Canada fuels global warming

The Tribune , Monday, May 31, 2010
Correspondent : Bharat Dogra
AT a time when climate change is increasingly accepted as the world’s most critical environment problem, it is tragic that some of the world’s richest countries, their multinational corporations and banks are going ahead with pumping billions into tar sands development. Called the world’s biggest industrial project, the mining and refining of tar sands in a stretch of 14,0000 sq. km (equivalent of the area of England) in Alberta province of Canada has the potential of accelerating climate change beyond the much-feared ‘tipping point’. In the case of tar sands, the extraction process emits 3 to 5 times more carbon dioxide compared to conventional oil.

Tar sands are sticky deposits of bitumen mixed with sand and clay. The biggest exploitation of tar sands has so far taken place in Canada where this have caused the world’s second largest destruction of forests and endangered the life of indigenous people.

Deeper deposits can only be mined by injecting massive amounts of steam for melting bitumen. Sometimes 6 to 12 barrels of steam may be required to melt just 1 barrel of bitumen. One fifth of Canada’s natural gas is being grabbed by these giant steam plants.

Annually 40 megatonnes of greenhouse gases are released by this exploitation of sand tars in Alberta. The associated problems of waste generation and water pollution are massive.

Despite these huge environmental costs, big oil multinationals and banks have pumped in up to 86 billion dollars during the last decade for this project, while an additional investment of 125 billion dollars is expected.

The reason why heavy environmental costs are being ignored is that Canada can now claim to have the second largest oil reserves in the world (next only to Saudi Arabia) and has already become the biggest oil supplier to the USA. Tar sands in Alberta already yield 1.3 million barrels of oil a day and this can go up to 3 to 5 million barrels by 2020.

Even though tar sands oil is more costly in economic as well as environmental terms, its availability next door to the biggest consumer (USA) is being regarded as a big reason to justify heavy investments. But environmentalists are understandably worried at its higher capacity for pollution and global warming. They also fear that the availability of more oil means the USA may slow down the drive for new, renewable, environmentally safer sources of energy.

The environmental concerns will increase as tar sands projects and somewhat similar tar shale projects (called ‘the rocks that burn’) come up in other parts of the world. An upcoming tar shale exploitation in Jordan, for instance, has faced increasing criticism as it’ll require huge amounts of water in a water scarce area.

As tar sand oil is less clean and of low quality, refineries have to be upgraded to process it. A refinery in Indiana (USA) which is being upgraded to take in tar sands oil is facing opposition by local people who argue that refining the low quality oil will substantially increase pollution risks to local people.

The new or upgraded refinery will emit 21 per cent more microscopic particulates, 20 per cent more sulphur dioxide and 25 per cent more lead, plus as much extra CO2 as a coal power station.

But this is nothing compared to the pollution levels to which the indigenous population of Alberta (Canada) living in tar sands areas has been exposed. Their life which had always been close to the lap of nature has been badly ravaged and threatened. The tailings ponds of waste in this area are so poisonous that 1600 ducks died instantly after landing accidently on one of these ponds.

After a long wait the voice of these indigenous people is now being heard at least to some extent. They have said that for them this is a question of survival as their life pattern just can’t survive, this onslaught of tar sands exploitation.

The wider environmental movement is also gearing up to challenge the growth and expansion of tar sands exploitation so that the cleaner paths of renewable energy can get more attention and support.

 
SOURCE : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100531/edit.htm#7
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us