-risk, large-scale technical interventions that would fundamentally change the oceans and skies in order to reduce the effects of global warming. In addition to Mr. George’s scheme to fertilize the ocean with iron, other geoengineering strategies under consideration include pumping sulfate aerosols into the upper atmosphere to imitate the cooling effects of a major volcanic eruption and “brightening” clouds so they reflect more of the sun’s rays back to space. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/geoengineering-testing-the-waters.html? pagewanted=1&_r=2&

"Externalities" - David Suzuki explains the fallacy of conventional economics, in an interview done for the BBC. http://vimeo.com/49953262

Climate researchers issue stern warning on natural gas

Researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change have finally called the hoopla surrounding natural gas for what it is — mostly fossil fuel propaganda.

37 “Research papers and newspaper column inches have focussed on the relative emissions from coal and gas,” said lead author Dr. John Broderick. “However, it is the total quantity of CO2 from the energy system that matters to the climate. Despite lower-carbon rhetoric, shale gas is still a carbon intensive energy source. We must seriously consider whether a so-called “golden age” would be little more than a gilded cage, locking us into a high-carbon future.” http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/10/29/climate-researchers-issue-stern-warning-on-natural-gas/

38 New Brunswick Government News

Shale gas report by health officer may remain secret

Dr. Eilish Cleary looked at potential health impacts of the shale gas industry

The Alward government will not say whether it will release a report by the province's chief medical officer of health on the potential health impacts of the shale gas industry.

But Tracey Burkhardt, a spokeswoman with the Department of Health, told CBC News that Cleary won't be discussing her recommendations publicly. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/02/nb-shale-gas-health-report- cleary.html

New Brunswick not releasing shale gas study recommendations from health officer

But the government says it is not making those recommendations public and Dr. Eilish Cleary won't be giving interviews on the issue at this time. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/new-brunswick-not-releasing-shale-gas- study-recommendations-from-health-officer-172348461.html

See also Huffington Post article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/02/new-brunswick-not-releasi_n_1933695.html

Shale gas opponents demand release of health study and public consultations

Shale gas opponents want the government of New Brunswick to release the Chief Medical Officer's health study on shale gas after it was revealed on Tuesday, Oct. 2nd that the government would not be releasing it. They are asking the public to write Premier David Alward and their MLA and demand the release of the study.

"The health implications of introducing shale gas development in this province is one of the most important issues facing New Brunswickers today. We demand that the Alward government release the report immediately and to neither delay nor censor it," says Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D'Arcy, a dentist based in Fredericton.

The New Brunswick College of Family Physicians passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas last April. The association, which represents 700 doctors in the province, wants a moratorium put into place until studies are done and it can be shown that the benefits outweigh the risks. http://www.nbmediacoop.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2269%3Ashale-gas- opponents-demand-release-of-health-study-and-public- consultations&catid=82%3Aenvironment&Itemid=197

39 N.B. health minister unclear whether shale gas report will be released

Madeleine Dube held a news conference hours after the Opposition attacked the government for not releasing the report by the province's chief medical health officer.

At one point, Dube said the government would release Dr. Eilish Cleary's recommendations. But she later said the government would review the report and after that it would be released.

When asked repeatedly whether the government would release the recommendations or the report in full, she was unclear. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-b-health-minister-unclear-whether-shale-gas-report-will-be-released- 1.981802

Parts of shale gas health report will now be released Government officials still won't say how much or when

The Alward government now says it will release at least parts of a report by the province's chief medical officer of health on the potential health impacts of the shale gas industry, but not right away.

Former health minister and current Liberal leadership candidate Mike Murphy went even further, citing his own time at the department.

"It was clearly understood that if there were a question about whether information was to be divulged, concerning public health, food, water, safety, it was [the public health officer's] decision," he said.

"The minister of health could not overrule their decision. The minister of health has no such authority under the Public Health Act," Murphy said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/03/nb-shale-gas-health-report-public.html

Health Report Release Delayed - CBC Shift

New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health has submitted her recommendations on how to minimize the health risks of shale gas exploration and extraction. But you can't read them. Not yet anyway. The CBC's Jacques Poitras has the story. http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/shiftnb_20121003_84775.mp3

Full shale gas health report to be released

The full shale gas health report written by the province's chief medical officer of health will be made public on Oct. 15, Environment Minister Bruce Fitch announced on Thursday.

A former public health official in Alberta, who was fired for political reasons, contends New Brunswickers have a right to see the report.

40 Dr. David Swann, who is now a Liberal MLA, says public health officers must be completely free of political influence.

The Alward government's previous refusal to release Cleary's report didn't live up to that principle, he said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/04/nb-shale-gas-health-report- political.html

Shale gas opponents question Leonard’s conflict – Trinity Today

Craig Leonard overseeing shale gas industry again, despite sister being lobbyist.

Leonard had been Premier David Alward’s first energy minister, but was sent to the Department of Government Services earlier this year after his sister, Angie Leonard, became a senior natural gas advisor for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. http://trinitytoday.ca/2012/10/shale-gas-opponents-question-leonards-conflict/

Shale gas opponents question Leonard’s conflict – CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/01/nb-shale-leonard-minister- conflict.html

Shale gas group imposes restrictions on meeting

Coun. Leah Levac says rules would not allow for a 'genuine conversation'

A Fredericton city councillor is questioning why the provincial government’s shale gas study group is imposing strict rules before meeting with a citizens’ group. The meetings were held primarily in rural areas in June and there were no public meetings scheduled in Moncton, Fredericton or Saint John.

Coun. Leah Levac said many of her constituents raised concerns about shale gas development during May’s municipal election. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/07/24/nb-levac-shale-gas-meeting- 1136.html

News and interview with Dr. Eilish Cleary, chief medical officer of health and Stephanie Merrill

I believe it’s essential for public health to be involved at every step of shale gas development,” she says. “There’s no situation, I believe, that the person should restrain the distribution of information if her role is to protect the public and talk to the public,” says Dr. Robert Desjardins, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/concerns-raised-over-contents-of-shale-gas-report-1.985468

41 Harry Forestell talks with NB Chief Medical Officer of Health Eilish Cleary,about her role in the fracking debate. http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NB/ID/2287756088/

Oct. 7: All our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows....

Two hundred years ago in New Brunswick, there was pretty much just one way to make some cash s....cut down timber. The catch was you could cut the stuff only if you owned huge expanses of it and/or had the right to cut it.Only a small number of people had the necessary land or the right to harvest it. If you needed a job to make some money, you had to be acceptable to them. Being acceptable meant being willing to accept low pay, terrible living and working conditions - and not in any way annoy your local timber baron.

An unbroken pattern runs from the timber barons to the Irvings and all their corporate friends.. And, today, it runs down from the Irvings to the premier, embraces both the Liberals and Conservatives, absolutely controls most of the news media through the most sycophantic journalists I have ever seen, and, as I have also seen, right down to even parent-teacher associations.

