Source:
Agence France-PresseCanada's oil sands development an economic boon, but leaves a messby Guillaume Lavallee
Sat Jun 23, 12:59 PM ET
FORT MCMURRAY, Canada (AFP) - The development
of Canada's oil sands is laying waste to its great
northern forest and western plains, say critics who
point to skyrocketing greenhouse gas emissions,
diverted rivers and razed backwoods.
And the devastation can only get worse, they say,
as energy companies pump billions of dollars into
new projects to triple local oil production to some
3.0 million barrels per day within the next decade.
The Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake Oil Sands,
at an estimated 173 billion barrels, rank second
behind Saudi Arabia in petroleum resources.
But due to high extraction costs, the deposits were
long neglected except by local companies.
-snip-Read more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070623/sc_afp/canadaoilenvironment_070623165153