1,606 Ducks Died Landing On Toxic Waste Pond

onApr 3, 2009 @ 08:54 PDT

Eleven hundred more ducks died after landing on a toxic waste pond in northern Alberta last year than was originally estimated, a Canadian oil sands official acknowledged earlier this week.

The carcasses of 1,606 ducks were collected from the oily waters, compared to the 500 originally counted, Syncrude Canada chief executive Tom Katinas said.

The deaths of the mallards last April drew widespread attention and prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to lament that Canada’s international reputation had been tarnished by it.

Here’s a video clip from the incident:

This month we’re giving away FREE copies of Thomas Friedman’s bestselling book Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America.

Go here to find out more details about DeSmogBlog’s monthly book give-away.

By Emily Murgatroyd

uk/Nigel Farage Paid £27,000 to Speak at Pro-Trump U.S. Think Tank

ByPhoebe Cooke and Adam Barnett

onFeb 26, 2026 @ 09:33 PST

The Reform UK leader’s planned trip to Washington D.C. has prompted fresh consternation from campaigners.

Series: Inside MAGA’s Global Climate Agenda

Series: MAGA

Opinion

How Europe’s Climate and Sustainability Rules Were Shredded While Citizens Remained in the Dark

ByHugh Wheelan and Raj Thamotheram

onFeb 26, 2026 @ 03:53 PST

Policymakers, civil society, investors, business, and the media all must answer key questions fast — before the regulatory rollback turns into a rout.

Carney Allowed Gas-powered AI Data Centres After Lobbying From Alberta Energy Company

ByTaylor Noakes

onFeb 25, 2026 @ 07:03 PST

The Alberta gas giant Capital Power lobbied the government 37 times in the lead-up to an accord suspending clean energy regulations, federal records show.

Series: Mark Carney’s Climate Betrayal

Series: Carney's Climate Betrayal