LESSON 7: OIL SANDS
Should we be mining? Where are the profits going?"
The Canadian Oil Sands, located in Alberta, are a huge issue for debate in our country. It's estimated that Alberta may have as much as 300 billion barrels of recoverable oil, as well as more that can't be reached until the development of new technologies. This means that Canada is one of the largest oil producers in the world, second to Saudi Arabia. Also known as tar sands, these are deposits of loose sand and sandstone that have a lot of naturally-occurring petroleum called bitumen, which can be turned into oil and gas.
New technologies allow us to extract oil using different methods, but one of the most common ways is surface mining, which uses open pits and a warm water to remove the bitumen. Collecting a single barrel of oil destroys 4 tons of earth. Additionally, oil-sand extraction and processing operations are responsible for 4 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Mining also puts rivers and forests (including Canada's boreal forest, one of the world's largest intact ecosystems) at risk. As if that's not enough to worry about, two Canadian toxic dumps for tailings, the heavy metal-rich waste created during the separation process, can be seen from space [source: Worldwatch Institute].
It is hard to find information about the oil sands that is not biased for one side or the other. The debate centres around economy vs environment: oil sands make Canada a lot of money, helping our country to have a strong economy. On the other hand, the oil sands have very severe environmental impacts. What is more important to us as a country?
The Canadian Oil Sands, located in Alberta, are a huge issue for debate in our country. It's estimated that Alberta may have as much as 300 billion barrels of recoverable oil, as well as more that can't be reached until the development of new technologies. This means that Canada is one of the largest oil producers in the world, second to Saudi Arabia. Also known as tar sands, these are deposits of loose sand and sandstone that have a lot of naturally-occurring petroleum called bitumen, which can be turned into oil and gas.
New technologies allow us to extract oil using different methods, but one of the most common ways is surface mining, which uses open pits and a warm water to remove the bitumen. Collecting a single barrel of oil destroys 4 tons of earth. Additionally, oil-sand extraction and processing operations are responsible for 4 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Mining also puts rivers and forests (including Canada's boreal forest, one of the world's largest intact ecosystems) at risk. As if that's not enough to worry about, two Canadian toxic dumps for tailings, the heavy metal-rich waste created during the separation process, can be seen from space [source: Worldwatch Institute].
It is hard to find information about the oil sands that is not biased for one side or the other. The debate centres around economy vs environment: oil sands make Canada a lot of money, helping our country to have a strong economy. On the other hand, the oil sands have very severe environmental impacts. What is more important to us as a country?
Question 1:
On your sheet, answer:
What is the difference between these pictures? Which one do you think is pro oil sands, and which one do you think is against? Why?
Question Two
"EDMONTON - An industry-funded program (paid for and run by oil mining companies) that offers high school teachers a six-day trip to Fort McMurray to "experience Alberta's oilsands" is being expanded across the country.
While the operators of Inside Education say they work hard to ensure their programming offers plenty of balance, others say informing educators about controversial developments shouldn't be left to those with most to gain from them.
"It's always billed as being free, but what's being sold is a positive image of an industry that's controversial," said Andrew Hodgkins, a University of Alberta researcher who has published on the issue of corporate involvement in education.
Inside Education, a non-profit charity backed by Alberta's corporate A-list, is offering selected teachers an all-expense-paid trip to Fort McMurray this summer to get a first-hand look at the huge developments powering both Canada's economy and many of its public debates.
The successful applicants will tour both open-pit mines and in-situ developments. They'll meet with various company officials and researchers working on oilsands operations. Meetings are planned with local First Nations and environmental groups such as the Pembina Institute, said Inside Education director Steve McIsaac."
On your sheet, answer: Do you think that there is a problem with the oil mining companies offering free programs for teachers? Is there a chance for bias?
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/12/inside-education-oilsands-tours_n_1511476.html
While the operators of Inside Education say they work hard to ensure their programming offers plenty of balance, others say informing educators about controversial developments shouldn't be left to those with most to gain from them.
"It's always billed as being free, but what's being sold is a positive image of an industry that's controversial," said Andrew Hodgkins, a University of Alberta researcher who has published on the issue of corporate involvement in education.
Inside Education, a non-profit charity backed by Alberta's corporate A-list, is offering selected teachers an all-expense-paid trip to Fort McMurray this summer to get a first-hand look at the huge developments powering both Canada's economy and many of its public debates.
The successful applicants will tour both open-pit mines and in-situ developments. They'll meet with various company officials and researchers working on oilsands operations. Meetings are planned with local First Nations and environmental groups such as the Pembina Institute, said Inside Education director Steve McIsaac."
On your sheet, answer: Do you think that there is a problem with the oil mining companies offering free programs for teachers? Is there a chance for bias?
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/12/inside-education-oilsands-tours_n_1511476.html
On your sheet, answer: Compare the two opinions below, and complete the compare and contrast chart.
Pro Oil Sands
"Alberta’s oil reserves play an important role in the Canadian and global economy, supplying stable, reliable energy to the world. Alberta's oil sands have been described by Time Magazine as "Canada's greatest buried energy treasure." But what is oil sand exactly?
