Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth

By Lloyd Alter, Treehugger
Energy / Renewable Energy

Refresh your minds why the Obama about face on this issue is execrable (and so typical).
Edward Burtynsky

Environmental Defence just released a new report on the Alberta Oil Sands, calling it the most destructive project on Earth. DeSmogblog gleaned some facts from it:

  • -Oil sands mining is licensed to use twice the amount of fresh water that the entire city of Calgary uses in a year.
  • -At least 90% of the fresh water used in the oil sands ends up in tailing ponds so toxic that propane cannons are used to keep ducks from landing.-Processing the oil sands uses enough natural gas in a day to heat 3 million homes.
  • -The toxic tailing ponds are considered one of the largest human-made structures in the world.
  • -The ponds span 50 square kilometers and can be seen from space.-Producing a barrel of oil from the oil sands produces three times more greenhouse gas emissions than a barrel of conventional oil.

All to keep up the happy motoring! PDF of report here via ::DeSmogBlog
Another valuable document, a backgrounder for media, is found here: BACKROUNDER FOR JOURNALISTS

Tags: Alberta | Canada

ACHTUNG! ACHTUNG! (Hmm…that got your attention, uh?)

Did you like this article? Then buy us a beer. How many times do we have to beg you? The wingnuts and fascists are falling over each other to make donations…to their filthy causes. We, on the other hand, take our left blogs for granted.

Just think how much money you spend on beer, cigs, trinkets and other useless stuff that can also kill you.
Use the DONATE button below or on the sidebar. And do the right thing. Even once a year.

Use PayPal via the button below.

THANK YOU.