As population increases and the standard of living improves, there is more demand for energy. Due to this growth and the decrease in reserves of conventional oil, over the past few years, unconventional forms of oil including oil sands have become a great global provider of energy. Oil sands - also known as tar sands - are mixtures of sand, water, clay and bitumen. With the largest deposit located in Canada, tar sands are found in several places around the globe, including Venezuela, the United States, and Russia (Rudzinski, n.d). Through open-pit mining and in-situ, tar sands are mined and then processed and changed to crude oil and petroleum products. However, are tar sand operations worth sacrificing the planet? Despite the energy supply
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According to the “What is Oil Sands?” (n.d) Alberta's oil sands underlie 142,200 square …show more content…
The numerous negative impacts on the environment including greenhouse gases, water contamination, and habitat loss indicate how important it is to put a stop to these operations. In the event that oil sands find alternate ways and technologies to operate, they may be able to continue extracting oil without putting the surrounding areas at risk. Solving the Puzzle: Environmental responsibility in oil sands suggests 19 different solutions that can help Alberta’s oil sands and other oil sand operations reduce their environmental impacts. Firstly, it is suggested that the government legislatively protects at least 50% of its public forest lands from industrial development. Furthermore, protected areas should be developed and co-managed with Aboriginal peoples (Oilsands Solutions, n.d.). Additionally, a 3:1 offset ratio should be established — three hectares of land should be conserved or restored for every hectare of new disturbance that occurs within the Forest Natural Region — to ensure a net positive environmental benefit (Oilsands Solutions, n.d.). To maintain sources of fresh water, rivers such as the Athabasca River should also be protected from water withdrawals during low flow periods. Moreover, alternative energy sources such as geothermal energy can be used in SAGD to replace reliance on natural gas. Other conservation methods include defining sustainable groundwater yield management, setting science-based
According to the “What is Oil Sands?” (n.d) Alberta's oil sands underlie 142,200 square …show more content…
The numerous negative impacts on the environment including greenhouse gases, water contamination, and habitat loss indicate how important it is to put a stop to these operations. In the event that oil sands find alternate ways and technologies to operate, they may be able to continue extracting oil without putting the surrounding areas at risk. Solving the Puzzle: Environmental responsibility in oil sands suggests 19 different solutions that can help Alberta’s oil sands and other oil sand operations reduce their environmental impacts. Firstly, it is suggested that the government legislatively protects at least 50% of its public forest lands from industrial development. Furthermore, protected areas should be developed and co-managed with Aboriginal peoples (Oilsands Solutions, n.d.). Additionally, a 3:1 offset ratio should be established — three hectares of land should be conserved or restored for every hectare of new disturbance that occurs within the Forest Natural Region — to ensure a net positive environmental benefit (Oilsands Solutions, n.d.). To maintain sources of fresh water, rivers such as the Athabasca River should also be protected from water withdrawals during low flow periods. Moreover, alternative energy sources such as geothermal energy can be used in SAGD to replace reliance on natural gas. Other conservation methods include defining sustainable groundwater yield management, setting science-based