Environmental Impact of Oil Sands Development in Alberta

Oil is a very valuable resource these days. It is used for many different things. However, as the oil sources are becoming depleted, we have had to turn to oil sands. Alberta has the largest supply of oil sand in Canada, with about 21% of the province being covered with this resource. Although we do need this oil to continue with our way of life, the cost to mine this oil may be to high. The mining of these oil sands takes a lot of energy, and it can be very detrimental to the environment. Many environmentalists are concerned with the impact on Alberta's Northern Boreal Forest. According to them, all the oil sands mining going on in that forest are causing things such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and species loss. These are all environmental impacts in that area that may be hard to reverse. Another example of the environmental impact that the oil sands mining is causing happened in April 2008, when hundreds of migrating ducks died in a Syncrude tailings pond. Also many species of animals that were already at risk are declining even more, such as caribou. Even more, ecologically complex forests have been cut down. Even if they are replanted, the same habitat that was there before will no longer exist. Environmentalists and the Media have been giving these environmental issues a lot of attention. Many believe that we must find a new way to mine the oil sands, one that isn't so damaging to the environment. If this won't work, we must find a better, more efficient item to use instead of oil. One way that we can help with the environment while still mining oil sands is to try and keep it as clean as possible. We must do our best to take what we need and leave everything else the way that it is.