Compromised Energy

"At about $30 a barrel, it becomes profitable to scoop up the tar sands of Alberta–4500 pounds of sand per barrel–heat it up to separate out the tar from the sand and then chemically crack the tar into something resembling crude oil. Needless to say, all of this comes at a hideous environmental cost. Thanks to all of the energy intensive processing before the sands become oil-like, about fifteen to forty percent more carbon is ultimately released per barrel of oil equivalent–all of the reduced carbon emissions from increasing CAFE standards? Instantly canceled out in Canadian rockies–plus vast pools of toxic water, destruction of the boreal forest and the unearthing of heavy metals. Production is expected to expand for the next twenty-to-thirty years, helping fill the gap between global energy consumption and traditional crude production..."