I'm just speechless . . .

I suspect the economic impact of the tar sands far exceeds most, if not all, of the GDP of the countries mentioned in the article also. Economic development and benefits come at a cost that the arrogant 'blue necks' led by Professor Iggy and Dizzy Lizzy May refuse to acknowledge preferring instead to exaggerate the costs with the benefit of MSM support.

The reference is to Latvia or Lithuania-- a country geographically, that might be smaller than PEI

Oh- this was on the Commie Bastard Channel? Well, that is to be expected isn't it? Here's something about Greenpeace : http://www.canadafreepress.com/2000/3vol2.htm

The oilsands cover about 50,000 sq. miles. According to this, there are 131 countries smaller than that, so yes, the oilsands will pollute more than some countries.

And their point would be?

If half of us give up using fossil fuels and adapt to a simpler life style that uses very little energy and produces very little waste, that would do the trick.

As it turns out, just about half of us deeply wish all of us to make that change. But if only half did, then the other half wouldn't have to do anything and could just continue to create the wealth necessary for ALL OF US to have the amenities such as roads and water and money to buy stuff like medicine and food.

So why not just do that? Let us see the liberal leftist, gaia worshipers put their life-style and standard of living where their mouths are.

They actually have the power to 'save' the planet from over-consumption all by themselves! they don't even need us!

To do that would prove that they truly do have the best interests of the planet at heart. That may persuade me to participate, but not till then.

This nonsense matches that nonsence about leaching from Suncors tailings ponds polluting the underlying aquefer----which is already oil polluted because geologically it lies beneath the oil sands which in reality is mother nature/Gia's biggest oil spill (likely about 65 million years old).........
In reality, the projects are merely cleaning up mother nature/Gia's mess.
I won't dignify the CO2 BS with a comment....beyond this "scientist"'s "report" is just an essay based on what amounts to an urban myth (CO2 AGW).

The "I Hate Alberta" bumper stickers really come out in the comments over there.

Oh, and if they aren't sure how to go about living that life style, just google Hutterites, Omish.

No shopping, no eating out, no travel, no toys, just work the land or whatever your craft might be (I can imagine a lot of pottery), read books, eat a healthy diet and get a lot of rest. Did I mention no shopping?

See Liberals, you couldn't give up using more than your share of awful fossil fuel energy that allows you your limp-wristed life style.

I'm so happy that someone opposed the CBC on that story! Thanks Kate!! If that isn't dictatorship CBC at it's worst performance. Question to the CBC: Who is burning the fuel that is refined from the oilsands?? Is it only Alberta?? Re: Countries in Europe that pollute more than the Oilsands. Keep in mind that Liechtenstein is smaller than Fort McMurry! At 65 square miles, pop 35,000, it hardly uses enough fuel to ignite all the Zippo lighters in Canada and the USA!

Pretty tame, compared to the vitriol in response to any article concerning Quebec.

Some people seem to think that Alberta is full of religious fundamentalists. They seem to be confusing Alberta with the bible belt in the U.S.

In truth, Alberta is primarly made up of recent immigrants from other provinces, and thus pretty much reflects the religious beliefs of Canada as a whole, except being considerably more secular.

In the 2001 census, 23% of Albertans said they had no religious affiliations. By contrast, 16% of Ontarians (which is also the average for Canada as a whole) and 6% of Quebecors said they had no religious affiliations.

Nikiforuk says: "The estimate from the Carbon Capture Council in Alberta is that we're going to need $2 billion to $3 billion a year for the next 20 years. That's extraordinary, that's taxpayers' money.... Any fiscal conservative in the country should look at this and just be absolutely alarmed."

He's got at least that part right. The stupidity of ferreting away a gas so vital to plant health, and therefore to life on earth is ludicrous, even if it was at no cost. To mandate so at such great expense is beyond comprehension.

IT'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE (sobbing uncontrollably).

We're nothing but rednecks and racists that are killing the earth. We don't deserve to be in this utopia called Canada. We're standing in the way of building the new soviet man.

Maybe we should just leave and then all the poor people out east won't have to worry about cashing those enormous cheques we send each year. Think of the environmental savings! You won't have to drive to the bank to cash you equalization payment!

