The Alberta Oil Sands: Canadian Prosperity, Global Nightmare

T he Alberta Tar Sands (Saudi Arabia of the North as it is proudly referred to in the oil industry), has proven to be a financial boon to the Canadian economy.

It has also proven to be an environmental nightmare.

Most of the oil that is being pumped out – or should I say mined out to be fried; sprayed clean and then dried; pressed and squeezed so the dirt can ultimately be liquefied – has come at an extremely high cost to the environment.

Dead lakes are being created to store all the dirty water residue from the oil extraction process and natives are worried that it’s only a matter of time before that toxic sludge finds its way into the local drinking water.

Local fisherman are reporting cases of fish with growing mold on their scales, body sores, legions and lumps – even fish with double-jaws!

Critics argue that the Oil Sands in 2007 produced 40 million tons of ‘greenhouse gas emmisions’ which equals to about 10 million cars on the Canadian roads.

It is also estimated that within a couple of years, 50% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emmisions will be attributable to the Athabascan Oil Sands.

The province of Alberta, with 10% of the population will be responsible for 50% of Canada’s pollution!

Makes you think…

The environmental horror show that is playing out in the Alberta’s Oil Sands, – all in the name of North American Prosperity, I must add – has made Canada one of the worlds worst contributors of ‘carbon gas emissions’.

Stephen Harper is looking like ‘the fool on the hill’ on the global stage with many nations using hard words like ‘saboteur’ to explain Harper’s actions when it comes to the global climate change debate, but in reality, he’s only protecting his own interests.

He won’t be prime minister forever and when he does return to the fine province of Alberta he’ll be able to rightly share in that province’s modern day ‘black gold rush!’

They don’t call it dirty oil for nothing…
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Watch CBC documentary on the Alberta ‘Oil Sands’:
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