Major corporations have behaved in such irresponsible, incompetent, and even criminal ways that the whole world economy is in crisis. Worse, in their arrogance and their utter contempt for you, they have decided that you will pay the whole price for what they have done. http://themonctongrimes-dripdrain.blogspot.ca/2012/10/oct-7-all-our-yesterdays-todays-and.html

New energy minister's sister resigns from shale gas job

Angie Leonard submitted her resignation on Friday due to a perceived conflict of interest, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

In a cabinet shuffle that takes effect Tuesday, Craig Leonard regains responsibility for the shale gas file as the new minister of the Department of Energy and Mines. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/09/nb-angie-leonard-resign-shale- energy.html

Dr. LaPierre Report on Shale Gas - The Path Forward http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Corporate/pdf/ShaleGas/en/ThePathForward.pdf

Chief Medical Officer of Health's Recommendations Concerning Shale Gas http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h- s/pdf/en/HealthyEnvironments/Recommendations_ShaleGasDevelopment.pdf

42 LaPierre Report - Shale gas report rules out moratorium

New Brunswick report calls for 'science-based' approach to shale gas decisions

The New Brunswick government must address the "very serious concerns" over the development of the shale gas industry, but should not impose a moratorium on the industry, according to a new report.

His recommendations are based on feedback from the nine public meetings held across the province earlier this year.

Opponents to the shale gas industry often came out in large numbers to LaPierre's meetings to express their concerns.

“Throughout this process I became acutely aware of the very serious concerns that New Brunswickers have regarding shale gas exploration, as well as the economic benefits that the industry could have for our province,” LaPierre said in a statement.

“I began to think of a way that the two sides of the shale gas debate could co-exist and created the Path Forward, which is a framework and a set of actions that would allow the province to fully explore the potential of a shale gas industry in New Brunswick.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/12/nb-shale-gas-reports-health- environment.html

New Brunswick chief health officer warns of 'Boomtown Effect' with shale gas

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's infrastructure and legislation aren't strong enough to ensure public health is protected should the shale gas industry be expanded, the province's chief medical officer of health warns in a report released Monday.

"Proper controls and mechanisms to protect and monitor health must be put in place to reduce the risk of spoiling the potential benefits from economic gains through adverse health outcomes," the report says.

"Action should be taken well in advance of any proposed expansion. Current infrastructure, capacity, processes and legislation are not adequate to meet the needs. The funding of these recommendations will not be insignificant; however there may be opportunity to have much of the costs absorbed by the industry." http://www.globalnews.ca/canada/money/new+brunswick+chief+health+officer+warns+of+boomtown+e ffect+with+shale+gas/6442733686/story.html

Small air polluters may no longer need permits

Proposed regulatory change to Clean Air Act up for public review

The Alward government is looking at changing the province's Clean Air Act to eliminate the need for small producers of some air pollutants to get government approval. The draft regulation is currently up for public review, with the deadline for input set for Nov. 13.

43 Government officials say they want to make it easier for small businesses to operate.

But a family doctor in Saint John, where studies have found elevated levels of pollutants, as well as high rates of asthma and death from lung disease, said she is worried about the proposal. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/16/nb-clean-air-act-change-draft.html

LaPierre’s flawed reasons to rule out a moratorium on shale gas Friday, 19 October 2012 22:34 Guillermo Castilla

LaPierre’s report, publicly released this week, nicely summarizes the serious concerns New Brunswickers have on shale gas, and legitimately concludes in the final section of Part I (Public Meeting Summary) that “there are some important issues to be addressed by government and industry.” However, the other conclusion in that section, which rules out a moratorium and was picked by mainstream media as a headline, does not follow logically from the content of Part I. Not only is this conclusion unsupported by the data he collected, LaPierre uses fallacious arguments unworthy of his standing as a respected scientist. http://www.nbmediacoop.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2303%3Alapierres- flawed-reasons-to-rule-out-a-moratorium-on-shale-gas&catid=78%3Afeatured-columnists&Itemid=178

Moncton Free Press - LaPierre’s report is opinion, not science http://www.monctonfreepress.ca/article/lapierre%E2%80%99s-report-opinion-not-science

Comments on the Discussion Documents of the New Brunswick Natural Gas Group Submitted to the New Brunswick Natural Gas Group, 18 September 2012 Dr. Roderick Hill, Professor of Economics Department of Social Science, University of New Brunswick, Saint John Campus

The document – a mere 8 pages long! – offers a brief account of what the tax system for shale gas might look like (with no discussion of alternatives) and two tables of hypothetical numbers for royalty revenues that lack any credibility. The Natural Gas Group should be ashamed of publishing such a shoddy and inadequate document on a subject of such importance. http://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/arts/_resources/pdf/hillrcommentnaturalgasgrp2012.pdf

Shale gas produces fractured lines in New Brunswick

If you’re looking to get a sense of how everyday Canadians are wrestling with their governments’ energy policies, you may want to look away from Ottawa and Calgary, and focus on Fredericton, where the New Brunswick government seems at odd with New Brunswickers, even though there is not much oil or gas to fight over.

Many New Brunswickers are opposed to shale gas development; they worry about water contamination, health risks, security of fresh water supply and the province’s idyllic rural way of life.

44 “The way shale gas is obtained is too risky for the benefits that it could return,” says David Coon, leader of the Green Party in New Brunswick, adding there is little opposition in the province to the development of conventional gas.

But the government will have to get a ‘social licence’ from New Brunswickers before natural gas can be extracted from the ground via fracking, let alone shipped to places such as India and China. http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/26/fractured-lines-in-new-brunswick/

Alward government dodging shale gas moratorium

Stephanie Merrill, CCNB Action’s Shale Gas Alert Coordinator found comfort in Dr. Cleary’s health review: “For the first time in over two years, a government issued report openly acknowledges that the shale gas industry has serious health impacts and those impacts will come to New Brunswick if the industry is allowed to proceed.”

The N.B. College of Family Physicians passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas last April. The association, which represents 700 doctors in the province, wants a moratorium put into place until studies are done and it can be shown whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

"How can we expect the government in New Brunswick that has and continues to put industry ahead of the people of Penobsquis to protect us from the impacts of shale gas? The Conservation Council is still waiting for information requested from the Department of Environment back in July on air quality in Penobsquis. The Alward government is violating rules of responding to information requests within 30 days," says Merrill. http://www.nbmediacoop.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2315%3Aalward- government-dodging-shale-gas-moratorium&catid=82%3Aenvironment&Itemid=197

Comments on the Discussion Documents of the New Brunswick Natural Gas Group - Dr. Roderick Hill

Rod Hill is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Science at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. He received his BA in Economics from the University of Toronto, a Diploma from the International Graduate School University of Stockholm, and an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. http://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/arts/_resources/pdf/hillrcommentnaturalgasgrp2012.pdf

Shale gas produces fractured lines in New Brunswick - Financial Post

To be sure, shale gas is a divisive topic among New Brunswickers, says Louis LaPierre, professor emeritus in biology at the Université de Moncton, who wrote one of the reports after speaking to

45 citizens across the province. Still, he recommends a ‘phased approach’ to oil and gas exploration rather than a complete moratorium.

Meanwhile, Dr. Eilish Cleary, the province’s chief medical officer, warned in her report about the side- effects of a boom. http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/26/fractured-lines-in-new-brunswick/

46 Maritime News

New Brunswick earns 'F' for information disclosure

An advocacy group for Canadian newspapers has given New Brunswick a poor mark on its openness to provide information to the public.

