Renewable Energy and Electric Cars Pressure Oil Economically as Well as Environmentally

[longview]

Even Shell and GE have to accept the decline in fossil fuels and the great potential in renewable energy.

"Royal Dutch Shell is looking to slash up to 40 per cent off the cost of producing oil and gas in a major drive to save cash so it can overhaul its business and focus more on renewable energy and power markets, sources told Reuters.

Shell's new cost-cutting review, known internally as Project Reshape and expected to be completed this year, will affect its three main divisions and any savings will come on top of a $4 billion US target set in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Reducing costs is vital for Shell's plans to move into the power sector and renewables where margins are relatively low. Competition is also likely to intensify with utilities and rival oil firms including BP and Total all battling for market share as economies around the world go green."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/shell-cost-cutting-review-1.5732392?cmp=rss

GE plans big shift away from coal-fired power sector

The business has extensive experience in the coal industry.

www.cnbc.com

There also Airbus is planing for a transition towards hydrogen and other alternative fuels for airplanes.

Airbus unveils 'first zero-emission planes' plan - BBC News

The aerospace giant said its hydrogen-fuelled passenger planes could be in service by 2035.

www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Just remember what I said about how oil companies do not sell oil, but finished fuel products,
and that how at some point the greater profits will be with making their own carbon neutral feedstock
from electricity, water and atmospheric CO2.
What you cite, is the type of movements expected, Shell is not going into batteries,
when they say they are entering the renewable market!

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Just remember what I said about how oil companies do not sell oil, but finished fuel products,
and that how at some point the greater profits will be with making their own carbon neutral feedstock
from electricity, water and atmospheric CO2.
What you cite, is the type of movements expected, Shell is not going into batteries,
when they say they are entering the renewable market!

Shell is investing in battery technology.

"We’re proud to have partnered with sonnen, a world leading manufacturer of battery storage and member of the Shell family. This partnership offers customers with solar panels a complete battery storage solution that helps to reduce their electricity bills."

Cleaner Energy Choices

Want to make your home more energy efficient? Get free advice on how you can.

www.shellenergy.co.uk

Oil companies like Shell are also reducing their numbers of refineries and focusing on bio fuels.

"Besides cutting costs at its downstream retail business, Shell is pressing ahead with plans to reduce the number of its oil refineries to 10 from 17 last year. It has already agreed to sell three.

The review of refining operations also includes finding ways to sharply increase the production of low-carbon fuels such as biofuels, chemicals and lubricants. That could be done by using low-carbon raw materials such as cooking oil, one source said."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/shell-cost-cutting-review-1.5732392

 

[Lord of Planar]

Shell is investing in battery technology.

"We’re proud to have partnered with sonnen, a world leading manufacturer of battery storage and member of the Shell family. This partnership offers customers with solar panels a complete battery storage solution that helps to reduce their electricity bills."

Cleaner Energy Choices

Want to make your home more energy efficient? Get free advice on how you can.

www.shellenergy.co.uk

Oil companies like Shell are also reducing their numbers of refineries and focusing on bio fuels.

"Besides cutting costs at its downstream retail business, Shell is pressing ahead with plans to reduce the number of its oil refineries to 10 from 17 last year. It has already agreed to sell three.

The review of refining operations also includes finding ways to sharply increase the production of low-carbon fuels such as biofuels, chemicals and lubricants. That could be done by using low-carbon raw materials such as cooking oil, one source said."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/shell-cost-cutting-review-1.5732392

They are decommissioning older refineries that are too expensive to upgrade, and increasing the capacity of existing refineries.

 

[Jack Hays]

How Green Are Electric Cars?

• Date: 29/09/20
• 
  
• Press Release, Global Warming Policy Foundation

Debate over environmental impacts continues



How green are electric cars? Are they really greener and more environmentally friendly than the cleanest conventional cars? That’s a question that is dividing opinion, even among green campaigners.

