Reasons to quit: Millions of gallons leaking from oil sands tailings ponds daily
Just in case you needed another reason to cut back on your gasoline consumption, you might consider the pollution catastrophe we are creating in Canada, America's main oil supplier. A new report (PDF) released by Environmental Defense, using industry figures, estimates that tailings ponds created by oil sands projects may be leaking 2,750,000 gallons of contaminated water every day. While that sounds like a lot, the problem may actually be even worse considering the conservative methodology used to reach the conclusion. Titled "11 Million Litres a Day, The Tar Sands Leaking Legacy " and produced by Pembina Corporate Consulting, the report also states that if future projects go ahead as scheduled, this number would increase by five-fold by 2012. That's about 18,041,400 gallons a day. Yikes!
The only bright spot we can see is that, with the fall in oil prices, some oil sands projects are being delayed. Not much of a bright spot considering the damage being done and the lack of any political will to even acknowledge the problem, let alone requiring companies to clean up their "mess". If you're upset by all this then we won't even mention a separate report that estimates the deaths of 160 million birds over the next few decades from this oil extraction process. Ooops! Something to think about the next time you go to fill up your gas tank.
[Source: Environmental Defense via Green Car Congress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ale 7:03PM (12/10/2008)
much we can do about it... yet another ugly example
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Mike!!ekiM 8:42PM (12/10/2008)
Capitalism, always willing to pollute natural resources for money, creating bigger long term problems.
ale 9:16PM (12/10/2008)
oh capitalism eh? more like uncontrolled capitalism.. i didnt see how communism did any better... socialism is a different story; however, if we could just adopt some standards ahem... maybe we could get something done
noz 8:37PM (12/10/2008)
That's it? That's all you have to say? Not much we can do about it?
Too bad this filth isn't pouring into the homes of the idiots who complain about environmentalists and treehuggers...you know..those idiots who want to "piss" conscientious people off.
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ale 9:21PM (12/10/2008)
a point to be made, however, if we dont start getting some action in our Congress about it, what good is it anymore, our best hope liberal Canada is on the brink of civil war let alone addressing this issue within their own country. There is a point to where um, Canada needs to address this issue, ahhh.. so much for a hope of an EU like NAFTA, but seriously, Canada needs to address this issue, they're the ones who are always five years ahead of us in idea but always first to follow somehow
Mike!!ekiM 9:25PM (12/10/2008)
This might be interesting.
We buy Canadian Oil.
They buy US Water!
It's Win-Win!
Thunderstik 4:12PM (12/11/2008)
If it was pouring into my house I would just move.
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Ernie 7:41PM (12/11/2008)
Nevermind the fact that with the price of gas as low as it is today, they're no longer making any money at it.
Now, instead of laying people off (which would be what any other resource-based industry does when the price of the commodity they're harvesting takes a nosedive), they're trying to beg money from the government to keep people working.
**WHY?!**
Just... *die* already!
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