The Dominion has recently published it’s special issue on the Alberta tar sands; and has since last Monday , been publishing roughly one article a day about this massive, barely understood human rights and environmental disaster.

Four of the articles published so far have focused on the impact of tar sands development on indigenous people. In light of the seriousness of this issue and in respect to the effort of the Dominion to raise peoples awareness, I thought I’d briefly outline them…

The first article, “Oil Versus …

Following the Ontario government’s agreement to 12 weeks of mediation with the Sharbot Obaadjiwan and Ardoch Algonquins, the blockade at Frontenac Ventures’ uranium mining site has been lifted, allowing the company onto the land for the first time in months.

Yesterday, an agreement was signed in which the Ontario government pledged to consult the two Peoples on the future of the mine; and that an independent observer would be appointed to oversea the company’s work during the mediation process.

Robert Lovelace, a spokesman for those at …

In the video below you’ll find Celina Harpe, an Elder who’s lived in Fort MacKay for all her life, talking about the reality faced by her people today.

Fort MacKay is a community located in Northern Alberta that’s populated by about 500 (mostly Cree) People–a community that exists on top of, and literally surrounded by naturally occurring tar sands (also known as oil sands).

In the 1960’s Companies began to arrive in Fort Mackay to extract the oil. At first there were only a few, but the gettin’ was …

The following video is a look at the situation in La Oroya, Peru, which in 2006 was identified as one of the ten most polluted places in the world. Populated by some 35,000 people, La Oroya is a mining town that suffers from numerous health and developmental problems caused by the neighboring metallurgical smelter that’s been operating since 1922.

Today the smelter is owned by the US company Doe Run Peru. The main chimney emits on average of 1.5 tonnes of lead and 810 tonnes …

The fact that corporations and governments feel compelled to spend billions of dollars every year manipulating the public is a perverse tribute to human nature and our own moral values. The public relations industry has stolen our dreams, and returned them to us packaged as illusions. It must be our duty to dream more deeply, and to participate in the process of transforming those dreams into reality. —quote from the book “Toxic Sludge Is Good For You,” 1995

Based on the book of the same name, “Toxic Sludge Is Good For You” is a film that examines the advertising industry’s invisible …

After British and Canadian politicians visited Honduras to have a look at the problems associated with Goldcorp in the region, the Siria Valley Environmental Committee has authored the following open letter—discussing the historical and ongoing damages caused by the open pit gold mine in the Siria Valley (department of Francisco Morazan, Honduras)

Thanks to rights action for sending this out.

OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
FROM THE SIRIA VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

We extend our welcome to Alexa McDonough, Canadian Member of Parliament, thanking her for her interest in learning in …

The Transnational Institute (TNI) has just released a report which examines the impact of coca cultivation, petroleum activity and armed conflict on Cofan, a people traditionally living in the tropical forest between Ecuador and Colombia.

Today their territory, culture and very survival are being threatened by the dynamics associated with the drugs trade, the armed conflict and large mega-projects being developed in their territory.

Here’s the Introduction to the report (links added by me) followed by TNI’s recommendations to the Government of Colombia:

Coca, Petroleum and Conflict in Cofán …

The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) has expressed some major concerns about the possibility that Canada, the World’s largest Uranium Producer, may soon join the US-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), a “group of nuclear powers dedicated to spreading nuclear technology into developing countries.”

As a price of entry to the GNEP, President George Bush has suggested that countries like Canada and Australia should agree to accept the disposed nuclear waste from the countries to which they sell the uranium. IEN’s concern here is that Canada will therein become …

Reports have been coming in that Montana Exploradora, which is owned by Canada’s own Goldcorp, is about to begin spilling sewage water from the waste dam of the Marlin mine (see map) into the Quivichil stream and the Cuilco river, in Guatemala.

As I understand it, the water has been treated so the level of toxins in the water is “below levels of concern,” however, as explored in this assessment report (pdf), numerous assumptions and opinion-based claims are being made with regard to how this dump …

On Tuesday, Aug 21 Shell attempted to resume its coalbed methane operation in the Sacred Headwaters, despite previous warnings of a possible conflict if they attempt to do so. 100 People promptly came together and set up a blockade, preventing Shell from entering.

This is Shell’s first attempt to re-enter the area since 2005, when they were evicted by members of the Tahltan First Nation.

Press Release, from the Dogwood Initiative - Victoria, August 21, 2007 – Shell’s access to the Sacred Headwaters in Northwestern BC was blocked …