Canada’s Oil Sands: Once Considered Too Expensive and Too Harmful To Exploit…
An Alberta Oil Sands Toxic Lake. One of Many.
At one point or another we have all witnessed the effects of a much too free market economy when it comes to the oil industry. Massive oil spills, serious deforestation, and now, of course, global warming are all byproducts (or externalities for the eco-nomists) of the carbon intensive lifestyle that we are so accustomed to. Without current government regulation, our planet’s health would be in even more jeopardy than it already is, which, for me, is hard to fathom.
So with that said, what happens to two million square miles of pristine forest, known as Canada’s Boreal Forest, when the worlds second largest oil deposits lie deep below the forest floor, the government turns a blind eye because it’s making billions off of lease sales and royalties, and oil prices skyrocket as they did in the summer of 2008 and are forecasted to again in 2030?
The answer is serious and devastating. “No where on Earth is more earth being moved these days than in the Athabasca Valley” in Alberta, according to National Geographic. Five story tractors tear up the earth 24 hours a day 365 days of the year in order to reach the Alberta Oil Sands, which, by no means, are ‘standard’ oil deposits. Sand grains encrusted in Bitumen (hydrocarbons) are being mined and through an extraordinarily energy intensive process (one that emits three times more CO2 than ‘standard’ oil refining) the Bitumen is removed from the sand and turned into the gas found at the gas pump. Miles and miles of toxic lakes filled with mine tailings now remain where forest once stood. Flocks of birds have been known to make the most unfortunate decision of landing in these lakes never to fly again. Rivers are being polluted and villages downstream are suffering from the effects.
And who consumes a majority of the ‘worlds dirtiest oil’? Yes, the United States. The U.S. actually imports more oil from Canada than anywhere else in the world. Anything that reduces our dependence on Middle Eastern oil right?
When I learned of our neighbor’s toxic oil boom, I was blown away and knew it must be shared. Change begins with knowledge. Here’s another major reason to support clean energy.
To read more check out the full article at National Geographic
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I was reading where someone was recommending straw. The truth is we need to hold big oil accountable for clean up the mess they have created!