The Oil Drum

61 comments on The needs and use of water for power, industrial plants and people

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Boomy on November 6, 2007 - 2:51pm

Considering what the Oil Sands represents to the "current" Alberta Economy, Canadian Economy & US Economy. I still would not trust the courts or the constitution's abilities to uphold the FN's "guaranteed" rights to clean and abundant fresh water.

Here in British Columbia, the Liberal Gov't is changing legislation to suit their's and their supporter's greed. And it is widely recongnized that Alberta's former Premier Klein's political handlers have played a hand in advising Premier Gordon Campbells Gov't on how to deal with anyone who opposes them. They play a no-holds-barred type of politics. And thats not even to mention George W's biggest admirer north of the 49th, Stephen Harper!

I do and will support the FN's rights. But the current existing political paradigms do not respectfully do so.

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The Taiga Cowboy on November 6, 2007 - 4:05pm

Uranium is currently very important to the world economy at the moment and look at the massive exploration projects that were shut out of the Thelon Basin due to the rights of FN's.

But yes the oil sands are on a completely different scale.

But you will be delighted to know that the upper limits of oil sands water use will ultimately be due to the seasonal fluctuation in the water levels of the Athabasca River. She can get pretty low in the winter. Sometimes as low as 50 cubic meters per second.

http://www.wsc.ec.gc.ca/hydat/H2O/index_e.cfm?cname=graph.cfm

Even in the summer now that we're spending our reserves [glaciers in the Jasper area] faster than we can replenish them. I'm no hydrologist but, it shouldn't be too far off that we see low summer flows once most of the glaciers are gone.

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Boomy on November 6, 2007 - 11:40pm

So how much water are the Oil Sands using? It almost sounds like they are about to run out of water in the Athabasca? Where do they pipe water from next?

Back to the FN's though. If push comes to shove, what is the feeling up there, will they sell out for the right price? A moot point, wouldn't you think.