The Alberta Oil Sands: What's Your Opinion?

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Loghead

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What is your stance on the Alberta oil sands? You can be any nationality and answer this question. Do you think it's too dirty? Do you think that it should be closed? Do you think that it is important the the world? Do you think the world needs the oil sands? What do you think would happen if the Alberta oil sands closed up shop? Would the price of oil skyrocket? Would Saudi Arabia have to make up for it? If the oil sands faced closure, what would Canada do with the pile of dirty sand in Alberta? Would it be a waste NOT to utilize it?

I'd love to hear a variety of sides... biased or not. One of my exam questions tomorrow is on the Alberta oil sands. It is an opinion question... and I'm not quite sure about how I'm going to answer. This is why I'm curious as to what people have to say.
 
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The issues are its just outright expensive to mine oil sands, then to process it.

The money would be better invested in renewable energy.

Then theres the environmental impact.
 
posts from hell said:
The issues are its just outright expensive to mine oil sands, then to process it.

The money would be better invested in renewable energy.

Then theres the environmental impact.
Click to expand...

I agree, but at the moment we need oil until we can find a good renewable energy source. Unfortunately, a lot of the renewable options wouldn't work for us (solar panels contribute to global warming, wind turbines do not produce enough electricity and hydro dams have a negative affect on wildlife). It's going to take us years until we find what we're looking for. How would closing down the oil sands affect the average Joe? They might have to pay more at the pumps because it would be very difficult to find many other oil producers. It would put more pressure on countries such as Saudi Arabia who would then be pumping out oil twice as fast as they did when there were oil sands. There is such a push for green energy, but it isn't easy to find.

I agree with you, but I'm just trying to see how life would be like if we didn't have the oil sands and what the affect would be if we invested that money into a renewable energy source that may or may not be as great as we thought. I guess I'm just playing the devil's advocate.
 
I don't know anything about it, but then again, I don't watch the news, tv or anything like that.
 
I don't really know anything about it, but:

My questions about the natural resource would be:

How much is produced a year and how efficient is it to produce?

What parts of the global economy(s) is Alberta oil sands directed towards or effect?

How does this effect Canada GNP? How would it affect the Province's economy/ job market?

What are the ecological consequences of Alberta oil sands/ refining it and do the benefits really outweigh the risks?
 
The last thing that you need is to piss off Albertans.

They heavily depend on oil for their prosper and strong economy. Even the oil industry attracts people from Eastern Canada for well paid jobs. My good friend works there for three weeks month and goes home for one week every month. Who has paid him to go home in both ways? His employer.

In their standpoint, economy trumps environmental impacts.

Also Newfoundland and Labrador has a fast growing offshore oil industry which has helped their economy very much. It is where some countries and people can use to meet their needs.
 
I have seen the oil sands in person before. The untouched patches are LITERALLY oozing. I know environmentalists like to whine that our rivers are dirty because of the rigs... but I find that hard to believe since the sands are leaking into the rivers NATURALLY. The problem is that the employed geologists, environmentalists, ecologists say that extracting oil from the sands have no added effect ontop of what is already naturally occurring, but a lot of the hippies, unemployed activists and students say the sands are hurting the environment directly...

So what side would you listen to?
 
souggy said:
I have seen the oil sands in person before. The untouched patches are LITERALLY oozing. I know environmentalists like to whine that our rivers are dirty because of the rigs... but I find that hard to believe since the sands are leaking into the rivers NATURALLY. The problem is that the employed geologists, environmentalists, ecologists say that extracting oil from the sands have no added effect ontop of what is already naturally occurring, but a lot of the hippies, unemployed activists and students say the sands are hurting the environment directly...

So what side would you listen to?
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:gpost:

I'm most likely going to side with the oil sands. People are unhappy with the fact that it pollutes, but at the same time they want to be able to fly to Alberta to protest them. There's no gain here.
 
Here's an old friend's picture of oil seeping into the Athabasca River... with no help from the riggers.

DSC03501.jpg
 
US is one of biggest oil import from Canada because of oil sand rich in Alberta.
 
can I use this oil for my motorcycle? if yes - then you have my full support.

Drill Baby Drill
 
Loghead said:
:gpost:

I'm most likely going to side with the oil sands. People are unhappy with the fact that it pollutes, but at the same time they want to be able to fly to Alberta to protest them. There's no gain here.
Click to expand...

Actually, I am saying... look at sources. The biggest employers of geologists, hydrologists and environmentalist are oil and mining companies. Notice the unemployed ones are the critics of the industry and activists?

:)
 
souggy said:
Actually, I am saying... look at sources. The biggest employers of geologists, hydrologists and environmentalist are oil and mining companies. Notice the unemployed ones are the critics of the industry and activists?

:)
Click to expand...

Yes, I saw that. :)
 
Oil leaks naturally all over the world. The Earth releases more oil many times over than what man has leaked naturally each year.

Mine the oil. Drill, baby, drill. We have improved our technology so much over the years to the point of extracting oil in a much more environmentally senstive manner. Though that doesn't mean no effects from our drilling or mining, just that there will be some kind of impact but not the kind we saw 30 to 50 years ago.
 
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