Oil sand is a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water and bitumen, which is a heavy and extremely viscous oil that must be treated before it can be used by refineries to produce usable fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Bitumen is so viscous that at room temperature it acts much like cold molasses. A variety of treatment methods are currently available to oil sands producers and new methods are put into practice as more research is completed and new technology is developed.
Oil sand can be found in several locations around the globe, including Venezuela, the United States and Russia, but the Athabasca deposit in Alberta is the largest, most developed and utilizes the most technologically advanced production processes.
Historically, oil sand was incorrectly referred to as tar sand due to the now outdated and largely ineffective practice of using it for roofing and paving tar (oil sand will not harden suitably for these purposes). Though they appear to be visibly similar, tar and oil sands are different; while oil sand is a naturally occurring petrochemical, tar is a synthetically produced substance that is largely the last waste product of the destructive degradation of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, their uses are completely different; oil sand can be refined to make oil and ultimately fuel, while tar cannot and has historically been used to seal wood and rope against moisture."
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/oilsands/793.asp
Oil sand is a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water and bitumen, which is a heavy and extremely viscous oil that must be treated before it can be used by refineries to produce usable fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Bitumen is so viscous that at room temperature it acts much like cold molasses. A variety of treatment methods are currently available to oil sands producers and new methods are put into practice as more research is completed and new technology is developed.
Oil sand can be found in several locations around the globe, including Venezuela, the United States and Russia, but the Athabasca deposit in Alberta is the largest, most developed and utilizes the most technologically advanced production processes.
Historically, oil sand was incorrectly referred to as tar sand due to the now outdated and largely ineffective practice of using it for roofing and paving tar (oil sand will not harden suitably for these purposes). Though they appear to be visibly similar, tar and oil sands are different; while oil sand is a naturally occurring petrochemical, tar is a synthetically produced substance that is largely the last waste product of the destructive degradation of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, their uses are completely different; oil sand can be refined to make oil and ultimately fuel, while tar cannot and has historically been used to seal wood and rope against moisture."
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/oilsands/793.asp
Against Oil Sands
"The tar sands in northern Alberta have emerged as Canada’s fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas pollution and are also poisoning the water, polluting the air, and destroying the land...
Climate: The emissions from the development of the tar sands create 2-4 times more greenhouse gases than conventional oil. In the last two decades, tar sands emissions have more than doubled and they are predicted to double again by 2020.
Land: The tar sands deposits cover approximately 140,000 square kilometres of Alberta, an area about the size of Florida. The oil is extracted using open pit mines and drilling operations.The open pit mines have removed 686 square kilometers of boreal forest and are threatening wild caribou herd.
Water Contamination: Tailings are the toxic sludge created by the process of mining tar sands. The tailings are kept in large “lakes” created to store the waste indefinitely. Every eight days, the amount of tailings added to the lakes is enough to fill the Toronto Skydome or fill the Washington Monument 320 times. The tailings lakes seep into natural water ways and contaminate the fish and other wildlife, however, the amount of seepage is not public.
Water Use: Mining operations in the tars sands are licensed to use 652 million cubic metres of water each year. This is about 7 times as much as the annual water needs of the Edmonton area. Almost none of that water is returned, threatening ecosystems such as the Athabasca River, which flows into one of the world’s largest freshwater deltas. The cumulative impacts of tar sands development on water are largely unknown due to inadequate monitoring.
Air: In addition to greenhouse gases, tar sands operations release large volumes of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the environment. In fact, these chemicals are major contributors to acid rain. The Alberta emissions regulations are less stringent then the international standards and even so, they are often exceeded.
http://www.drawthelineattarsands.com/learn-about-tar-sands/summary-of-issues/
Climate: The emissions from the development of the tar sands create 2-4 times more greenhouse gases than conventional oil. In the last two decades, tar sands emissions have more than doubled and they are predicted to double again by 2020.
Land: The tar sands deposits cover approximately 140,000 square kilometres of Alberta, an area about the size of Florida. The oil is extracted using open pit mines and drilling operations.The open pit mines have removed 686 square kilometers of boreal forest and are threatening wild caribou herd.
Water Contamination: Tailings are the toxic sludge created by the process of mining tar sands. The tailings are kept in large “lakes” created to store the waste indefinitely. Every eight days, the amount of tailings added to the lakes is enough to fill the Toronto Skydome or fill the Washington Monument 320 times. The tailings lakes seep into natural water ways and contaminate the fish and other wildlife, however, the amount of seepage is not public.
Water Use: Mining operations in the tars sands are licensed to use 652 million cubic metres of water each year. This is about 7 times as much as the annual water needs of the Edmonton area. Almost none of that water is returned, threatening ecosystems such as the Athabasca River, which flows into one of the world’s largest freshwater deltas. The cumulative impacts of tar sands development on water are largely unknown due to inadequate monitoring.
Air: In addition to greenhouse gases, tar sands operations release large volumes of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the environment. In fact, these chemicals are major contributors to acid rain. The Alberta emissions regulations are less stringent then the international standards and even so, they are often exceeded.
http://www.drawthelineattarsands.com/learn-about-tar-sands/summary-of-issues/