Environmental activist George Monbiot has warned that electric cars won’t solve the problems of car pollution and may even “create another environmental disaster.”
Recently Auke Hoekstra and Professor Maarten Steinbuch published a study that claims electric vehicles already emit less than half the CO2 of combustion engine vehicles.
Professor Gautam Kalghatgi wrote a critique of this new study, claiming that the advantages of electric vehicles were smaller. We approached Mr Hoekstra with a request to react to this criticism. Professor Kalghatgi in turn reacted to that and we gave Mr Hoekstra the final word.
Professor Gautam Kalghatgi says that since much of the world’s electricity comes from fossil fuels, carbon dioxide emissions are simply being moved from driving electric cars to charging their batteries. And once the impact of obtaining the resources required to build electric cars is taken into account, he thinks they may even be worse for the environment.
But opinions among researchers are divided. A leading proponent of electric cars, Auke Hoekstra of the Technical University of Eindhoven, maintains that the environmental disadvantages of fossil-fuelled cars outweigh their advantages.
The different views of Kalghatgi and Hoekstra are set out in a new Open Debate paper, published by the Global Warming Policy Foundation today.
At the Global Warming Policy Foundation we encourage robust academic discussion and in that light we present the entire exchange so readers can draw their own conclusions.
GWPF director Dr Benny Peiser said:
“The GWPF has no collective view on this question, but we are keen to encourage and foster a culture of open and fact-based discussions on all aspects of climate and energy policy. This is why we are very pleased to be publishing this debate between two eminent researchers.”

How Green Are Electric Cars? (PDF)

 

[Bergslagstroll]

How Green Are Electric Cars?

• Date: 29/09/20
• 
  
• Press Release, Global Warming Policy Foundation

Debate over environmental impacts continues



How green are electric cars? Are they really greener and more environmentally friendly than the cleanest conventional cars? That’s a question that is dividing opinion, even among green campaigners.

Environmental activist George Monbiot has warned that electric cars won’t solve the problems of car pollution and may even “create another environmental disaster.”
Recently Auke Hoekstra and Professor Maarten Steinbuch published a study that claims electric vehicles already emit less than half the CO2 of combustion engine vehicles.
Professor Gautam Kalghatgi wrote a critique of this new study, claiming that the advantages of electric vehicles were smaller. We approached Mr Hoekstra with a request to react to this criticism. Professor Kalghatgi in turn reacted to that and we gave Mr Hoekstra the final word.
Professor Gautam Kalghatgi says that since much of the world’s electricity comes from fossil fuels, carbon dioxide emissions are simply being moved from driving electric cars to charging their batteries. And once the impact of obtaining the resources required to build electric cars is taken into account, he thinks they may even be worse for the environment.
But opinions among researchers are divided. A leading proponent of electric cars, Auke Hoekstra of the Technical University of Eindhoven, maintains that the environmental disadvantages of fossil-fuelled cars outweigh their advantages.
The different views of Kalghatgi and Hoekstra are set out in a new Open Debate paper, published by the Global Warming Policy Foundation today.
At the Global Warming Policy Foundation we encourage robust academic discussion and in that light we present the entire exchange so readers can draw their own conclusions.
GWPF director Dr Benny Peiser said:
“The GWPF has no collective view on this question, but we are keen to encourage and foster a culture of open and fact-based discussions on all aspects of climate and energy policy. This is why we are very pleased to be publishing this debate between two eminent researchers.”

How Green Are Electric Cars? (PDF)

Electric cars leads to less C02 emission even in worst case scenario.

"In the worst case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in China and driven in Poland still emits 22% less CO2 than diesel and 28% less than petrol. And in the best case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in Sweden and driven in Sweden can emit 80% less CO2 than diesel and 81% less than petrol.

We also see that electric cars will reduce CO2 emissions four-fold by 2030 thanks to an EU grid relying more and more on renewables."

How clean are electric cars? | Transport & Environment

How much CO2 can electric cars really save compared to diesel and petrol cars? To answer this question we have developed a tool that compiles all the most up-to-date data on CO2 emissions linked to the use of an electric, diesel or petrol car.

www.transportenvironment.org

There even US under a president that promise to save the coal industry gets more power from renewables than coal.

Renewables outpace nuclear and coal in the US

The latest edition of the US Energy Information Administration’s <i>Electric Power Monthly</i> report shows renewables generated more electricity through May 31 than coal and nuclear.

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[Bergslagstroll]

They are decommissioning older refineries that are too expensive to upgrade, and increasing the capacity of existing refineries.

Oil companies are also abandoning investments in existing refineries.

Swedish oil refinery makes U-turn on controversial expansion bid - The Local

While instead investing in hydrogen, wind power and electric mobility.

