Alberta Tar Sands Essay
“Only when the last tree had died and the last river has been poisoned…will we realize that we cannot eat money”. This is an old Cree saying that is very applicable today. Is the mining of the Alberta tar sands worthwhile, knowing its devastating effects on the environment? There are very valid points for both arguments, being them economical, political, environmental, or moral. The mining of bitumen is not something that is sustainable for the environment, or the companies involved. Although these open-pit mines produce much of the world’s oil, people should consider paying more at the pumps rather than destroying the only world we have to live in. The tar sands in Alberta essentially ...
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stayed at the northern fur trading post of Fort Chipewan.1 Following his visit to the region, Mair made a very prophetic statement: “That this region is stored with a substance of great economic value is beyond all doubt, and, when the hour of development comes, it will, I believe, prove to be one of the wonders of Northern Canada”.1 Commercial development of the Alberta tar sands first began in 1967 by Suncor . The oil crisis in 1973 sparked investor’s interest in mining development in Alberta, and Herman Kahn proposed that the Canadian government begin mining the tar sands.1 However, the Trudeau government believed that it would overheat the economy, create steel shortages, unsettle the labor market, and drive up the Canadian dollar.1 Now, instead of Canada mining the tar sands, global companies from the United States, China, Japan, Korea, France, and Norway have invested a total of 200 billion dollars in the Alberta tar sands. These investments account for sixty percent of ...
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is scarce and expensive.1 It is nearly impossible to live in Fort McMurray unless you work in the mines. This has destroyed small business owners in the city, because they cannot get anyone to work for them at a reasonable wage. Also, the high average family income has caused high inflation rates. The mine employees who live in the city temporarily have caused the city shortfalls in roads,
schools, and health care. Although shocking, these are typical problems that face cities that experience such a large economical boom in such a short period of time.
The Canadian government has no regulations for the reclamation in the Athabasca region.1 There is also little known as to how ...
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Alberta Tar Sands Essay. (2011, May 30). Retrieved November 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Alberta-Tar-Sands-Essay/99489
"Alberta Tar Sands Essay." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 30 May. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Alberta-Tar-Sands-Essay/99489>
"Alberta Tar Sands Essay." Essayworld.com. May 30, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Alberta-Tar-Sands-Essay/99489.
"Alberta Tar Sands Essay." Essayworld.com. May 30, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Alberta-Tar-Sands-Essay/99489.
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