Newspapers Canada's 2012 Freedom of Information Audit found the provincial government and two of the three cities tested did not disclose much information in response to requests submitted by a student team from the University of Kings College in Halifax. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/01/nb-province-poor-marks-information- disclosure.html

Professors debate N.B.'s shale gas future

Two hydro-fracking experts debate the contentious mining process with CBC New Brunswick's Paul Castle. Cornell University's Anthony Ingraffea and Syracuse University's Don Siegel offer competing views on how hydro-fracking has impacted communities in the United States and discuss the implications for New Brunswick. The two well-known professors discuss hydro-fracking's impact on water and air quality, climate change and how governments must regulate the industry. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/11/29/nb-siegel-ingraffea-shift-debate.html

Fracking backwash frustrates oilman

The head of an oil and gas exploration firm says the company can’t meet a deadline to clean up holding ponds in Nova Scotia filled with contaminated water from hydraulic fracturing.

Peter Hill, executive chairman of Denver-based Triangle Petroleum, says the province wants the two ponds near Kennetcook cleaned up by Nov. 30. http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/142969-fracking-backwash-frustrates-oilman

Shale gas group imposes restrictions on meeting

Coun. Leah Levac says rules would not allow for a 'genuine conversation'

A Fredericton city councillor is questioning why the provincial government’s shale gas study group is imposing strict rules before meeting with a citizens’ group.

The meetings were held primarily in rural areas in June and there were no public meetings scheduled in Moncton, Fredericton or Saint John.

47 Coun. Leah Levac said many of her constituents raised concerns about shale gas development during May’s municipal election. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/07/24/nb-levac-shale-gas-meeting- 1136.html

For government subsidies, what price is too high?

It’s the sad, but all too common, story of single-industry towns in Canada.

Thanks to the largesse of the Nova Scotia government, an oft-bailed out paper mill in Port Hawkesbury is back in business this week, cranking out rolls of glossy magazine paper for the first time in more than a year.

Nova Scotia is contributing incentives worth as much as $156-million, including the cash it has already spent maintaining equipment since the Cape Breton mill went bankrupt in 2011.

That’s the equivalent of $470,000 for each of the 330 jobs saved. If those workers earn an average of $45,000 a year, Nova Scotia will essentially underwrite the mill’s entire payroll for more than a decade. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/for-government-subsidies-what-price-is- too-high-to-save-a-job/article4577935/

Q & A with Peter Hill, CEO of Triangle Petroleum Corp, on the fracking mess in Colchester County.

K'jipuktuk (Halifax) - Peter Hill, CEO and director of Triangle Petroleum Corp, wants out of Nova Scotia. But it seems Nova Scotia just won't let Hill go; not until he takes care of about 15.5 million litres of radioactive water his company has left behind.

4.5 million litres of the briny water, left over after two unsuccessful hydraulic fractures in the Kennetcook area, now sits in 'lagoons' at the Atlantic Industrial Services treatment facility in Debert, Nova Scotia. The remaining water, approximately 11 million litres worth, languishes in holding ponds near Kennetcook, awaiting treatment. http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/bitter-love-triangle/13364

Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan for Good Jobs, Stable Prices and a Cleaner Environment

Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan sets out a detailed program to move Nova Scotia away from carbon-based electricity towards greener, more local sources. Nearly 90 percent of the province's electricity supply comes from fossil fuels - most of it coal. Coal made more sense when it was mined here in Nova Scotia, but now we buy it from others. This over-reliance on a single fuel source drains wealth away from the province and has a negative impact on both our health and our environment.

Now this change is the law. By 2015, 25% of Nova Scotia's electricity will be supplied by renewable energy sources. http://gov.ns.ca/energy/renewables/renewable-electricity-plan/

48 Groups: something’s fishy about oil and gas consultation

Gretchen Fitzgerald, Atlantic director of the Sierra Club of Canada, said the “phoney” sessions held on behalf of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board provided little in the way of actual consultation.

She also said the key question of whether or not the gulf can handle oil and gas exploration is not being asked.

“We don’t think that what people (are) saying is being put on a public record in a valid way,” said Fitzgerald. “If you write something down, how is the board going to actually receive that information? How is it going to be put up there on the public record? In this case we’ve been told informally some of the staff here are taking notes. I’m sorry, that is not a consultation.” http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2012-10-11/article-3097751/Groups:-something&rsquos- fishy-about-oil-and-gas-consultation/1

OTTAWA — Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is fighting through Canada’s federal court to keep its shipbuilding contract with the government secret.

The federal government has received an access to information request to release the umbrella agreements it signed with Irving and Seaspan Marine, the two main companies pegged to build Canada’s next fleet of ships.

Public Works and Government Services Canada notified Irving in September it plans to make public the umbrella agreement with the Halifax company.

Irving is now asking for a judicial review of the decision. Irving not only wants the umbrella agreement kept secret, but a ruling that would grant secrecy to many other shipbuilding documents as well. http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/148944-irving-tries-to-keep-contract-details-secret#.UH0_Qp0- LlI.twitter

Access to Information Shows Town of Windsor Has Already Received Kennetcook Frack Waste-Water Nova Scotia Environment has known since May, 2011

An email conversation disclosed through an Access to Information request has revealed that an undetermined amount of “brine water,” originating from the Kennetcook and Noel area frack wastewater holding lagoons, has already been shipped to the Town of Windsor's waste water treatment facility. The emails, dated May 10, 2011, confirm that Nova Scotia Environment has been aware for at least 18 months that a quantity of the waste-water has been shipped from Atlantic Industrial Services' (AIS) treatment facility in Debert, NS to Windsor's sewage treatment plant. These are the same waters that have been determined to be radioactive due to an elevated amount of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material. http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/access-information-shows-town-windsor-has-already-received- kennetcook-frack-waste-water/13532

49 Irving Oil to offer natural gas at select locations

Irving Oil is adding liquefied natural gas to five of its Big Stop operations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec, and construction will begin shortly. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/irving-oil-to-offer-natural-gas-at-select-locations-1.998444

Ban urged on treatment of waste water

A national citizens group is seeking a provincial ban on the treatment of fracking waste water.

The call from the Council of Canadians came Friday, days after it was revealed that seven million litres of fracking waste water went through Windsor’s sewage treatment plant between March 2010 and August 2011, was subsequently processed and then pumped into the Minas Basin before the province put a stop to it.

Sterling Belliveau, Nova Scotia’s environment minister, told CBC this week that while the water was analyzed by a consultant, it wasn’t tested for naturally occurring radioactive materials. Even so, he was quoted as saying that the water had low levels of such materials and was not harmful to the environment or human health. http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/151808-ban-urged-on-treatment-of-waste-water

Pieridae Energy (Canada) Ltd. has announced plans to develop an LNG export plant in Goldboro, NS.

Goldboro LNG, Halifax, will own natural gas liquefaction and storage, including a marine jetty for loading. The plant, said the company’s first press release, will produce about 5 million tonnes/year of LNG and be able to store 420,000 cu m of LNG.

Contact (Resources) would manage operations and investment made by Pieridae in Goldboro LNG “with respect to the exploration and development of all potential Canadian onshore natural gas.” http://www.ogj.com/articles/2012/10/canadian-company-floats-lng-export-from-nova-scotia.html

Nova Scotia Frack Waste-Water Trade? Imaginary stop-orders, questionable origins, missing documents - all part of fracking in Nova Scotia.

K'jipuktuk (Halifax) – The great hydraulic fracturing fiasco in Nova Scotia's 'Windsor Block' has taken on the proportions, and tragic comedy storyline, of a Scooby Doo mystery.