If eco-bots have solutions, we'd like to hear them. Will they be cost-efficient, practical and fair trade? More than likely, they will be non-existent. Back to square one.
And, as someone who once lived out West, western Canada is filled with some of the finest people (look no further than here if one must).

I'm sure the countries mentioned in the article would dearly love to buy our oil and gas if it was convenient to do so. Of course as in the USA they would refine it into products they will use, pollution or not.

I posted a comment, whether it made it in I don't know I didn't check. Basically it said TO produces more CO2 than some European countries. If the oil isn't worked is it inert and consider it clean-up of an oil spill. This is going to continue.They can't touch the PM so they are going to foster hate for Alberta cuz hate is what lefties do best.

Go nuclear!!!

Of course, we'll also need oil and natural gas too, but let's hope that this provides a huge incentive to - Go Nuclear!

(Full disclosure, my uranium stocks are doing just as poorly as my oilsands stocks)

I'm going to put this one on reader tips tonight, a great talk discussing how to prioritize global spending (AIDS, food, climate change, etc)

http://www.ted.com/talks/bjorn_lomborg_sets_global_priorities.html

Guess what, climate change comes out at the bottom. The amount we have to spend now to "combat climate change", provides minimal benefits in the future, and pales to comparison to lives saved if we spend on improving nutrition, fighting AIDS, encouraging global trade, etc.

Smoke on that, climate changers!!

Thank you, rabbit. I remembered the survey from several years ago that showed Ontario had the most-religious observants and that Alberta was way down on the list but didn't recall the actual figures. (Although most Quebecers are non-practicing Roman Catholics and just self-identify as being "RC" for ethnic reasons.)

"Let the arrogant red neck cowboys spew all their garbage they want, they have shown they cannot be trusted to do the right thing so I believe it's time to impose actions like this. If Alberta cannot see beyond its own nose and take steps to diversivy their own economy, then perhaps they should elect a new party to power who has a vision that in 40 years our lakes, rivers and forests are not dumps for Syncrude and Suncor. "

So let me get this straight, we would be better off building an economy on welfare then to clean up the earths natural oil slicks and make a profit?

I feel sorry for the author of this note growing up down river of the oil sands before it was cleaned up. If only they could have been born after the reclamation.

Also, the government in general has been a dumping ground for years, please don't make the pile larger.

Don't these fools know that it's the oil that's funding their precious social programs?

We really need our own country called Western Canada.

Well ,

I have a few point's to speak on here ,so bear with me .

First being it is the left liberal greentards who when the going get's tough look out west for there regular "bail out's" and hand out's and so like good kind peopel we bail them out then they slap us in the face and tell us we're dirty polluter's.Go pound sand up your ass!! but just not the tar sand's of alberta casue that is worht money .

Second point being , that tar sand's project has been going on for a long long time and it literaly has an impcat ...a huge impact on our economy and if the oil companies gotta pay these losers to go away and shut up (witch they do ) then so be it i would rather do that then buy our oil from a muslim terroist country who is dead set on beheading the west .

Third point is they are exadgerating way beyond purportion the regrowth rate is unbeleivable fast in those area's ..and do you know why ? .....all of that supposedly bad carbon the green tards are still yammering on about is helping those plant's tree's and wildlife return back to those area's that are "ravaged" by us terrible human being's every single faction of the left side makes me sick to my stomache it is absolutly unpatriotic and a terrible waste of time , why do they bother.

fourth and final point , this country is soooooo rich in resourses and sooo abundant with wildlife and beautiful green scapes if we gotta disturbe some of it for money and out economy why is that a bad thing we have sooo many natinal parks and animal refuges and wild life refuges in this country i am starting to get closterphobic ...lol..anyway the truth is in my opinion i am for being environmentally responsible but to ruin a country and/or and economy for a small fringe group is purposterous and for all of there effort's they will continue to go unherd simple ....big buisness or a wild life refuge .....buisness as usual boy's !!!

Paul in calgary .

All of this BS is born of envy. Period!

As a commodity the value of energy is the only reason left wish to control it.

