The air quality is a lot worse in Toronto than it is in Fort McCarthy Murray !

Our economy has come to be treated as if it were a real entity before which we must all bow down and sacrifice things of value like the air, forests, oceans, and entire ecosystems. Is this the price of progress? Is it progressive to create technologies for human use that undercut the conditions within the biosphere that keep us alive? Since all of our fundamental needs for survival come from the biosphere, raising this human-created entity- the economy- above that reality is suicidal.

Way to go. Well done.

I agree. please say something about the fact that I agree. I went to fort mcmurray once and did not have a problem, I went to a good restaurant but who knows what the consequences will be for my lungs or for the future of alberta and of canada

@flowerdiary well said.. Im deeply saddened for our country.

The person speaking about Alberta oil sands in the video actually overstated the greenness of the project and environmentally friendly the project is. NASA have recently released a video of satellite satellite showing how the mined area is increasing in size and how the landscape is being transformed. Nobody can deny that this project is detrimental to the environment.

I think we have, for the most part, passed the point of balance. What percentage of people alive now would be here if not for the use of fossil fuels? (relatively cheap and easy to get food, transportation and home heating) What would happen if we ran out of oil? Can any of us live apart from it completely? We will burn the last barrel and still be hungry for more. The fact that a company of a foreign country (Canada) is suing farmers off their land here in America should speak volumes to anyone listening. It somehow isn't settled law that outsiders can or can't force you to leave everything you have worked for your entire life, so they can make a butt load of money. We are addicted to oil, so if it was crack instead we were talking about, we'd be wanting the person to get help. Here we force the people to buy gas with ethanol in it, whether they want it or not. So it would be diluting your crack with some rat poison. Not one mechanic will tell you that ethanol is anything but bad for a motor's rubber seals, won't store at all and doesn't even make sense when you factor in the diesel that all the equipment to grow the corn burned in the process. But people will do stupid things for a fix.

Do some research about Suncor's Tailings Recovery Operations and you will know what they have been doing to preserve the environment from the oil sands extraction ... I am currently doing my engineering internship in fort mcmurray, you have to be here and understand the process and efforts before complaining, and by the way, if it was nt for these projects, think about how many industries would go down. And i guess there is a sacrifice to make for anything.

Will the SAG-D process create sink holes or ground water contaminaion?

Alberta's Oil sands have been making riches for Canada but on the other hand there is no improvement of keeping the environment safe. That's how Stephen Harper roles [Conservative]...

The Keystone Pipeline would use Canadian workers to lay Chinese pipe, creating few jobs for Americans. The oil would be destined for the "Free Trade Zone" of Port Arthur Texas, where it would be exported out of America tax free for sale on the open world market, for private profit, at the risk of the taxpayer and the environment when a spill occurs.

@laugholot But they do influence government. Especially when Suncor Execs like Heather Kennedy work both for the province and get paid by the company.

Good for Alberta ! Good for Canada ! Good for Vancouver!

Roads have less or similar impact as the thousands of access roads needed to get to individual wind turbine farms.

Damn, we need new documentary... the oil price crash of 2014 changed EVERYTHING, and I think the production in early 2014 was much higher than 1.0 mbpd.. As of 2010, oil sands production had increased to over 1.6 million barrels per day (250,000 m3/d), where 53% of this was produced by surface mining and 47% by in-situ. In 2012, the actual oil production from oil sands was 1.8 MBPD ONLY for Athabasca oil sands! Cold Lake and Peace River got their own production... Canada is exporting around 3 million barrel a day into the USA (NAFTA) and is by far the largest source for the US. The low prices hurt already the US oil shale industry (which can survive with 50$), but Canadian oil sands need higher prices. Production costs are just too high... next year NON-OPEC oil production will go down for the first time since 2009. This year increase was reduced to 1.1 million barrels a day by OPEC/Russia, next year a decline of 300,000 barrels a day... but this is not much... the Plan of OPEC does not work as they thought... US production should already heavy decline in April 2015, but it does not... it is much more resistent to the low oil price than thought....... I hope we got a late 2015 (or next year) a 2016 canadian oil sands documentary here :>

You can easily find it yourself from the Statistics Canada web site. It has an amazing amount of info that truly seems to be impervious to coorporations "fixing" it. At least for now.