Where there should be transparency, there are only clues. Where there should be due diligence, there are backtracks and subplots. And whether the end result of this mess will be a shady figure being led away in cuffs muttering “And I'd have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you pesky kids!” still remains to be seen. http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/frack-waste-water-trade/13988

50 Canadian News

Ritz avoiding hard questions

But Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz only showed up Wednesday in Cowtown after ducking questions in the House of Commons over how, on his watch, Canada is under the most widespread beef recall in its history. Unlike the other two politicians, however, Mr. Ritz didn't come to face his critics but to avoid them.

The minister's decision to escape from Ottawa this week not only destroys any confidence in his ability to perform his duties, but puts in doubt an industry that's critical to Canada, Alberta and Mr. Ritz's home province.

Canadians deserve an Agriculture minister who has the courage to stand in the House during a crisis and answer the tough questions, instead of hiding behind bureaucrats and handlers. http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Ritz+avoiding+hard+questions/7341288/story.html

Unhealthy meat from an unhealthy industry

So what do E. coli outbreaks, Saskatchewan's plans to sell off the former PFRA pastures, and the recent letters to the editor of the federal minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, all have in common? No, it's not that they will all make you sick in the stomach.

These three things are all signs that the Big Lies of our centralized and industrial approach to meat production are starting to wear thin. The lies? Here are some: 1. That the beef industry is serving the interests of small, local cattle producers who are doing so darn well they can afford all kinds of things, including a market price for the former community pastures. 2. That the current system, under which virtually all of Canada's cattle are slaughtered in massive facilities owned by an duopoly of the Nillson Bros. (they own XL Foods, producers of the recent E. coli) and Cargill, is working for both producers and consumers. 3. That it is possible to produce healthy beef products by taking animals fed for half a year in massive feedlots and then processing them in plants that handle as many as 4,500 head per day. http://trevorherriot.blogspot.ca/2012/10/unhealthy-meat-from-unhealthy-industry.html

ACTION ALERT: Call for a moratorium in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

The Gulf of Saint Lawrence borders five provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Quebec.

Oil and gas interests are looking to the Gulf for the next big oil production boom. http://canadians.org/action/2012/gulf-st-lawrence.html

51 The Death of Innocence - The defunding and silencing of science.

A few thousand white-coated scientists, yes, scientists, took to Parliament Hill and made a stand against one of the worst public policy decisions ever made in Canada; the decision to close the world- famous Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), in northwestern Ontario as a federally funded enterprise.

They repudiated a public policy process where scientific evidence took a back seat to ideology, and said so.

Regardless of Stephen Harper’s ludicrous claim that “science” would determine whether the Gateway Pipeline Project proceeds, (cabinet and cabinet alone will decide) his government’s record tells the real story: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/10/04/michael-harris-the-death-of-innocence/

Canada's ozone science group falls victim to government cuts

Thousands of people have avoided getting skin cancer thanks to Canadian scientists who invented the UV index and the gold-standard tool for measuring the thickness of the Earth's ozone layer. But now Canada's ozone science group no longer exists, victim of government budget cuts. "Everyone who was still left in the ozone group has been re-assigned," said Prof Thomas Duck of the department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Canada's Dalhousie University. In 2011 Canada unexpectedly experienced its first ever ozone hole over the Arctic. "The ozone problem is not solved," Duck told the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/09/canada-ozone-science-cuts?CMP=twt_fd

In defence of reason by Allan Gregg

On Sept. 5, I was invited by Carleton University to deliver a lecture marking the opening of their spectacular new Public Affairs building. Using George Orwell’s dystopian novel as a device to tie my arguments together, the talk was entitled, “1984 in 2012: The Assault on Reason.”

The most obvious reason for the reaction my speech received is that there are a lot more people than I realized who harbour some of the same concerns I expressed — namely, that governments are ceasing to use evidence, facts and science as the basis to guide policy and instead, are retreating to dogma, fear and partisan advantage to steer the ship of state.

While not a partisan attack, I think my lecture also provided some insight into the motivation of this government and a context to understand some of its more, shall we say, curious practices. The handmaidens of evidence-absent dogma are almost always secrecy, obfuscation and misdirection. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1267765--in-defence-of-reason

Canada’s Spy Groups Divulge Secret Intelligence to Energy Companies

52 The Canadian government has been orchestrating briefings that provide energy companies with classified intelligence from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and other agencies, raising concerns that federal officials are spying on environmentalists and First Nations in order to provide information to the businesses they criticize. The secret-level briefings have taken place twice a year since 2005, and are detailed in documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, and in publicly-available government files. http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/4640

Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out

Who needs democracy? Secret treaty is a massive giveaway of Canadian resources and rights with no vote in Parliament.

But Harper's Omnibus Bill, which declared Canada’s formal entry into the ranks of dysfunctional petro states, was but window dressing for the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA). It's the most significant trade deal since NAFTA, but you won't read much about it in the national press. Given its deplorable content Harper appropriately inked the massive give-away in Vladivostok last month and then quietly tabled the deal in Ottawa without so much as a press release.

Osgoode law professor Gus Van Harten, an expert on such international doings, quickly found out why. After reading the brief document, he declared it a travesty and a formidable assault on Canada's democratic traditions. For starters the deal gives Chinese investors more rights and protections than Canadian entrepreneurs could ever win in China's incredibly corrupt markets.

Moreover the deal "allows Chinese companies to sue Canada outside of Canadian courts. Remarkably, the lawsuits can proceed behind closed doors. This shift to secrecy reverses a longstanding policy of the Canadian government."

Appallingly, the treaty would give Sinopec, one of the big Chinese backers of the Northern Gateway pipeline, the right to sue the government of British Columbia if it blocks the project. http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/10/11/Chairman-Harper/print.html

Governing in the dark: Ottawa’s dangerous unscientific revolution

Most Canadians understand that our well-being depends on science. But Canadian science is under assault. And scientists, like Peter Finch in the film Network, are mad as hell. In July, more than 2,000 of them staged a mock funeral for scientific evidence on Parliament Hill to protest the Harper government’s dismantling of Canadian institutions that collect scientific evidence, the muzzling of government scientists, and the erosion of the role of scientific evidence in public debate and regulatory decisions.

The rally was covered by news media across Canada and around the world. Nature, perhaps the world’s premier science journal, ran a lead editorial on the event, concluding: “If the Harper government has valid strategic reasons to undermine vital sectors of Canadian science, then it should say so . . .” http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/1269189--governing-in-the-dark-ottawa-s-dangerous-unscientific- revolution

53 Converting part of TransCanada’s Mainline could fuel domestic use

The conversion would send a river of Western Canadian oil — up to one million barrels a day — to Central and Eastern Canada, pushing out 700,000 barrels a day of crude imports from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Libya and Nigeria. It would build on smaller, similar plans by competitor Enbridge Inc. http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/12/converting-part-of-transcanadas-mainline-could-fuel- domestic-use/ http://business.financialpost.com/2012/07/25/transcanada-urged-to-go-east/

Temporary Foreign Workers Alberta’s disposable workforce - Andrew Nikiforuk

In 2006, for the first time in history, Alberta had more temporary foreign workers (TFWs) arriving in our province than permanent immigrants. There were 22,392 TFWs working in Alberta. Meanwhile only 20,717 immigrants were granted permanent resident status in the same year. The number of TFWs in Alberta has doubled since 2003 and tripled since 1997. This great influx of temporary workers has led to a growing concern about the working and living conditions for the men and women brought here. Through the past two years, the AFL and its affiliates grew increasingly alarmed at the reports about mistreatment, exploitation and false promises. We were also concerned about the negative effects that this growing use of TFWs was having on wages and the labour market. http://www.andrewnikiforuk.com/Dirty_Oil_PDFs/AFLTFW.pdf

Exxon’s $3.1-billion bid for Celtic underscores oil majors’ LNG race

CALGARY — With its $3.1-billion bid for Celtic Exploration Ltd. Wednesday, it looks like Exxon Mobil Corp. is throwing its considerable weight behind Canada’s West Coast LNG export strategy, adding to speculation that there is a race going on between oil majors to consolidate all aspects of the business.

