Oil sands development - The Daily Mail’s take
October 18, 2012
The British newspaper the Daily Mail has published a one sided and inflammatory article on the oil sands
See source a) below. The article portrays the huge scale of the oil sands development through a series of stunning photos.
- ‘The tar sands should be classified as an act of ecocide and rendered illegal under international law. This is, in effect, a crime against humanity’ according to Polly Higgins, lawyer and environmentalist.
- Between 2010 and 2035, the oil sands are expected to contribute C$2.3 trillion to Canadian GDP and support 630,000 jobs per year. This economic activity provides royalties and taxes to governments across Canada that helps support our social system, including health care and social services.
- A dump truck driver can make an astonishing £125,000 a year - creating towns that defy the recession such as Fort McMurray.
Commentary
So Ms.Higgins is opposed to all oil sands development. Canadians should accept higher unemployment and a lower standard of living as a result, right ?
The oil sands represents 97% of Canada’s oil reserves, so development is logical and economically beneficial. The previously mined areas are reforested, but the article does not mention this or show any evidence of this.
The article shows mining operations yet now most oil sands development is ‘in situ’ and does not involve strip mining.
Sources
- a)See the Daily Mail article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2219240/Tar-Sands-Canada-worlds-largest-oil-reserve-173billion-untouched-barrels.html