Why half of oil and gas workers are looking to offshore wind

Read Why half of oil and gas workers are looking to offshore wind and other wind energy news & analysis on Windpower Monthly

www.windpowermonthly.com

There oil workers also acknowledge that the future is in renewable energy.

Why half of oil and gas workers are looking to offshore wind

Read Why half of oil and gas workers are looking to offshore wind and other wind energy news & analysis on Windpower Monthly

www.windpowermonthly.com

 

[Lord of Planar]

Electric cars leads to less C02 emission even in worst case scenario.

"In the worst case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in China and driven in Poland still emits 22% less CO2 than diesel and 28% less than petrol. And in the best case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in Sweden and driven in Sweden can emit 80% less CO2 than diesel and 81% less than petrol.

We also see that electric cars will reduce CO2 emissions four-fold by 2030 thanks to an EU grid relying more and more on renewables."

How clean are electric cars? | Transport & Environment

How much CO2 can electric cars really save compared to diesel and petrol cars? To answer this question we have developed a tool that compiles all the most up-to-date data on CO2 emissions linked to the use of an electric, diesel or petrol car.

www.transportenvironment.org

There even US under a president that promise to save the coal industry gets more power from renewables than coal.

Renewables outpace nuclear and coal in the US

The latest edition of the US Energy Information Administration’s <i>Electric Power Monthly</i> report shows renewables generated more electricity through May 31 than coal and nuclear.

www.pv-magazine.com

You like to talk about the ecological footprint of coal and other fossil fuels.

Have you ever taken a moment to look into the ecological impact of mining the metals for the electric car batteries, or are you a professional hypocrite?

 

[Jack Hays]

California’s Looming ‘Green New Car Wreck’
The numbers don’t pencil out for the future where just 25% of cars in California would be electric. On September 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that will ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars in the Golden State by 2035. Ignoring the hard lessons of this past summer, when California’s solar- and…
Continue reading →

 

[Jack Hays]

Sustainability
COVID Boosts Private Vehicles Over “Sustainable Mobility”
Guest “silver lining to dark cloud” by David Middleton Sep 29, 2020Covid Causing Shift From Public Transport To CarsDave KeatingContributor Energy The Coronavirus pandemic is causing people to shun public transport in favor of private cars in Germany, according to a report from the German Aerospace Center. In a survey conducted by the center’s Institute for Transport Research…

 

[Bergslagstroll]

California’s Looming ‘Green New Car Wreck’
The numbers don’t pencil out for the future where just 25% of cars in California would be electric. On September 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that will ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars in the Golden State by 2035. Ignoring the hard lessons of this past summer, when California’s solar- and…
Continue reading →

Almost half new cars are already pure electric in Norway.

Norway sets electric car record as battery autos least dented by Covid-19 crisis

Electric car sales worldwide are suffering less from the Covid-19 crisis than petrol and diesel rivals, in sign of hope for a shift to cleaner transport

www.climatechangenews.com

The battery capacity of electric car batteries are also already ten times the daily commute, so electric car batteries can also be used for energy storage.

Electric Vehicle Batteries Will ‘Dwarf’ The Grid’s Energy-Storage Needs

There will be more than enough batteries in electric vehicles by 2050 to support a grid that runs on solar and wind—if the two are connected by smart chargers, according to experts at the International Renewable Energy Agency.

www.forbes.com

 

[Bergslagstroll]

You like to talk about the ecological footprint of coal and other fossil fuels.

Have you ever taken a moment to look into the ecological impact of mining the metals for the electric car batteries, or are you a professional hypocrite?

The environmental impact are tiny compared that of fossil fuels. That you for example have 500 000 swimmingpools of toxic waste just a long one Canadian river.

Alberta, Canada's oil sands is the world's most destructive oil operation—and it's growing

Can Canada develop its climate leadership and its lucrative oil sands too?

www.nationalgeographic.com

Also a lot are done to reduce the social and environmental impact of electric cars. There this will also put pressure on fossil fuel companies and other companies to start caring about social and environmental then they for example buy cobalt from Kongo.

