Syncrude acknowledgesTar Sands "reclamation" is skin deep

onMar 21, 2008 @ 14:32 PDT

“If people aren’t looking closely, it blends into the natural landscape.”

That was the triumphant description of the first piece of land “officially certified as reclaimed from any of Alberta’s oil sands” – it’s good enough to impress the government, but even the Syncrude spokester admits the claim won’t stand up to scrutiny.

All this was reported this week in a celebratory story in the Globe and Mail:Piece of oil sands first to be certified as reclaimed.

The Globe reported that Syncrude and “government officials” thought this announcement was “a milestone in easing concerns over the megaprojects.”

Not hardly.

By Richard Littlemore

Somalia’s Parliament and Public Are Questioning the President’s Shadowy Oil Deal With Turkey

ByOscar Rothstein

on Nov 10, 2026 @ 20:00 MST

Some MPs say the arrangement — which gives Turkish Petroleum 95% of revenues on estimated 20 billion barrels of oil — is "illegitimate".

UN Fails to Disclose Company Names on Biodiversity Summit Delegates List

ByRachel Sherrington, Clare Carlile and Brigitte Wear

on Nov 10, 2026 @ 09:39 MST

Hundreds of representatives from the world’s most powerful industry bodies representing sectors that harm, or exploit, the natural world were present on the ground at the October nature summit in ...

Series: Big Ag's Climate Push

French Oil Giant Backs Dozens of Lobby Groups Fighting New Methane Rules Around the World

ByCécile Marchand and TJ Jordan

on Nov 10, 2026 @ 04:07 MST

TotalEnergies has won plaudits for voluntary steps to tackle the planet-heating gas. So why does it fund moves to delay, dilute or dismantle regulation?