The Carbon Dioxide Information analysis Center lists 207 nations by order of carbon emissions. The tar sands have higher
emissions than the lowest-ranking 97 nations combined. (source)
Athabasca River Grand Rapids (David Dodge, CPAWS)
Woodland Caribou by Terry Parker
Emissions Exploding
The tar sands are holding Canada hostage in tackling global warming in two ways. First, it is the fastest growing source of new greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Tar sands emissions — not counting burning the oil later — are estimated at about 40 million tonnes for 20074, but if left unchecked this could explode to 142 million tonnes by 20205.
The main reason is that extracting the oil from the sand is so energy intensive, from the large machines used for extracting and processing to the natural gas used to melt the bitumen out of the sand. It is estimated that by 2012 the tar sands will use as much gas as is needed to heat all the homes in Canada.6 To get this gas will require building new pipelines and drilling in wilderness areas like the Mackenzie Valley, and building new facilities to import liquefied natural gas to cover the shortfall since Canada's own gas production is projected to decline starting now.7
The second reason the tar sands is ground zero for global warming is the political dynamic they set up for the rest of Canada. Because our political leaders refuse to put real caps on greenhouse gasses for the tar sands, they thereby refuse to put real caps for the rest of industry in Canada. A factory in Ontario therefore faces weak emissions regulations because of the Alberta tar sands.
Wilderness at risk
Tar sands development is having a devastating impact on Alberta's boreal forest, part of the planet's largest terrestrial carbon storehouse and home to woodland caribou, lynx and billions of songbirds. Tar sands mines are destroying forests and wetlands, making them uninhabitable for wildlife. While the impact of in situ tar sand extraction on ecosystems is less visible, the network of pipelines, wells and roads involved fragment forests and threaten wildlife.
Woodland caribou, a threatened species that needs large areas of intact forest to survive, are a key indicator of the health of boreal ecosystems.23 In Alberta, caribou are facing a dire situation as tar sand mines, oil and gas wells, roads and logging continue to fragment forests and destroy their habitat. Caribou have declined by nearly 50% over the past 10 years in the tar sands region, and government and industry studies have predicted that caribou will continue to decline under a business as usual scenario.24 Without action to protect Boreal Forests from tar sands development, woodland caribou will likely be extirpated from the region entirely. 25
Birds, marten, lynx and fisher are also being negatively impacted by tar sands. The abundance of certain bird species has already declined by as much as 80% in areas heavily affected by tar sands development. 26 Furthermore, bird species that rely on older forests, such as the black-throated green warbler, are predicted to decline by 60% in the coming years if development continues to proceed at the current pace. 27