IMO this is the battle ground for the future of Canada. The clock ticks as western Canadians wait for a Liberal led coalition or a Liberal majority sometime in the near future. It's at that time we will see the true "hidden agenda”.

a few more points...

Since our resources are protected by the constitution our "friends" out east will have to use an end-around to scroo us. A national emergency of environmental proportions sounds about right.

Secondly, apparently the pending Global Warming catastrophe isn't nearly as bad as the harm three-eyed fish will reign on mother Gaia. That is the only thing I can conclude from the left's(useful idiots for the Liberals) adamant disapproval of the no Carbon emitting nuclear industry.

Well ... the CBC .... bashing western Canada .... never heard of such a thing!

Gee, with all this Alberta bashing and Christian bashing, you'd think there was the smell of an election in the air or something! Is it that time of year again? Only a matter of time before the Americans get pi**ed on, too! Oh wait, Hedy Fry already did that! the Military??? Yup, that topic's covered as well.

ONTARIO POLLUTION is never discussed. My Uncle was an engineer at Chrysler in Windsor. Why doesn't someone talk about the sulphuric acid, iron oxide, arsenic and millions of tonnes of CO2 that was spewed into the atmosphere from 1880-2009.

"And their point would be?"

The point is, in fact, that oilsands recovery appears to be more polluting than other ways of oil recovery..a fact you don't say?

Soccermom, your 6:51 post was correct. It is time to cut loose. Unfortunately most people here have not had enough yet.

Ken said:"Soccermom, your 6:51 post was correct. It is time to cut loose. Unfortunately most people here have not had enough yet."

We have had enough, but we also are law abiding citizens. The conundrum continues...

don't be so sure Knacker. I know it's meaningless, but here is a web poll I started just to see what people think. The results were interesting.( I didn't vote)

Should western Canada separate from Canada?

http://poll.pollcode.com/h1p

RE: western separation

I believe that it's a question of "when" not "if" simply because Central Canadians have shown time and time again their motives; and, have shown quite clearly that their values are very different from the values of western Canadians.

That being said, the minority Conservative government has kept Central Canada and the Liberals at bay, but the question is: How long can we maintain this?

While western Canada's political leaders are in Ottawa desperately trying to hold the country together, political forces in Quebec and Ontario are intent on destabilizing the country. Although it is uncertain there will be an election in 2009; I think it's reasonable to assume this will be PMSH's last kick at the can. Right now the only thing to do is sit back and wait to see if Ontario rejects western Canada and our values at the ballot box. Western Canadians have overwhelmingly spoken in this regard. NO MORE LIBERAL GOVENMENTS!

Remember nobody, even in Ontario, is voting for the Liberals because they think they’ll do a good job!

The anti Alberta rhetoric from green fascists serves the eastern economic/political establishment who are dependent of Liberal largess.

Oil sands demonization never been about the environment it's about removing Alberta's wealth engines (and hence economic independence) with regulation. Make them reliant on Ottawa bases subsidy - ya that's the ticket to subdue those uppity western bible thumpin' libertarian red necks.

Dear Ottawa left and your flunkies in the green fascism movement;

The oil will flow and any attempt to stop it will result in a failed regime. Learn from PETs fall. We kicked his ass for damaging our economic independence, you punks are twice as lame and we are twice as strong - come get some!

Why do we simply accept the lefty talking point that CO2 (greenhouse gases) are pollution? It's not, never has been, never will be. It's flippin' plant food.
The mad arrogance of progressive lefty elitists is surpassed only by the ignorance of their hopeful followers.

Oh, one more thing, privatize the CBC.

there is nothing I would like better than taking my 5% CO2 gas and maybe a wee bit of H2S and not cleaning it to pipeline spec and sending it East.

they can take it right up the flue.

Indiana,

I can not argue with the attitude, but I will argue that people feel their present well being and there families well being is more important than taking any action towards a Western separation.

If the people have not a "pair", how then can we elect a representative of the people with a pair?

Andrew Nikoforuk should stick to critiquing education because his fawning affection for Wiebo Ludwig has clouded his judgment on this issue.

I guess we only worry about fossil fuel pollution and don't worry about the raw sewage that almost every city bordering a body of water dumps into it without treatment. It has immediate impact on quality of life, but "we" still allow it to happen.

