Greenpeace Protesters Arrested in Canada

Sixteen Greenpeace protesters were arrested last weekend in Canada. The protesters objected to the environmental complications presented by tar sands mining. The protesters camped out at a Shell oil-sand processing facility in hopes of thwarting construction of an upgrader. The upgrader converts tar into oil.

This Alberta facility was the latest in a string of protests to oil sand facilities. The first was last month at Suncor Energy Inc also in Alberta.

Russia’s Yamal Peninsula Is Loaded with Gas

Russia’s Yamal Peninsula is rumored to house enough gas to power the entire world for at least 5 years. However it is also home to the ancient nomadic tribe called the Nenets. The Yamal Peninsula, which literally means world’s end, is within the Arctic Circle about 1,250 miles from Moscow. The Nenets fear the mining will destroy their home and ultimately their culture.

Last month Prime Minister Vladimir Putin opened a railway across the tundra to access the gas field. Tax breaks and incentives are also offered by the Russian Government to any foreigner willing to drill in the environmentally sensitive area. And so the controversy continues between powering the world and preserving indigenous cultures.