Introduction
The statement ‘Canada oil sands are much more of a blessing rather than a curse’ is not true because the disadvantages of oil sands outweigh the advantages. For this reason, this paper aims at indicating points against the statement. To understand the defects of oil sand exploration in Canada, one has to delve into the explanation of what oil sands are as well as how the entire process of mining and refining and thereafter, determine the disadvantages based on socioeconomic factors, environmental factors, as well as the infrastructure and energy required for its production.
Oil sands are unconventional petroleum deposits that consist of loose sand and partially consolidated sand stone that contains natural mixtures of natural clay, sand and water which is saturated with a highly viscous form of petroleum that flows extremely slowly known as bitumen (Yunchez, 2012).
Concisely, to mine the oil sands, all the wetlands have to be drained and the rivers diverted. Then all trees and any form of vegetation and soil are required to be scraped away to expose the oil sands. Then steam shovels into dump trucks that haul the sand to an extraction plant scoop the sand. This sand is then processed at high temperatures using large amounts of water and chemicals, to extract the extremely viscous tar (Smith, 2009). In general, the processes relating to refining, extracting, and processing oil sands have social, economic, and environmental effects that are undesirable as discussed here.
Socio economic Effects
The oil sands in Canada have been proven to have adverse economic effects to the people of Canada and Alberta. It is the most unsympathetic economic activity killing birds, insects, and other creatures. This is because mining, r...
... middle of paper ...
...oreign Relations, Center for Geo-economics Studies.
Phillips, M. (2013). Why Canada's Oil Sands Look Like a Shaky Investment. Retrieved on December, 23, 2013 from www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/kxl-FINAL-Sun-24-Nov-CLEAN-FINAL.pdf
Siegel, P. (2012). Tar Sands Oil: Pros and Cons. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/tar-sands-oil-pros-cons/?doing_wp_cron
Smith, C. (2009). How things work: Canada's oil sands. United Nations University, Vol.1, No. 110. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/canadas-oil-sands Timilsina,G, (2005). Economic Impacts of Albertas Oil Sands, Canadian Energy Research Institute.
Yunchez. (2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of Oil Sands. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from www.studymode.com/essays/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-Oil-Sands-1184952.html
The statement ‘Canada oil sands are much more of a blessing rather than a curse’ is not true because the disadvantages of oil sands outweigh the advantages. For this reason, this paper aims at indicating points against the statement. To understand the defects of oil sand exploration in Canada, one has to delve into the explanation of what oil sands are as well as how the entire process of mining and refining and thereafter, determine the disadvantages based on socioeconomic factors, environmental factors, as well as the infrastructure and energy required for its production.
Oil sands are unconventional petroleum deposits that consist of loose sand and partially consolidated sand stone that contains natural mixtures of natural clay, sand and water which is saturated with a highly viscous form of petroleum that flows extremely slowly known as bitumen (Yunchez, 2012).
Concisely, to mine the oil sands, all the wetlands have to be drained and the rivers diverted. Then all trees and any form of vegetation and soil are required to be scraped away to expose the oil sands. Then steam shovels into dump trucks that haul the sand to an extraction plant scoop the sand. This sand is then processed at high temperatures using large amounts of water and chemicals, to extract the extremely viscous tar (Smith, 2009). In general, the processes relating to refining, extracting, and processing oil sands have social, economic, and environmental effects that are undesirable as discussed here.
Socio economic Effects
The oil sands in Canada have been proven to have adverse economic effects to the people of Canada and Alberta. It is the most unsympathetic economic activity killing birds, insects, and other creatures. This is because mining, r...
... middle of paper ...
...oreign Relations, Center for Geo-economics Studies.
Phillips, M. (2013). Why Canada's Oil Sands Look Like a Shaky Investment. Retrieved on December, 23, 2013 from www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/kxl-FINAL-Sun-24-Nov-CLEAN-FINAL.pdf
Siegel, P. (2012). Tar Sands Oil: Pros and Cons. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/tar-sands-oil-pros-cons/?doing_wp_cron
Smith, C. (2009). How things work: Canada's oil sands. United Nations University, Vol.1, No. 110. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/canadas-oil-sands Timilsina,G, (2005). Economic Impacts of Albertas Oil Sands, Canadian Energy Research Institute.
Yunchez. (2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of Oil Sands. Retrieved on December, 24, 2013 from www.studymode.com/essays/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-Oil-Sands-1184952.html