I want to work in Alberta :D

I live in Alberta

Love how the ratings have been disabled for this video.

How the hell do they know that there is more sand deep down in the earth? Trial and error?

Please, this is the best thing that has ever happened to anyone who as ever lived in north america, with out alberta , The Us gas prices would be double as well as water prices, and other provinces in canada whouldn't even have education because ALBERTA pays for it as well gives over 500 MILLION dollars to the united states for there i qoute "dying" education.

Finally, someone educated! My hats off to you.

Currently, the system of extracting the oil is crap but as the video shows there IS someone out there doing research. I think Big Oil has a right to do this just as in any free society everyone should be able to do as they wish for profit as long as it sticks to the law and doesn't try and influence government. Let the free market determine who is the "Greener" oil company. Don't rely on the government to regulate the oil companies, because in the end YOU REGULATE THEM BY BUYING THEIR GAS.

I've been to that area and it was beautiful. Say what you want. It is what it is. A total destruction of that part of the earth and a danger to everybody in the area due to toxic fums and retention failures of the operation. Is money everything? If there is any reason to do this to our earth other than money (GREED) it's beyond me.

Someone came from British Columbia told me that there are lots of oil wells that are capped and no company wants to use it because it would force the price of gasoline to fall below $0.50 per litre. And it would allow Canada to become independant from foreign oil. Well? Then then is no need for tar sands. Trillions of barrels yet no one want to extract that oil from the wells in Pink Mountain.

a TDP unit can remove the constituents that are usually left behind, but would cause the cost of fuel to skyrocket. also the amount of recoverable metal would not be economical. there is less than 50 ppmw (on average) of heavy metals in a barrel, and they are not free. a secondary process would be needed to recover the pure metal.

opportunity for who, people or oil companies?

@flowerdiary There is a demand for oil so Alberta supplies it. It could be shut-down but then oil would just be purchased and used from other places. I have worked in the oil sands and it has allowed me to earn a living and feed my family. Without the oil Albertans and Canadians would be poor and have no work. If you want to pay me and millions of Albertans who would be out of work then fine close it. If not I have to feed my family and pay the bills.

Concerned American here...I like the outcome of this pipeline we have, but they are not doing it safe enough. (1) It is pretty obvious that the people doing the pipeline care more about profit potential than the location they are temporarily staying at and leaving after they harvest what puts food on their table (2) I really like the Canadian wilderness, rare fishing spots, etc and wish to travel there one day, but this pipeline is really going to draw me and others away,no? (3) Do it SAFELY,ok?

Alberta oil let's thousands and thousands of people from all over the world, make a good living, I know I worked there in Fort Mcmurray, those same people send money home to their families. They're not afraid of hard work, and most of them are lonely and miss their families very much. I know the feeling!

by petroleum. We need it for everything especially food. Without the oil sands and petroleum in general, we would be effectively writting the death warrant of billions of people. If you are lucky enough to live in a fertile land with lots of vegitation and close fresh water supply, then you can go live off the land if you want. Most people don't have that luxury and the entire world certainly can't live that way. The environment would be destroyed in a second.

I see so many issues with the oil sands enviromentally but feel ridiculous criticizing our vast industry because if it didn't exist my whole family would be out of work.

And this one is pretty black... yes, I can believe that they are developing more sustainable methods, but why don't we invest all that money the oil companies are receiving into technology like solar or wind to make them more efficient and cost efficient? I also liked how they tried to make "we are only the source of a tenth of a percent of the world's GHG emissions" sound insignificant. That is massive! and consider they will expand!

Ever been to Fort McMurray?... Guess not..

What is a "High industrial grade" of water? Why does it then need to be refined (or does that mean that the "high industrial grade" of water (whatever that is) is going to be sent to another oil refinery? If so, why? Why doesn't the facility just re-use the water?)? This just doesn't make any sense.

