Alberta Oil Sands...Money Vs. Environment

[Rissask]

I know we have quite a few Canadians and some from Alberta on here, so I was wondering how you all feel regarding the oil sands in Alberta and the sticky issue of weighing the economic benefits with the environmental costs.

For those who don't know, a quick and dirty lowdown- Alberta, Canada has the biggest oil reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia. Problem is, it is in the form of oilsands as opposed to nice, pure pools of oil, which is much more expensive and costly to the environment to mine and refine. It is estimated it takes two barrels of oil for every three, to get it out, plus lots of fresh water and natural gas to boot- PLUS the damage to the surrounding land/boreal forests, etc.

http://www.oilsandswatch.org/index.php
More info about Fort Mac/oilsands

So, what do you think? Full steam ahead, environment be damned?
Is there really any choice; fossil fuels are going to be mined until they are gone, one way or another, right? There simply isn't any substance on earth that is as packed with energy as oil and gas. So we might as well reap the financial benefits (not that Albertans are getting a big share of the money anyway. )


I did this was pretty funny...poor Al Gore. Ralphie boy sure told him!

Gore film critical of oil sands

Gore entered the picture with his film about climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which has stirred passions in Alberta by characterizing oil sands production as a huge waste of natural gas and a major environmental culprit.

He plunged deeper into the controversy by telling Rolling Stone magazine that four metric tons of landscape is torn up for every barrel of oil squeezed out of the oil sands.
“It is truly nuts,” Gore said. “But, you know, junkies find veins in their toes. It seems reasonable to them, because they have lost sight of the rest of their lives.”

Klein, known for his short fuse, brushed Gore off as someone from the “far left.”

“I don’t know what he proposes the world run on ... maybe hot air,” he said.

[B Kromm]

Damn Rissask, we're gonna miss Ralph 'round here

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by B Kromm

Damn Rissask, we're gonna miss Ralph 'round here

He was never boring anyway, gotta say that for the old drunk. Telling homeless people at a shelter to 'get a job' ...what a prince. But still likeable, somehow.

[wired529]

The oilsands are vital to the Canadian economy...if not for them, where else would the Newfies find a job?

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by wired529

The oilsands are vital to the Canadian economy...if not for them, where else would the Newfies find a job?

true dat, by!

[Rissask]

No serious comments on this?

[StephenB]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I know we have quite a few Canadians and some from Alberta on here, so I was wondering how you all feel regarding the oil sands in Alberta and the sticky issue of weighing the economic benefits with the environmental costs.

For those who don't know, a quick and dirty lowdown- Alberta, Canada has the biggest oil reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia. Problem is, it is in the form of oilsands as opposed to nice, pure pools of oil, which is much more expensive and costly to the environment to mine and refine. It is estimated it takes two barrels of oil for every three, to get it out, plus lots of fresh water and natural gas to boot- PLUS the damage to the surrounding land/boreal forests, etc.

http://www.oilsandswatch.org/index.php
More info about Fort Mac/oilsands

So, what do you think? Full steam ahead, environment be damned?
Is there really any choice; fossil fuels are going to be mined until they are gone, one way or another, right? There simply isn't any substance on earth that is as packed with energy as oil and gas. So we might as well reap the financial benefits (not that Albertans are getting a big share of the money anyway. )


I did this was pretty funny...poor Al Gore. Ralphie boy sure told him!

We're coming to invade you guys next!! As with anything, if it's a natural resource you can use without screwing up the enviorment I'm for it.

Also, saw something on the tube the other night which claimed Siberia and not Canada had the biggest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia-but then again you know those Aholes in the media!

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by StephenB

We're coming to invade you guys next!! As with anything, if it's a natural resource you can use without screwing up the enviorment I'm for it.

Also, saw something on the tube the other night which claimed Siberia and not Canada had the biggest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia-but then again you know those Aholes in the media!

Hmmm...yeah , I don't think so , see here.
At any rate, we got lots. Invade away! We are selling a lot of it to the Chinese so get in line.
That is just the problem, Stephen- it IS screwing up the environment.

[NiceTom]

What's the controversy? The sand has dirty, stinky oil in it-your cleaning the sand. How can that be bad?

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

What's the controversy? The sand has dirty, stinky oil in it-your cleaning the sand. How can that be bad?

Did you read the links at all?

Massive quantities of fresh water and natural gas required to extract it...tearing up tracts of boreal forest....

I wonder what we'll run out of first...fresh water, or oil? It's a concern.