The production of crude oil from Canada's tar sands is arguably the dirtiest business in the world. While most people have heard of Canada's tar sands, what I hope to accomplish with this diary is to explain some of the lesser-known aspects of producing crude oil from bitumen. I will address how massive inputs of natural gas and water are required to extract bitumen and explain why even more natural gas is then needed to synthesize crude oil that can be transported via pipeline from the Canadian tar sands to refineries in the United States. I would then like to address several historical facts, current environmental realities, and political challenges associated with the present policy of laissez-faire economic development of the Canadian tar sands embraced by Stephen Harper's minority government.
↧