As Electric Vehicles Take Off, Europe Plans ‘Battery Passport’ To Ensure Responsible Sourcing Of Materials

A new initiative, known as the Battery Passport, aims at making the whole production of future batteries more sustainable. It could ascertain the chemical composition and quality standards, strengthen recycling and even eliminate child labour.

www.forbes.com

 

[Jack Hays]

Electric Vehicles
Mandating electric vehicles without a plan will be devastating to California’s economy
Ramifications of California Governor Newsom’s ban on sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 Guest essay by Ronald Stein Ambassador for Energy & Infrastructure, Irvine, California Before sky diving, you need to plan ahead by having a parachute before you jump. California Governor Newsom’s recent suicidal jump onto the EV train has a minimum of eight (8)…

 

[Jack Hays]

Tens Of Thousands Of Automotive Jobs On The Brink, Climate Policy Hammers Once Mighty German Auto Industry
By P Gosselin on 3. October 2020

Share this...

The future for the backbone of the German economy is looking bleak. A look at the impacts of climate policy on the German car industry.
===============================================
By AR Göhring at EIKE
(Text translated/edited by P. Gosselin)
Not only at Daimler, Volkswagen and others, but elsewhere the working people have to fear for their jobs after Brussels and Berlin have declared war on Germany’s most important industry. Now the automotive supply chain is also being hard hit. . . .

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Tens Of Thousands Of Automotive Jobs On The Brink, Climate Policy Hammers Once Mighty German Auto Industry
By P Gosselin on 3. October 2020

Share this...

The future for the backbone of the German economy is looking bleak. A look at the impacts of climate policy on the German car industry.
===============================================
By AR Göhring at EIKE
(Text translated/edited by P. Gosselin)
Not only at Daimler, Volkswagen and others, but elsewhere the working people have to fear for their jobs after Brussels and Berlin have declared war on Germany’s most important industry. Now the automotive supply chain is also being hard hit. . . .

German car companies need to be part of the transition towards electric cars to stay competitive.

The Age of Electric Cars Is Dawning Ahead of Schedule (Published 2020)

Battery prices are dropping faster than expected. Analysts are moving up projections of when an electric vehicle won’t need government incentives to be cheaper than a gasoline model.

www.nytimes.com

There German car makers also starting to realize that.

VW to spend €60 billion on switch to electric cars – DW – 11/15/2019

The German car giant said it will invest even more money than previously planned into expanding its electric fleet. Over the next decade, VW plans to roll out 75 completely electric models and 60 hybrid vehicles.

www.dw.com

Leaked VW ID.4 dealer document shows it's rightfully targeting gas SUVs for conquest

A dealer cheat sheet for the upcoming VW ID.4 electric SUV has been leaked, and it shows that the company...

electrek.co

Mercedes just revealed how it plans to conquer electric cars — and Tesla should be nervous

Mercedes-Benz outlined how it plans to challenge Tesla as the premier luxury electric car brand.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[RetiredUSN]

Renewables and electric cars are now sound investments.

Renewable Energy and Electric Cars Pressure Oil Economically as Well as Environmentally - 24/7 Wall St.

Investing in renewable energy gets a lot of attention for being the “right thing” to do to save the planet from the effects of climate change. Rarely, however, is it praised as a sound economic investment. That could be changing.
...
"Our analysis indicates that for the same capital outlay today, new wind and solar-energy projects in tandem with battery electric vehicles (EVs) will produce 6x-7x more useful energy at the wheels than will oil at $60/[barrel] for gasoline-powered LDVs, and 3x-4x more than will oil at $60/[barrel] for LDVs running on diesel.” (EVs are defined as all-electric vehicles, not hybrids, plugin or otherwise.)

California's rolling blackouts should be an eye opener.

Bad policies with incompetent planning.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

California's rolling blackouts should be an eye opener.

Bad policies with incompetent planning.

Even red Texas sees the great benefits of renewable energy.

Texas is embracing renewable energy – and its wind power is soaring | World Economic Forum

Also that Denmark gets 64 percent and Germany 42 percent of their electricity from wind and solar power without rolling blackouts.

Europe now gets 21% of its electricity from solar and wind

Globally 10% of all energy was produced by solar panels and wind turbines in the first half of 2020.

www.euronews.com

There are also many ways California can improve their ability to regulate supply and demand like for example through battery storage.