The world’s largest energy company was rumoured to be the unsuccessful suitor of intermediate gas producer Progress Energy Resources Corp. — ultimately scooped up by Malaysia’s Petronas — and on Wednesday moved ahead with what appeared to be its Plan B. http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/17/exxons-3-1-billion-bid-for-celtic-underscores-oil-majors- lng-race/

Stephen Harper and the triumph of the corporation state

Stephen Harper has moved beyond being the prime minister of Canada. He’s its CEO, making Canada the first democracy to tacitly embrace global corporate governance.

Canada finds itself presiding over the birth of a new Dark Age. The Age of Democracy is over. The Age of Corporate Rule is upon us.

Harper is uniquely qualified to be Canada’s first CEO. His father worked for Imperial Oil (Exxon in global parlance) in Calgary. Harper graduated in economics from the University of Calgary. Its “Calgary

54 School” politicial scientists were recruited largely from the American Right, according to one of their mentors, Allan Kornberg. The objective was to blunt the “leftist statism” of Canadian academia. http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/10/31/frances-russell-stephen-harper-and-the-triumph-of-the-corporation- state/

55 Other News

Shift by Cuomo on Gas Drilling Prompts Both Anger and Praise

ALBANY — A few months after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was poised to approve hydraulic fracturing in several struggling New York counties, his administration is reversing course and starting the regulatory process over, garnering praise from environmental groups and stirring anger among industry executives and upstate landowners.

Ten days ago, after nearly four years of review by state regulators, the governor bowed to entreaties from environmentalists to conduct another study, this one an examination of potential impacts on public health. Neither the governor nor other state officials have given any indication of how long the study might take. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/nyregion/with-new-delays-a-growing-sense-that-gov-andrew- cuomo-will-not-approve-gas-drilling.html?_r=2&hp

No Fracking Way - Russia and Natural Gas – the new “Red Scare”?

The pro-drillers are all a twitter about recent articles which claim Russia is “bankrolling” a plan to end shale gas. Run for your lives, the Russians are Coming! Where’s Joe McCarthy when you need him? Not surprising, the pro-drillers hyperventilating and salivating over the article failed to read past the headline or the first couple of paragraphs.

In other words, if the marketplace for natural gas expands, Russia will have even more potential customers because it has tremendous reserves.

Komlev even thanked the U.S. for taking the role of “shale gas global lobbyist” and said Gazprom believes natural gas is more environmentally friendly than other fossil fuels. http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2012/10/02/russia-and-natural-gas-the-new-red-scare/

Penn State Faculty Snub of Fracking Study Ends Research

A natural-gas driller’s group has canceled a Pennsylvania State University study of hydraulic fracturing after some faculty members balked at the project that had drawn criticism for being slanted toward industry.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition, which paid more than $146,000 for three previous studies, ended this year’s report after work had started, said Kathryn Klaber, coalition president. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-03/penn-state-faculty-snub-of-fracking-study-ends- research

56 Future of fracking still uncertain in New York State

It appears the State of New York is likely to miss a deadline to establish hydraulic fracturing regulations, and if so, this will significantly delay a determination of whether or not the controversial fuel-extraction process will be allowed in the state.

The reason for the delay is related to additional studies being conducted, and it is uncertain how long this will take. “We are working with the Department of Health right now on questions like the scope of the health review, and we haven’t made any decisions on whether or not we’ll meet the deadline for the regulations,” http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/334111

Doctors, Nurses Press Cuomo on Hydrofracking Health Review

A coalition of doctors and nurses are out with a new sign-on letter today, pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo for specifics on a recently announced review of the health impacts of hydrofracking.

In their letter, 57 people from the science and health fields—mostly doctors and nurses—laid out a series of questions they would like to see answered. Among them: “What is the health impact analysis document currently under DOH’s review and who will have access to it?” http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/159030/doctors-nurses-press-cuomo-on-hydrofracking- health-review/

Anti Fracking Health Experts Question Cuomo Adm Health Study

Over 50 doctors, nurses and scientists in New York have signed a letter to Governor Cuomo. They’re asking for more information and questioning whether the governor’s health department can objectively review the health information.

Dr. David Carpenter is Director of The Institute for Health and the Environment at SUNY’s School of Public Health. Carpenter, who used to work at the state health department in the 1980’s, says the agency has many competent health experts, but he says working for a government that also has an agenda may compromise the work.

“The Health Department is a political body, it reports to the governor,” said Carpenter. “It is not independent.”

He says he experienced political pressure when he directed the Health Department’s laboratories during the Carey Administration. He says they wanted to do a study of radon in homes, but Governor Carey was promoting insulation for energy efficiency. http://wxxinews.org/post/anti-fracking-health-experts-question-cuomo-adm-health-study

57 Chesapeake Energy violated Clean Water Act

Chesapeake Energy pleaded guilty in federal court today to three violations of the Clean Water Act, admitting it had dumped 60 tons of crushed stone and gravel into the Blake Fork stream in West Virginia on three different occasions in 2008.

Each violation carries a $200,000 fine, so Chesapeake will pay a total of $600,000. The company will also be placed on probation and supervised by the court for two years. Chesapeake also agreed today to settle other undisclosed violations with civil penalties and not criminal charges. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/chesapeake-energy-violated-clean-water-act- 656339/

Qatar to export U.S. domestic fracked gas from Texas terminal

State-run Qatar Petroleum International owns 70% of Golden Pass, a company the Energy Department just granted a permit to liquify U.S. domestic fracked gas for export from their terminal in Texas. The other 30% is owned by Exxon Mobil.

So our fracked gas is going to Asia because it was never about anything but profit for the fracking mafia. But all the other stuff that comes with the fracked gas,–the staggering environmental and health consequences of this extraction method: water depletion and contamination, air pollution, toxins on our land and ruination of farmland and special places–that stays here in the U.S. Oh! And the price of our gas will go way up. http://www.texassharon.com/2012/10/05/qatar-to-export-u-s-domestic-fracked-gas-from-texas-terminal/

Can George Osborne give shale gas a boost with a 'generous' tax regime?

The chancellor has signalled he intends to unlock investment in the UK fracking industry with tax breaks

Shale gas is the great hope of George Osborne and his fellow Conservatives who detest what they see in the renewable energy sector: subsidy junkies and woolly minded greens. http://m.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/08/george-osborne-shale-gas-tax? cat=environment&type=article

Fracking Companies Using ‘Psychological Warfare’ Tactics To Silence Critics?

