[Vision2020] Oilsands Lauds Obama Energy Security Plans

[Ron Force]

Oil shale development in the SW needs a source of water, lots of it. The 04 
article refers to appropriating upper-basin Colorado River water, however that 
was before climatologists recognized the possibility of long-term drought in the 
area. Perhaps a pipeline from the Columbia?

Bumper sticker seen in 1973: "Ecology Hell! I Want Gas!"

 Ron Force
Moscow Idaho USA




________________________________
From: Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
To: Art Deco <deco at moscow.com>
Cc: Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Sat, April 2, 2011 3:49:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Oilsands Lauds Obama Energy Security Plans

If the world is willing to risk planetary wide disaster from
anthropogenic climate change from fossil fuel atmospheric emissions,
what's the big deal about ecological damage to less than one percent
of the Earth's total surface (including oceans) in Canada, or a few
states of the US, for that matter?  Snort!

Unless oil dependence is dramatically reduced within decades, consider
that the gigantic Green River oil shale deposits in Utah, Colorado and
Wyoming may face pressures for development, at 700 bbl to 1.4 trillion
bbl, depending on density.  This article compares oil sands
development in Canada to oil shale development in the US, apparently
indicating oil shale development is just as feasible:  "Is Oil Shale
America's Answer to Peak-Oil Challenge?"
http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/publications/Pubs-NPR/40010-373.pdf

More on US oil shale at website below, with somewhat different figures
(1.2 to 1.8 trillion barrels) given for the size of the Green River
formation deposit, still a incredible amount of oil:
http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/oilshale/

>From website above:

"Not all resources in place are recoverable; however, even a moderate
estimate of 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from oil shale in
the Green River Formation is three times greater than the proven oil
reserves of Saudi Arabia. Present U.S. demand for petroleum products
is about 20 million barrels per day. If oil shale could be used to
meet a quarter of that demand, the estimated 800 billion barrels of
recoverable oil from the Green River Formation would last for more
than 400 years1."
------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

On 4/1/11, Art Deco <deco at moscow.com> wrote:
> What rubbish.  The oil sands projects are likely to be the greatest
> ecological and health disaster for North America yet.
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Tom Hansen
>   To: Moscow Vision 2020
>   Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 8:41 AM
>   Subject: [Vision2020] Oilsands Lauds Obama Energy Security Plans
>
>
>   Courtesy of the Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Canada) at:
>
>
>http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Oilsands+lauds+Obama+energy+security+plans/4533606/story.html
>l
>
>   -------------------------------------------------------
>
>   Oilsands lauds Obama energy security plans
>
>   A plan by U.S. President Barack Obama to slash U.S. oil imports by more
>   than 30 per cent over the next decade is excellent news for crude oil
>   producers in Canada, including those in the oilsands, Alberta industry
>   spokesmen said Wednesday.
>
>   Amid rising gasoline prices in America and ongoing turmoil in the Middle
>   East, Obama announced a goal of cutting American oil imports -currently 11
>   million barrels a day -by boosting domestic production, increasing the use
>   of natural gas, investing in biofuels and making vehicles more energy
>   efficient.
>
>   "We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy
>   security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the
>   snooze button when they fall again," Obama said at Georgetown University
>   on Wednesday.
>
>   "The United States of America cannot afford to bet our longterm prosperity
>   and security on a resource that will eventually run out. Not anymore.
>
>   "Not when the cost to our economy, our country and our planet is so high."
>
>   Obama singled out Canada among a handful of nations America must continue
>   to rely on as "stable and steady" foreign sources of secure energy, a
>   point that wasn't missed by Alberta observers.
>
>   "The president defined a problem, the U.S. has a problem with insecure
>   supply and to some extent, has a problem with price," said Tom Huffaker,
>   vice-president of policy and environment for the Canadian Association of
>   Petroleum Producers.
>
>   "I think he singled out Canada pretty clearly as part of the solution,
>   rather than part of the problem. So we feel very good about that."
>
>   Huffaker said as oil from trouble spots is reduced, Canadian producers
>   stand to send more oil to the U.S., not less. Obama avoided mentioning the
>   controversial oilsands in his speech, but Don Thompson, president of the
>   Fort McMurray-based Oil Sands Developers Group, was not discouraged by
>   that fact.
>
>   "Let's be clear, right now the oilsands are well over half of Canada's
>   production and something like 70 per cent of Canada's crude oil
>   requirements. And it's 97 per cent of our reserves," he said. "So when you
>   speak about Canadian oil, you are speaking of Canadian oilsands."
>
>   Thompson has been criss-crossing the U.S. in a series of speaking
>   engagements on behalf of the industry.
>
>   Oilsands crude makes up about a third of the 2.4 million barrels of oil
>   per day exported from Canada to the United States.
>
>   Premier Ed Stelmach agreed Obama's speech is good news.
>
>   "He's recognizing Alberta is a very stable supplier of oil," he said.
>   "It's very positive. It makes me feel good this morning."
>
>   The speech marked a deliberate attempt by Obama to shift the public focus
>   in America from the crisis in Libya and across the Middle East to a
>   domestic issue dear to the president's heart.
>
>   Gasoline prices in the U.S. jumped seven per cent in March to an average
>   of $3.60 US a gallon, an increase attributed in part to concerns about
>   security of supply caused by ongoing political unrest overseas.
>
>   With rising demand for oil in China and India, Obama said there will be
>   "more ups than downs" in gas prices in the coming years.
>
>   "We will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get
>   serious about a longterm policy for secure, affordable energy," he said.
>
>   But the president's pledge to lower oil imports came with a significant
>   caveat. Even as the U.S. seeks to reduce its dependence on oil from
>   unstable sources, Obama said America would continue to "partner" with
>   reliable suppliers in Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
>
>   "I set this goal knowing that imported oil will remain an important part
>   of our energy portfolio for quite some time," Obama said.
>
>   He said the U.S. must continue to look to Canada, Mexico and Brazil
>   because they are "stable and steady and reliable sources" of oil for the
>   American market.
>
>   Canada is currently the biggest single source of U.S. oil imports,
>   providing about 20 per cent of the nation's foreign supply, followed by
>   Mexico. Obama did not raise the controversy currently raging among
>   lawmakers in Washington over Alberta's oilsands.
>
>   The State Department earlier this month announced further environment
>   review on a proposed $7-billion pipeline -TransCanada's Keystone XL
>   project -that would carry more than 500,000 barrels of oilsands crude per
>   day from northern Alberta to the Gulf coast of Texas.
>
>   But Obama's mention of Canadian oil, in a major speech on America energy
>   security, constitutes at least something of a victory for Prime Minister
>   Stephen Harper.
>
>   During a White House meeting last month, Harper said the U.S. faced a
>   "choice" between importing oil "from the most secure, most stable and
>   friendliest location it can possibly get that energy, which is Canada, or
>   from other places that are not as secure, stable or friendly to the
>   interests and values of the United States."
>
>   -------------------------------------------------------
>
>   Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
>   Tom Hansen
>   Moscow, Idaho
>
>   "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
>   and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>
>   - Unknown
>
>
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