Why Energy Storage Is Proving Even More Disruptive Than Cheap Renewables

The falling price of renewable energy is not the only disruptive change in the energy business: battery storage is altering the way utilities provide power.

www.forbes.com

How the Tesla big battery became the “heartbeat” of Australia’s main grid

New report provides more insight into performance of Tesla big battery, its ability to keep the lights on in South Australia, and become the “heartbeat” of the grid.

reneweconomy.com.au

There California are now making investment in those technologies.

California Grid Operator Adds 62 Megawatts of Battery Storage, Largest in U.S. » EnerKnol

The California Independent System Operator Corp. on July 13 announced that the first phase of LS Power Group’s Gateway Energy Storage Project connected to its power grid, adding 62.5 megawatts of storage, the largest in the U.S.

enerknol.com

Their electric cars can also works as energy storage.

Audi tests new bi-directional charging for electric cars to store solar energy

Audi announced that it is testing a new bi-directional charging system for its electric vehicles with the goal to use...

electrek.co

Also that fossil fuel plants will break down more often as heat waves becomes more frequent so that is one more reason for increasing investments in renewable energy and energy storage.

What happened to our electricity system in the heat? Coal and gas plants failed | Nicky Ison

We still have time to avert the worst impacts of climate change, but heatwaves are now an inevitable part of Australia’s future

www.theguardian.com

 

[RetiredUSN]

Even red Texas sees the great benefits of renewable energy.

Texas is embracing renewable energy – and its wind power is soaring | World Economic Forum

Also that Denmark gets 64 percent and Germany 42 percent of their electricity from wind and solar power without rolling blackouts.

Europe now gets 21% of its electricity from solar and wind

Globally 10% of all energy was produced by solar panels and wind turbines in the first half of 2020.

www.euronews.com

There are also many ways California can improve their ability to regulate supply and demand like for example through battery storage.

Why Energy Storage Is Proving Even More Disruptive Than Cheap Renewables

The falling price of renewable energy is not the only disruptive change in the energy business: battery storage is altering the way utilities provide power.

www.forbes.com

How the Tesla big battery became the “heartbeat” of Australia’s main grid

New report provides more insight into performance of Tesla big battery, its ability to keep the lights on in South Australia, and become the “heartbeat” of the grid.

reneweconomy.com.au

There California are now making investment in those technologies.

California Grid Operator Adds 62 Megawatts of Battery Storage, Largest in U.S. » EnerKnol

The California Independent System Operator Corp. on July 13 announced that the first phase of LS Power Group’s Gateway Energy Storage Project connected to its power grid, adding 62.5 megawatts of storage, the largest in the U.S.

enerknol.com

Their electric cars can also works as energy storage.

Audi tests new bi-directional charging for electric cars to store solar energy

Audi announced that it is testing a new bi-directional charging system for its electric vehicles with the goal to use...

electrek.co

Also that fossil fuel plants will break down more often as heat waves becomes more frequent so that is one more reason for increasing investments in renewable energy and energy storage.

What happened to our electricity system in the heat? Coal and gas plants failed | Nicky Ison

We still have time to avert the worst impacts of climate change, but heatwaves are now an inevitable part of Australia’s future

www.theguardian.com

I'm onboard with renewable energy, but we aren't even close to being there yet.

Pretending that we are doesn't help your argument.

 

[Jack Hays]

Lemming

German car companies need to be part of the transition towards electric cars to stay competitive.

The Age of Electric Cars Is Dawning Ahead of Schedule (Published 2020)

Battery prices are dropping faster than expected. Analysts are moving up projections of when an electric vehicle won’t need government incentives to be cheaper than a gasoline model.

www.nytimes.com

There German car makers also starting to realize that.

VW to spend €60 billion on switch to electric cars – DW – 11/15/2019

The German car giant said it will invest even more money than previously planned into expanding its electric fleet. Over the next decade, VW plans to roll out 75 completely electric models and 60 hybrid vehicles.

www.dw.com

Leaked VW ID.4 dealer document shows it's rightfully targeting gas SUVs for conquest

A dealer cheat sheet for the upcoming VW ID.4 electric SUV has been leaked, and it shows that the company...

electrek.co

Mercedes just revealed how it plans to conquer electric cars — and Tesla should be nervous

Mercedes-Benz outlined how it plans to challenge Tesla as the premier luxury electric car brand.

www.businessinsider.com

Lemmings off a cliff.