In a gathering thought to be exclusively among friends, one industry public relations professional representing Range Resources, Matt Pitzarella, said his company utilizes psychological warfare (PSYOPs) tactics on citizens living in the Marcellus Shale basin. The Marcellus is one of the epicenters of the global hydraulic fracturing boom (“fracking”).

Matt Carmichael, External Affairs Manager at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, told attendees, “we are dealing with an insurgency,” referring to citizens concerned about the impacts of oil and gas

58 development in their communities. He advised the PR pros in the room to use the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Manual, along with Donald Rumsfeld’s book, as guidebooks for suppressing dissent. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/11/991281/fracking-companies-using-psychological-warfare- tactics-to-silence-critics/

Nigerian Law Suit Against Shell Opens in the Hague

The court case against Shell’s oil spills in Nigeria had been filed by four Nigerian plaintiffs in conjunction with Friends of the Earth Netherlands and supported by Friends of the Earth Nigeria.

“This court case will have groundbreaking legal repercussions for multinational corporations globally, and especially for European corporations,” said Globalisation Campaign Leader at Friends of the Earth Netherlands/ Milieudefensie, Geert Ritsema

He added: “Due to the poor maintenance of pipelines and factories, Shell let tens of millions of barrels of oil leak in the Niger Delta, with disastrous consequences for local people and the environment. The Anglo Dutch oil giant must now stop its pollution, compensate the damage and prevent more oil spills from happening.” http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/nigerian-law-suit-shell-opens-hague/

Challenging the oil and gas industry's energy independence message

The oil and gas industry's deceptive campaign to make the public and policymakers believe that the United States is on the verge of energy independence is just a smokescreen for selling the country's oil and natural gas to the highest bidder, Cobb writes.

With gasoline scaling $4 a gallon recently, plans announced last week by international oil giant BP to export U.S.-produced crude oil ought to have Americans howling. For such a plan to be good energy policy--rather than merely profitable for the oil industry--the United States would have to be producing more than enough oil to meet its own needs. But the country produces nowhere near that amount. Nevertheless, the industry's deceptive campaign to make the public and policymakers believe that the United States is on the verge of energy independence seems to be succeeding--a push that is really just a smokescreen for selling the country's oil and natural gas to the highest bidder. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2012/1016/Challenging-the-oil-and-gas- industry-s-energy-independence-message

Silently gassing North Americans for profit

Three reports released this week showing gas development impacts on humans, two reports in Canada and one in the United States, showing results of the nation's largest health survey to date of Marcellus Shale residents near oil and gas development, fuel the fracking debate, including the aspect of human rights to health continually violated and people's health claims dismissed. http://www.examiner.com/article/silently-gassing-north-americans-for-profit

59 Gas pollution seeps into government

The gas industry is not only environmentally irresponsible – it’s lobbyists, paid representatives and vested interests also pollute our democratic process.

To do this, the industry uses a complex series of interventions to promote their case, almost all of it hidden from public view. Below we reveal some of the ways the gas industry exerts informal influence on decision-making: http://frack-off.org.uk/gas-pollution-seeps-into-government/

Energy Policy Forum - Tmely commentary and analysis on the state of energy Deborah Rogers

Links to a large number of information about energy and shale gas

America has come to a crossroads with regard to energy. Should we rely heavily on natural gas? Or should we use natural gas as a bridge fuel to alternative forms of power such as wind, nuclear and solar. These questions have serious long-term implications for every consumer of energy in the U.S. http://energypolicyforum.org/

Ecological Economics and Rio + 20; A Presentation Given by Deborah Rogers in Rio de Janeiro, June 2012

Further complicating the picture is the fact that shale wells, by their very nature, can have high initial production which drops off significantly about 12-18 months out and never recovers to initial levels. High initial production, however, can give the impression that shale gas is more successful than it may really be.

Lee Raymond, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, recently questioned shale gas reserves. Mr. Raymond stated “…It’s going to be a little while before people are really confident that there is going to be a sufficient amount of gas for 30 years…I’m frankly not sure that we have enough experience with shale gas to make the kind of judgment…”. http://energypolicyforum.org/2012/07/02/ecological-economics-and-rio-20-a-presentation-given-by- deborah-rogers-in-rio-de-janeiro-june-2012/

The Railroad Commission of Texas web site has a lot of data. http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/

Earthquake-Causing Fracking to Be Allowed within 500 Feet of Nuclear Plants

Earthquakes can – of course – damage nuclear power plants. For example, even the operator of Fukushima and the Japanese government now admit that the nuclear cores might have started melting down before the tsuanmi ever hit. More here.

60 http://www.globalresearch.ca/earthquake-causing-fracking-to-be-allowed-within-500-feet-of-nuclear- plants/5309229

17 Groups Petition EPA For Public Reporting Of Chemical Releases From Fracking, Other Oil And Gas Operations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2012 -- 127,000 Tons of Undisclosed Hazardous Emissions: Oil and Gas Would Join Other Industries, Including Coal, That Already Report to the Toxics Release Inventory; Federal Disclosure for O&G Not Yet Required Despite Surge in Fracking Chemical Pollution.

Today's petition would finally make this information available for the first time to citizens, communities, and lawmakers. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/24/4935385/17-groups-petition-epa-for-public.html

Shale is dumb but booming. What if it gets smart?: Campbell

In the United States, fracking has spawned talk of re-industrialization, buoyed by cheap natural gas that will give North America a competitive edge over the rest of the world.

And shale oil production may lift U.S. crude output so quickly that the country becomes once again the world's largest producer of liquids within a decade.

Yet current techniques are in their infancy according to industry experts. There is considerable room for improvement, both in the application of force to reservoirs as well as in the location of "sweet spots" where fracking yields the best results.

Today hydraulic fracturing relies heavily on brute force and operators still count on a great deal of luck when completing wells, although the best operators are gaining an edge through research and development. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/26/column-campbell-idUSL1E8LQ5L120121026

Koch-Affiliated Group Campaigns To Make Wind Tax Credit ‘So Toxic’ Republicans Won’t Back It

But with Koch Industries and fossil fuel groups mobilizing to defeat the credit, its future after 2012 is uncertain. The American Energy Alliance, which has Koch ties, told Politico Pro this week that it aims to make the credit a toxic issue for House Republicans: (Article requires subscription access):

“Our goal is to make the PTC so toxic that it makes it impossible for John Boehner to sit at a table with Harry Reid and say, ‘Yeah, I can bend on this one,’” said Benjamin Cole, spokesman for the American Energy Alliance.

American Energy Alliance has a strong link to Koch Industries: AEA’s president Thomas Pyle was former director of federal affairs for Koch Industries, and it is affiliated with the Koch- and ExxonMobil- backed Institute for Energy Research.

61 http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/19/1045661/koch-group-campaigns-to-make-wind-tax-credit- so-toxic-republicans-wont-back-it/

62 Renewable Energy

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is a top 5 Global Module Supplier in 2011.

Total revenue in 2011 was $1.9 billion, Shipments of 1323 MW in 2011. Canadian Solar operates in 11 countries: Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain,Australia, the United States, Singapore, HongKong and China. http://www.canadiansolar.com/en/our-company/about-us/

Renewables - Ecowatch

Articles on renewable energy from various jurisdictions. http://ecowatch.org/p/energy/renewable-energy-energy/

Australia's largest solar farm opens amid renewable target debate

"The Greenough River Solar Farm demonstrates that renewable technologies can contribute to meeting Australia's future energy needs on a sustainable, cost-competitive basis," Jason Waters, chief executive of Verve Energy said on Wednesday.