I wish I could give you 1,000,000 more thumbs up to represent my actual appreciation for your comment! There is no higher environmental standard on the face of this Earth than that of the Alberta oil industry.

We used to call this "strip mining" in West Virginia in the 1960s and it destroyed so many forests and the companies did not reclaim the land, they just left the strip mines to run off and destroy the area. What makes your strip mining any different? Just curious, not trying to start a fight.

Environment comes second to profit... It always does, and most likely always will :/

Don't worry, they won't last forever. Once humanity destroys itself the earth may begin restoring.

I don't think I am going to drive much anymore.

would be nice if we could learn from our mistakes and not keep repeating them over greed and power.

i don't drive (anymore) - i don't buy plastic - i grow my food... the only food with eyes i eat now is potatos... you can function without gas/nestle/coke - you just have to want to...

This makes me sad...

What's the blonde girls name...

Interesting how ratings have been disabled for this video!! Will we be unable to make comments next? We may be an oil dependent world right now but this doesn't make it okay. Mistakes have been made and now it is time to seek a new direction before it is too late.

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@flowerdiary "absolutely disgusting" totally agree

I want to leave BC and work in alberta. Then I can cash in on that oil money

"Alberta's communities will be involved in creating a sustainable future..." Just CORPORATE PROPAGANDA, The biggest and most destructive oil project in the world which has already been damaging Canada's pristine forests, rivers, lakes and all forms of life.

it looks so pretty...:/

Both.

This is really sad! Why they rape the world like this? Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

lol ratings disabled, comments pending approval. OK

can i see your environmental scientists diploma, can can you tell your story to IPCC people?

Alberta has learned much about propaganda from Goebbels, Gorky, and Hill & Knowlton.

Alberta oil sands: Aboot

if only they spent as much on the environmental evaluation part of the process. But I know they don't really care, just making it sound good, trying to convince us we like it and aren't being raped.

with electricity power we are in Quebec the biggest power province in Canada...no mistake

game over baby. i'm so glad i've got no kids...

Oil sands - Interview with the president of UAlberta: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/atmfds9lyJnVZ30.html

This is one train to big to stop.....

Lies perpetrated as truth . . . still lies!

True, it points out their "cover up the bad stuff" mentality on this subject. Not to mention they have "all this money coming into Canada" yet they cannot afford anything but a cheap cell phone to record this video. Couldn't even afford to hire a professional video crew to make this video? 240p only!? What is this, 2004?

@laugholot The only problem with this stragegy is that the free market isn't nec. given the required information to make an informed choice. Big business can afford persuasive marketing. Self regulation equals a broken system.

Couldn't you leave this stuff in the ground? Why don't you build windmills, solar platforms or some other alternatives?

man is one thing to drive a vw jetta and an escalade ,with conventional oil everyone can drive normal cars ,no need for the nasty stuff ,but people are greedy and dangerous in theyr persuits of happyness ,how many people just drive to drive instead of doing something else for fun? what amazes me that in canada and us gas is so cheap ,tax it like in europe and canada for ex will consume a lot less and would not need to destroy the enviroment, maybe in 10 years new technologies will do less harm.

mhmmmm......

Alberta will have a skyline second to none, fueled by petrol dollars.... :)

@farouqnimer You'll get a LOT of money if you work in the oil industry. I made over $30/hour when I first started :D

Also global warming is not human induced. All of human industry only accounts for 3% of what the world puts out every year. The vast majority comes from volcanoes, cellular respiration, decomposing plant and animal life, permiation of gas through soil, forest fires etc... of that 3% only 0.01% comes from the oil sands. Although it is a contributing factor it is very negligible.

There is no alternative to petroleum even if some people on here think there is. 7 billion (will plateau at 12 billion) people can only be sustained

Greedy industrialists won't tell you the real cost. Environment cost should not be counted in a free market system. The public should take care of it or take the blame of it. One third of the Northern Japan is the real cost for the last disaster. All they need is replacing a few PM public servants and you, including those stupid investors, will pay the entire cost of the damage. Where are the industry profits accumulated? Long gone overseas in those tycoon insiders' secrete accounts.

