Elizabeth May explains why sending bitumin and dliuent through a pipeline is a BAD IDEA!

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The critical bit...

The resulting so-called dilbit product is about 30% diluents and 70% bitumen. We do know a lot more about dilbit than we used to. And we did a lot of that learning through the 2010 Enbridge dilbit spill in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. We know it both floats and sinks; that it is far harder and far more expensive to clean-up than unprocessed conventional crude. The Kalamazoo spill is still not cleaned up.

Meanwhile a debate rages about whether dilbit is more likely to cause pipeline failure. Cornell University found that between 2007 and 2010 pipelines carrying dilbit had a spill-rate three times higher than pipelines carrying conventional crude. Oil sands products have a higher sulfur and a higher acidic content than conventional crude and those properties could explain its increased corrosive nature.

This finding led to the Department of Natural Resources to commissioning a study by a group called Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (ATIF). That study compared dilbit and conventional crudes and concluded the types of corrosive compounds between the two products were comparable. So we have labwork versus the real life rate of spills in US pipelines. At the moment, despite what Harper’s Cabinet ministers claim, the science on the corrosive nature of dilbit is not settled.

Meanwhile, if local residents along the Number 9 pipeline wish to speak before the NEB hearings, or even submit a letter, they are required to fill out a 10-page form, and are also encouraged to submit references and a resume! This is an NEB effort to meet the new requirements imposed by the horrific overhaul of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that took place last year in the Omnibus Budget Bill (C-38).

Unlike the previous CEAA, which was premised on a fundamental commitment to rights of public participation, the Harperized CEAA restricts access to only those ‘directly affected’. The NEB has made this restriction even worse by demanding that any citizens who want to make comments, fill out the forms and apply within a two-week period—which will close before this article will be in print.

.999 - SIFI - Banks - TBTF - Illegality - immoral bankers and you

This video is not subtle but its imagery is still tame when compared to the reality of what is actually happening:

Banks... laundering drug money, rigging libor rates, stealing depositor's money, rigging and front running markets,

The day of reckoning is coming.

.999

What's going on in Europe? Oiy!

Nigel Farage ( independent member of the European Union parliament)



This is a train wreck happening in slow motion.

Zero Hedge has recently posted this list of economic indicators: This is getting scary folks.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-04-30/20-signs-next-great-economic-depression-has-already-started-europe

#1 The unemployment rate in France has surged to 10.6 percent, and the number of jobless claims in that country recently set a new all-time record.
#2 Unemployment in the eurozone as a whole is sitting at an all-time record of 12 percent.
#3 Two years ago, Portugal's unemployment rate was about 12 percent.  Today, it is about 17 percent.
#4 The unemployment rate in Spain has set a new all-time record of 27 percent.  Even during the Great Depression of the 1930s the United States never had unemployment that high.
#5 The unemployment rate among those under the age of 25 in Spain is an astounding 57.2 percent.
#6 The unemployment rate in Greece has set a new all-time record of 27.2 percent.  Even during the Great Depression of the 1930s the United States never had unemployment that high.
#7 The unemployment rate among those under the age of 25 in Greece is a whopping 59.3 percent.
#8 French car sales in March were 16 percent lower than they were one year earlier.
#9 German car sales in March were 17 percent lower than they were one year earlier.
#10 In the Netherlands, consumer debt is now up to about 250 percent of available income.
#11 Industrial production in Italy has fallen by an astounding 25 percent over the past five years.
#12 The number of Spanish firms filing for bankruptcy is 45 percent higher than it was a year ago.
#13 Since 2007, the value of non-performing loans in Europe has increased by 150 percent.
#14 Bank withdrawals in Cyprus during the month of March were double what they were in February even though the banks were closed for half the month.
#15 Due to an absolutely crippling housing crash, there are approximately 3 million vacant homes in Spain today.
#16 Things have gotten so bad in Spain that entire apartment buildings are being overwhelmed by squatters...
#17 As I wrote about the other day, child hunger has become so rampant in Greece that teachers are reporting that hungry children are begging their classmates for food.
#18 The debt to GDP ratio in Italy is now up to 136 percent.
#19 25 percent of all banking assets in the UK are in banks that are leveraged at least 40 to 1.
#20 German banking giant Deutsche Bank has more than 55 trillion euros (which is more than 72 trillion dollars) of exposure to derivatives.  But the GDP of Germany for an entire year is only about 2.7 trillion euros.

Zero Hedge Rules!

Harper - Trudeau and Terrorism response - Somebody is in way over their head.

Take a look at this video.  The producer analyzes the responses of Trudeau and Harper very well.

The issue is whether the reflection on the root causes of terror is appropriate.

The logical conclusion - after viewing, is that, yes, we need to offer support and we need to pursue the criminals - but we NEED to address root causes.

Harper's response is much like that of George Bush (you are either with us or you are with the terrorists) ill fated incursion into IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN for no good reason.

The result was a failed mission, the loss of many many lives and the irreparable injury to many others.

Now - in retrospect - what would have been the better course of action - a knee jerk "get out of dodge" approach or a well considered response?

Harper loses on this issue, as well as his band of ill repute.

Note: during the playback you may have to hit the progress bar to advance the video: it tends to stall out.

Dr. David Schindler tries to make a point: the fish are getting sick in the Athabaska - just downstream from the TAR SANDS!

 Here we have a well respected fresh water research scientist demonstrating the problem that is created when there are simply too many contaminants in the water. The first swim in it - but humans are not immune. Eventually there will be hell to pay.

Elizabeth May holds conservatives responsible for irresponsible cuts

We have to find some way to get more parliamentarians like Elizabeth May into the house of commons. These conservative hacks like Fantino are a waste of time and energy. They just don't get it.