Australia has committed to getting 20 percent of its power from renewables by 2020 but big coal and gas-based utilities are arguing for generation targets to be cut.

But the plant opens as the future of renewables is clouded by a campaign by some utilities and energy companies to cut Australia's mandatory renewable energy targets. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/10/us-australia-solar-idUSBRE89905N20121010

Tidal Power Capacity Potential in the UK Estimated at 153 GW

There are 153 GW of potential tidal and wave power capacity in the UK, according to a new report from the Crown Estate. The new report was commissioned to help predict the future of the technology. The report from the Crown Estate underlines the enormous energy potential in the UK’s marine environment. To harness this enormous 153 GW of tidal power capacity, there are three primary types of technology that will be needed — tidal stream devices, tidal range barrage schemes, and tidal range lagoon schemes. “The report predicts tidal stream devices could produce 95 terawatt hours (TWh) a year from 32GW of installed capacity, tidal range barrage schemes could supply 96 TWh/year from 45GW of capacity, and tidal range lagoon schemes could produce 25TWh/year, drawing on 14GW of capacity.” And there is also the potential for “27GW of wave energy capacity, which could produce 69TWh of electricity a year.” http://cleantechnica.com/2012/10/13/tidal-power-capacity-potential-in-the-uk-estimated-at-153-gw/? utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

63 N. Ireland Eyes Trifecta Of Offshore Energy Sources

With 1.8 million people, Northern Ireland’s population is about midway between Philadelphia’s (1.5 million) and Houston’s (2.1 million). In a place that size, 800 megawatts of power – the amount that could flow from three offshore projects granted site leases this week by the Crown Estate – would go a long way toward meeting the U.K. province’s goal of 40 percent renewable electricity by 2020. http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/10/n-ireland-eyes-trifecta-of-offshore-energy-sources/

Sustainable Energy - Stanford University

Links to a number of documents about sustaiinable energy http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/susenergy2030.html

UK public favours wind turbines over shale gas wells, poll finds

More than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home, according to a new opinion poll published on Tuesday.

Asked to choose between having the two energy sources within two miles of their home, 67% of respondents favoured a turbine, compared to just 11% who would support the gas development. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/23/wind-shale-gas-icm-poll

Solar Grid Parity Is Here Today

Solar materials prices are down, financing is more accessible and technology has extended solar system life. The result: The price of solar energy-generated electricity, calculated by a legitimate levelized cost of energy (LCOE) method, is now competitive in many regions with the price of electricity generated by conventional sources. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/New-Study-Solar-Grid-Parity-Is-Here-Today/

A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity Abstract

This paper reviews the methodology of properly calculating the LCOE for solar PV, correcting the misconceptions made in the assumptions found throughout the literature.

Given the state of the art in the technology and favourable financing terms it is clear that PV has already obtained grid parity in specific locations and as installed costs continue to decline, grid electricity prices continue to escalate, and industry experience increases, PV will become an increasingly economically advantageous source of electricity over expanding geographical regions. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111003492

64 Oil and Pipelines

Pipeline Whistleblower Exposes TransCanada’s Shady Safety Record

A TransCanada pipeline engineer, the man responsible for ensuring that pipelines were constructed safely, has come forward with shocking information about TransCanada’s unscrupulous safety practices. Evan Vokes reveals that industry regulations are poorly enforced and lead to potentially dangerous incidents like the Enbridge oil spill.

“Someone is going die and they just don’t know it yet,” explains Vokes.

“My motivation is to prevent unnecessary death and environmental damage,” adds the engineer who has also been a welder and millwright. http://ecowatch.org/2012/pipeline-whistleblower/

UGI, Pennsylvania utility regulators propose Allentown gas explosion settlement

UGI Utilities Inc. has agreed to pay the maximum fine it could face and accelerate cast-iron pipeline replacement to settle allegations it ignored warning signs that could have prevented a fatal 2011 natural gas explosion in Allentown.

The Feb. 9, 2011, blast at 13th and Allen streets was caused by a crack in a cast-iron natural gas main installed in 1928 underneath Allen Street. Public Utility Commission documents reveal UGI recommended replacement of the same line in 1979 because it had experienced four breaks dating to 1974 but that the work was never done.

The explosion killed Ofelia Ben, 69; Katherine Cruz, 16; Matthew E. Vega, 4 months; William Hall, 79; and Beatrice Hall, 74. It also destroyed eight houses. http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2012/10/ugi_puc_propose_allentown_gas_1.html

Ambitious plans for oilsands would create lakes from waste

It could one day be Alberta’s very own Lake District, a recreational haven complete with campgrounds, boating, fishing – even swimming.

Or it could turn into a landscape of ponds sullied by toxins and oil, a malingering presence left by an industrial experiment gone wrong.

It may take a century to find out what is left around Fort McMurray. Because the lakes, 30 of them, will be built by Canada’s oil sands industry. When the companies mining heavy crude from northeastern Alberta finish their work, they intend to pump water into old mine pits, some with toxic effluent at their bottoms, before leaving the area to biological processes to restore it to health. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ambitious-plans-for-oil-sands-would-create-lakes-from- waste/article4583817/

65 The oil patch opens an eastern front

The battle over Alberta’s oil sands is spreading east as governments in Quebec and the eastern U.S. are confronted with aggressive moves by western crude producers to access new markets.

The oil industry’s critics in Quebec and Maine are gearing up for a fight over existing plans and potential projects that would reverse the flow of oil in a cross-border pipeline network in order to carry crude from Alberta and North Dakota to refineries in Quebec and perhaps as far as the U.S. East Coast. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/the-oil-patch-opens-an-eastern-front/article4602808/

Fort McKay tainted water solution exists, expert says

The Fort McKay First Nation has been relying on bottled water due to fears that the community's municipal-supplied water may be tainted by high levels of cancer-causing chemical compounds found in samples.

But David Schindler, a world-reknowned water expert working with the non-profit Safe Drinking Water Foundation, argues a method of reverse-osmosis currently used at the Saddle Lake aboriginal community is the solution that should be adapted to Fort McKay.

The problem at Fort McKay is that byproducts of water treatment known as trihalomethanes, which are believed to be cancer-causing, are created when organic materials get chlorinated during the treatment process. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/11/16/edmonton-fort-mckay-water.html

Markey Calls for Full Undersea Survey Following Gulf Oil Sheen Sourced from BP's Macondo Well

Following confirmation that an oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico has origins from BP’s blown-out Macondo well, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today called for a full undersea survey of the Macondo site carried live on the internet so independent scientists can examine the activities as they happen.

