Dumper Truck Oil Tanks

These aren't masculine chats about moulded metal and mechanics. The unpublicized conversations are about oil -- a specific sludge of lampooned and coveted crude: Canada's gooey bitumen from the Albertan oilpatch.

The province is undertaking a remarkable effort to expose the connections that states, cities and congressional districts share with the often maligned petroleum resource, whose scalded landscapes and carbon output have become a favourite target of climate champions.

Tracing economic umbilical cords between places like Milwaukee and the oilsands epicentre, Fort McMurray, 2,900 kilometres away, could make a difference when local U.S. lawmakers consider restricting refined Canadian crude from being hosed into Dairyland gas tanks.

Full Story: You need our oilsands, Alberta officials tell U.S. lawmakers - Edmonton Journal

That was perfect for them: the pair collects and restores old tractors and looked forward to sorting through the bric-a-brac for tractor parts or treasures.

The enormous bank barn -with a bank of earth leading up to the entry -was packed solid with old lumber, farm implements, truck parts and the occasional treasure, which was set aside.

"We've been burning scrap every weekend and I've taken $300 worth of stuff to the dump so far." So when Clint found what he thought was an ancient sprayer tank in the dark loft, he gave it the old heave-ho down into a pile of junk, destined for the dump.

Full Story: Mount Pleasant barn yields Second World War artifact - Brantford Expositor

In our "Where America Stands" series, CBS News is looking at a broad spectrum of issues facing the country in the new decade.

CBS News correspondent Celia Hatton reports wind turbines that can be seen slicing the sky above rural Minnesota were manufactured more than 6,000 miles away by a Chinese company. They're helping to power the nearby town of Pipestone.

"The wind is blowing nearly all the time," said Pipestone resident Elmer Stoltenberg. "We should take advantage of that." In New Jersey, one Rutgers University campus gets 10 percent of its energy from 7,000 solar panels also made by a Chinese company.

Full Story: How America Could Get Rich by Going Green - CBS News

Finken is among 55 Kwik Trip drivers who deliver gasoline anddiesel fuel to the companys 363 convenience stores in Wisconsin,Minnesota and Iowa.

Finken lives near Owatonna, Minn., and works out of a Kwik Triptruck stop on Interstate 35 in Owatonna. He works 12 hours a day,60 hours a week, usually starting at 6 a.m., driving his assignedMack truck to a gasoline terminal and then delivering fuel to astore.

When he returns to Owatonna, usually by 6 p.m., his partnerdriver is waiting at a truck stop to take over for the overnight12-hour shift.

Full Story: Truckers make last leg of gasoline's journey to pumps - La Crosse Tribune

The forested province is undertaking a remarkable effort to expose connections that states, cities and congressional districts share with the often maligned petroleum resource, whose scalded landscapes and carbon output have become a favorite target of climate champions.

Tracing economic umbilical cords between places like Milwaukee and the oil sands epicenter, Fort McMurray, Alberta, 1,793 miles away, could make a difference when local lawmakers consider restricting refined Canadian crude from being hosed into Dairyland gas tanks.

Wisconsin is one of nearly 20 states trying to reduce the amount of carbon that's released from family sedans and delivery trucks. For Canada, it's a personal blow. The United States is a massive market, both nearby and with lenient access. Now, that might be changing. In the Midwest, that's especially important. The heartland uses more Canadian crude than any other region in the nation.

Full Story: Alberta Works Quietly to Improve Image of Oil Sands - New York Times