 

[Lord of Planar]

The environmental impact are tiny compared that of fossil fuels. That you for example have 500 000 swimmingpools of toxic waste just a long one Canadian river.

Alberta, Canada's oil sands is the world's most destructive oil operation—and it's growing

Can Canada develop its climate leadership and its lucrative oil sands too?

www.nationalgeographic.com

Also a lot are done to reduce the social and environmental impact of electric cars. There this will also put pressure on fossil fuel companies and other companies to start caring about social and environmental then they for example buy cobalt from Kongo.

As Electric Vehicles Take Off, Europe Plans ‘Battery Passport’ To Ensure Responsible Sourcing Of Materials

A new initiative, known as the Battery Passport, aims at making the whole production of future batteries more sustainable. It could ascertain the chemical composition and quality standards, strengthen recycling and even eliminate child labour.

www.forbes.com

Please explain, how they are cleaning the opil out of sand, and that's an ecological disaster?

 

[Paradoxical]

The conclusion of the BNP Paribas analyst was the following:

Here’s his conclusion: “Our analysis indicates that for the same capital outlay today, new wind and solar-energy projects in tandem with battery electric vehicles (EVs) will produce 6x-7x more useful energy at the wheels than will oil at $60/[barrel] for gasoline-powered LDVs, and 3x-4x more than will oil at $60/[barrel] for LDVs running on diesel.”

There is no denying the superior efficiency of electric vehicles. There is simply much more bang for the energy expended. I power my EV from my household renewables. It works out beautifully, so I can fully relate to the author's conclusion. How do you power your EV?

Is your power company run by wind or solar power?

 

[longview]

German car companies need to be part of the transition towards electric cars to stay competitive.

The Age of Electric Cars Is Dawning Ahead of Schedule (Published 2020)

Battery prices are dropping faster than expected. Analysts are moving up projections of when an electric vehicle won’t need government incentives to be cheaper than a gasoline model.

www.nytimes.com

There German car makers also starting to realize that.

VW to spend €60 billion on switch to electric cars – DW – 11/15/2019

The German car giant said it will invest even more money than previously planned into expanding its electric fleet. Over the next decade, VW plans to roll out 75 completely electric models and 60 hybrid vehicles.

www.dw.com

Leaked VW ID.4 dealer document shows it's rightfully targeting gas SUVs for conquest

A dealer cheat sheet for the upcoming VW ID.4 electric SUV has been leaked, and it shows that the company...

electrek.co

Mercedes just revealed how it plans to conquer electric cars — and Tesla should be nervous

Mercedes-Benz outlined how it plans to challenge Tesla as the premier luxury electric car brand.

www.businessinsider.com

Why not change the fuel to carbon neutral, than to attempt to reinvent the economy?

 

[Jack Hays]

Transportation
ABC Tests an Electric Vehicle in the Australian Countryside
Works great, providing you can afford the expense, don’t hit a strong headwind, and enjoy the adventure of exploring country towns while waiting for a recharge.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Transportation
ABC Tests an Electric Vehicle in the Australian Countryside
Works great, providing you can afford the expense, don’t hit a strong headwind, and enjoy the adventure of exploring country towns while waiting for a recharge.

I have wondered how long the batteries last when using the heater in the winter, or AC in the summer? Headlights at night...

I haven't seen any practical information on such things.

 

[Jack Hays]

I have wondered how long the batteries last when using the heater in the winter, or AC in the summer? Headlights at night...

I haven't seen any practical information on such things.

Good questions.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Please explain, how they are cleaning the opil out of sand, and that's an ecological disaster?

The bitumen have to extracted through mining leading to massive amount of pollutions.

"In most of Alberta, the bitumen is buried so deep that wells must be drilled to extract it, and steam injected to mobilize it, at great energy cost. But north of Fort McMurray the bitumen layer is shallow enough that it can be strip mined in huge open pits.

A quick look north using Google map’s satellite view clearly shows some of the impacts on the landscape. Scattered along the banks of the Athabasca River is one of the world’s largest collections of tailings waste ponds—able to fill more than 500,000 Olympic swimming pools. These are so toxic, ducks and other birds have to be prevented from going near them."

Alberta, Canada's oil sands is the world's most destructive oil operation—and it's growing

Can Canada develop its climate leadership and its lucrative oil sands too?

www.nationalgeographic.com