“BP must also bring back the Spillcam, so the world can see in real time what is going on at the bottom of the Gulf. There is no room for error, and no room for obfuscation, when it comes to this matter.” http://markey.house.gov/press-release/markey-calls-full-undersea-survey-following-gulf-oil-sheen- sourced-bps-macondo-well

Converting part of TransCanada’s Mainline could fuel domestic use

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/1 0/12/converting-part-of-transcanadas-mainline-could-fuel- domestic-use/

66 http://business.financialpost.com/2012/07/25/transcanada-urged-to-go-east/

Activists disrupt speeches by Canadian Minister and Shell Chairman

Anti-tar sands campaigners claim Canada and Shell are ‘strangling climate action’. Today at a high- level conference on climate change at Chatham House, London, two activists interrupted first Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister, then Shell’s UK Chairman Graham van’t Hoff, as they got up to make speeches. The conference attendees included EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard

There was laughter at the tongue-in-cheek speeches which referred to Kent as an “agent from a rogue petro-state” and Shell as “world-class greenwashers”, and the audience listened attentively for several minutes, before the activists were removed by security. http://www.no-tar-sands.org/2012/10/activists-disrupt-speeches-by-canadian-minister-and-shell- chairman/

Pictures showing size of oil sands operation

Once this landscape was a pristine wilderness roamed by deer now it's 'the most destructive industrial project on earth' Lush green forests once blanketed an area of the Tar Sands at Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, larger than England Area where blackened earth now stands dubbed by environmentalists as most destructive industrial project on earth Boreal forest - once home to grizzly bears, moose and bison - is vanishing at rate second to Amazon deforestation http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2219240/Tar-Sands-Canada-worlds-largest-oil-reserve- 173billion-untouched-barrels.html

Quality concerns arose before TransCanada pipeline blast

Company proposing Keystone XL under scrutiny for previous line failure

A CBC News investigation has learned that TransCanada Pipelines — the Canadian company behind the controversial U.S. Keystone XL pipeline proposal — was troubled by quality-assurance problems on another recent American pipeline that exploded.

“We are in trouble on the Bison project,” the pipelines’ construction manager wrote in a Sept. 18, 2010, internal email that lists problems related to welding and inspection. Construction of the project had started in August 2010.

A day after the 2011 explosion, PHMSA issued a six-page “corrective action order” to TransCanada.

Such an order is usually issued only after a hearing but in this case the regulator found that “failure to issue order expeditiously will likely result in serious harm to life, property, or the environment.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/24/transcanada-pipelines-bison-explosion.html

67 LNG – Liquified Natural Gas

Argentina YPF Nationalization: Energy Crisis Provoked Government Expropriation Of Repsol YPF

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Less than a decade ago, Argentina was an exporter of oil and natural gas. Now the government has to spend billions of dollars to import fuel.

This dramatic reversal of fortune is why Argentina, already a global financial rogue after its historic debt default, is willing to risk becoming even more of a pariah by seizing control of its leading oil company from Spanish hands, analysts say. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/22/repsol-argentina-ypf-nationalization_n_1444144.html

Repsol may sell Canaport LNG, report says

Spanish oil giant Repsol is looking at selling some of its liquefied natural gas assets in Canada, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday. Repsol and Irving Oil Ltd. own Canaport LNG, which is in Saint John. Irving Oil handles the marketing of the regassified liquefied natural gas in Atlantic Canada, while Repsol markets it elsewhere in Canada and in the United States. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/07/20/nb-canaport-lng-repsol-1038.html

Contact Exploration Announces Negotiations for New Brunswick Natural Gas Assets

CALGARY, Oct. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - Contact Exploration Inc. ("Contact" or the "Company") (TSXV: CEX) is pleased to announce that it is currently negotiating with Pieridae Energy Canada ("Pieridae") a participation and earning agreement (the "Proposed Agreement") respecting Contact's New Brunswick natural gas assets. Pieridae is a Canadian energy infrastructure development company that has announced the development, along with RWE Group (being one of Europe's leading integrated energy companies), of a liquefied natural gas ("LNG") export facility (the "Goldboro LNG Facility") in Goldboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1058167/contact-exploration-announces-negotiations-for-new- brunswick-natural-gas-assets

Eastern Canadian LNG export facility proposed

October 24th, 2012 - Pieridae Energy Canada, a Canadian energy infrastructure development company has announced the development of a LNG export facility in Goldboro, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Pieridae Energy anounced Goldboro LNG will include a natural gas liquefaction plant and facilities for the storage and export of LNG, including a marine jetty for loading. The facility is anticipated to produce approximately five million metric tons of LNG per year and have on-site storage capacity of 420,000 cubic metres of LNG. http://www.lngglobal.com/latest/eastern-canadian-lng-export-facility-proposed.html

68 LNG expert dismisses Goldboro export plant as long shot

A natural gas industry expert is dismissing plans for a new liquefied natural gas export terminal in Nova Scotia's Guysborough County as a long shot.

Saint John better location.

The president of the Atlantica Centre for Energy contends Canaport LNG's import terminal in Saint John would make a better location, due to existing infrastructure and proximity to natural gas sources in the United States. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/10/25/nb-lng-export-pieridae-canaport.html

69 Miscellaneous

“World’s Largest Frac Job” - Apache Corp.

Used 890,300 cubic meters of water approximately 196 million gallons and 111 pounds of frac sand.

The water came from a lake and passed through an Encana metering station, however the meters had a bypass pipe with no meter installed. See red text on page 9.

Encana subsequently did a larger frack. http://www.bctwa.org/FrkBC-Apache-BiggestFrack.pdf

Encana says this is the largest:

417 million gallons of water 78,400 tons of sand = 156million pounds of sand 8 million gallons of frac fluid 500 frac intervals 10,000 feet laterals 40,000 horsepower for pumps Page 39 From one of Ingraffea’s slides – Encana largest frack http://nofrac.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ingraffea_nb_dec_2011_ingraffea.pdf

Responsible Drilling Alliance

Web site that has numerous links to information about shale gas. http://www.responsibledrillingalliance.org/

Roaring trucks, frac sand dust disrupt a river town's rhythm

In June, a couple visiting from California for their 50th anniversary wrote a letter complimenting residents for their hospitality, but added:

"However, much to our dismay, we were greeted with huge trucks roaring through town 24 hours a day. The simple act of crossing the street became a safety hazard, and a normal night's sleep [was] impossible. We cannot emphasize enough the effect this has on our considering McGregor for future stays." http://www.startribune.com/local/170849581.html?refer=y

70 Video Links

The Condamine River Gas Blowout, Australia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIGvyVt1kFI

Earth 2050 - Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuwDskgUUs&sns=fb

Earth 2050 - full length video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFr-OocOb7Y&feature=relmfu

Please everyone in this group watch this 9 minute video please,!!!! What is wrong with the world and why is it this way? This is from 1994! 16 years ago!..based on his book "The Robots Rebellion" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBJKCz6Xhzs&feature=related

Gasland the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FMqf4QEHiFQ

Three part video - Dr. Anthony Ingraffea at Marcellus Shale Exposed, held March 17, 2012 at Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DK3fODCZ3w

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTUrwtYJhGk&feature=relmfu

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JyC_8-sDuU&feature=relmfu

The Human Sign - Protect H2O Stop CSG! - From New South Wales http://vimeo.com/stopcsg/protect-h2o-stop-csg

Zeitgeist Revolution | Interview with Peter Joseph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOyEil_o38&feature=player_embedded

71 Texas Drinking Water Makes Pipes and Plumbing Radioactive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7DGK6QUhWc&feature=player_embedded

Michael Parenti, Savvina Chowdhury, Sarah Regan panel: "State of the Struggle" at the Peoples' Movement Assembly http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vk0cppowPtU

The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EZv9H62xm0&feature=related