Why exactly should I care then when the "possible" consequences of burning or processing fossil fuels "might have" in the future...

We can smell the crap and we don't do jack about it.

The Report was commissioned by "Green Pieces" ... until an independant source goes over it in detail, I wouldn't give it the credibility of a Suzuki pronouncement. Remember the debunked Lancet report on Casualties in Iraq ... I'd bet it's much the same. Or, is it like all the Green Pieces reports about the elusive vanishing Polar Bears?

So for now, the Report means nothing.

Geez, I go away for a couple of hours and you folks are fixing to separate. Can you wait a few minutes while I pack my bags? Don't leave without me.

Seriously, my sister and I were travelling south last weekend to visit another sister and on the way we were talking about just this subject - Western separation. We were both pi$$ed off at the stagnation of our politics at the national level because of the Bloc and the NDP, but mostly because of the Bloc. I say we either boot Quebec out or leave ourselves. Ontario won't know what hit it.

Oh, and they can keep the CBC.

Oh come on Cjunk. I was getting all excited here.

Indiana Homex:

Western seperation may be an option, but I would feel much better if we won the battle, kept our tarsands, and re-printed the 1970's bumber sticker that says, "Let the Eastern B*&?%$+s freeze in the dark."

"Nothing is sweeter than the odour of the decaying body of a dead enemy."

Guy de Maupassant

Enough natural gas is flared every year by non Canadian producers to supply all of Europe.
That's simply burning off the natural gas from oil wells instead of keeping it and selling it.

And some mid east oil producers are importing coal to power their own economies so they can free up more oil for export to places like central Canada.

Whenever I see stories like this, I recall this Onion article from a few years ago:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/report_98_percent_of_u_s_commuters

So many people do not know the sources of any of the things they consume, unless it's got a "Fair Trade" sticker on it .

This crap about the oil sands polution is just that.Crap.My cousin worked in the former Soviet Union after the breakup and he was in a harbour.There was so much oil on the water that he would have been afraid to throw a cigarette over board.Thepipe lines were floating and made of cast iron.In a storm they would break and wouldnt be repaired till after the wind went down which may have been days.He got a first hand look at how socialists look after the environment.

Nikiforuk is an idiot, I met this leftie when he couldn't sell a printed word to a poor third world kid and he had a slim bit of decency, he has sold out for the easy leftie money and sucking up to the pathetic liberals for easy money is soooo transparent Niki.

I worked a contract doing a dewatering/falling head test north of the "bridge to nowhere" in the mid 90's. Basically, we pumped the equivalent of 30 feet deep in a football field out of an area and monitored how the local water table reacted. We had to make sure that none of the natural groundwater flowed into the Athabasca because it was too polluted. It smelled and looked like diesel and you could tell when a pine tree got big enough that it reached the surface of the tarsands because the tree died. The idea that anything "natural" is good for you is laughable. Cobra bites are all natural, only a fool wants one.

Whoa, whoa! That article is likely to expose an identifiable group - the religious Albertans - to hatred and contempt. Hold, hold right there, while I am calling Jenny L...

C_miner.

what the greenies fail to notice is the Athabaska tar sands is an uncorformity. ie the whole thing is eroding into the arctic ocean. Alberta would have been Saudi Arabia (sans the sharia) had the seal not been lost off the reservoir and the light ends not escaped millions of years ago.

I live in Alberta.
The air and water are fine.
It's a very clean place to live.
It was cleaner before all the easterners started to move here and throw litter all over.

Alberta, keep that oil coming. I have a combined 16 cylinders and 725 horses that are relying on YOU!! Who is refining this crude? I typically use Shell for engine consistency but will switch to another provider if the octane is sufficient. Oh, that's right. China, as usual, beat us to the strategic punch.

'Whoa, whoa! That article is likely to expose an identifiable group - the religious Albertans - to hatred and contempt. Hold, hold right there, while I am calling Jenny L...'

That's the ticket Aaron - fight fire with fire. As the daughter of a rancher from Sask.; I fear for my own safety and those of my family who follow that way of life....call in the 'Lynch mob errr..organization'!!