We started a short and sweet resource page on the environmental impacts of the Canada Oil Sands operation. If you would like to add a link to further resources drop us a line at: desmogblog [at] gmail [dot] com or leave it in the comment section below. 
If the fact that the Alberta Oil Sands are the largest point source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada isn't enough to get you to stand up and take notice, maybe the ducks trapped and dying in the toxic tailing ponds will.
The oil sands are licensed to use more fresh water in a year than the entire City of Calgary (about the same size as Austin, Texas) and 90% of that fresh water ends up in massive tailing ponds, so large that that they are considered one of the largest human-made structures in the world.
Nearly two-thirds of Albertans believe that oil-sands developers are capturing some or all of their carbon emissions and storing them safely underground. In fact, every heat-trapping gram coming out of the oil patch today heads for the sky.
How come so many are so misinformed?
Maybe it's because the song they're playing is the one we really want to hear.
Apparently we polar bears aren't the only ones asking the Alberta government to "press pause" on breakneck oil-sands development. Even some oil companies believe that certain areas should be spared the teeth of their power shovels, a Globe and Mail report reveals.
Environmental Defence has released a report calling the Alberta Oil Sands the most destructive project on Earth.
Few Canadians know that Canada is home to one of the world's largest dams and it is built to hold toxic waste from just one Tar Sands operation," Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence.
And according to the report this is just the beginning. Approvals have already been given that will double the size of existing operations and Canada's leaders have been talking with the US government to grow oil sands operations in a "short time span."
Looks like the tables have been turned on political hopefuls in Alberta. Instead of them polling us, for once the politicians are being polled on their views of the Alberta oil sands development.
Launched by the Pembina Institute, the 5 minute online poll has been sent to all the candidates running in the current Alberta provincial election.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