@rider4343 did you know that , your argeuement is not valid?

It doesn't help if industries like GM continue to produce guzzlers. With creative advertising people actually buy them. In a capitalist society it's the people's "right". Somehow I think China will do better. There the government just lays down the rules. Imagine an ant hill where ants just do what they want as a right. Oil companies should be "Energy" companies... every kind of energy! I still see houses being built that don't use the sun's energy... who has the money for research?

A breathtaking barrage of lies.

To make the living on earth to survive is the issue according to science! and this is not the way!

If people were more educated or experienced in the industry they would be aware of the incredible amount of ongoing effort for the 'greener' design of each new site or site expansion. The amount of global experience which this industry attacts should allow people to realize that no other industry in Canada has had as much scrutiny as the O&G from the local or international population which in turn has forced all players in the industry to be the greenest they can with the technology available.

" oil sands definitely pollute more air than anything." Really? Maybe you should educate yourself on the amount of air pollution the earth creates! The oil sands is a very small fraction of what the earth along pumps out!

Most of the posters on here obviously don't know anything about environmental science, geology or the industry. As an environmental scientist and geologist I can tell you that this video is acurate and that Alberta and the oil sands are doing it right.

Funny how you didn't know that Alberta is real bias when it comes to oil sands. Its there main source of income, why wouldn't they try their hardest to make it look good.

how do you think, why TAR SANDS are called the dirtiest oil?

pfff industry is stoopid. i has a dream where evarey canadien is in a grean job of a teachear or a unien bawse

GWAD........

alberta's enviroment will be safe guarded for future generation....... WHAT A LIE.

@laugholot Do you really think "big oil" is NOT developing more efficient ways to extract the Athabasca Oil Sands??? Really? Do you not realize it is in their best interests to do exactly that? Sometimes i think freedom of speech should be aquired, and not a birthright

But you can always choose between more green and less green technologies. You're not a hipocrate if you use electricity and care for environment at the same time. It's pathetic to see everything in white and black..

I hate this argument, it is ridiculous. Yes, I bet this person does use oil, because our entire planet is dependent on it. THAT'S the problem, our gov't and world leaders need to come up with a plan for a clean energy future, instead of fueling billions of dollars into literally scraping the bottom of the barrel. The solution(s) to our oil addiction already exists, unfortunately big oil companies rule the world and until THEY change, we can't change.

Money talks.

huge lie we could probably ignite the water near the oil sands : P

you all complain but your lifestyle you keep is what is laughable. change your lifestyles and promote lifestyles alternatives. For now they are doing great jobs at monitering and reclaiming. The oilsands is so small and yet you still complain. Look at Fukashima it polluted the entire pacific ocean.. come-on man

Ratings for this video have been disabled. How Harper is that :) Comments will be the next to go...

yea weird

I'm in the oil sands right now. This video is total PROPAGANDA!

I'm sorry, do you drive? do you use products produced from oil? Of course you do. Until you're willing to move into the woods and live like people did in the 1800's i'd suggest you rethink your stance on how this society works.

BS

"Alberta is leading in action on climate change". Are you serious? Stop spewing lies. Sure, there are some benefits of the oil sands, but by not mentioning the environmental and sociological damage that comes alongside the benefits is just pathetic. "YourAlberta"? This is not my Alberta.

Your forgetting that over 3 million people make a living off this ! Your making it sound like there is a single room with a hand full of fat cats making all the money off of it ? We don't come to where you live and tell you what industries are ok. The world needs oil sorry. We reached peak oil in the 80's. We need every drop if we slowed down demand would out pace supply in the world in a few years I bet if you cost 5 grand to fill your car you might not care so much !

lol liberals

Propaganda!

Your head is really buried in the sand chum! I don't mean tar sand either.Do a little investigating pal & you will be there with a sign as well. "I want my GGGrandchildren to live!"