Discover
/
Article

Oil sands and the environment

FEB 01, 2011

DOI: 10.1063/1.3554327

Susan Casey‑Lefkowitz

The December 2009 issue of PHYSICS TODAY (page 8 ) had an interesting letter exchange on environmental effects in the Alberta tar sands—especially on the impacts of oil development on birds. In response to a letter, Murray Gray, Zhenghe Xu, and Jacob Masliyah, authors of the original article on the subject (PHYSICS TODAY, March 2009, page 31 ), wrote that claims of the specific adverse effects on birds and bird habitat were “grossly exaggerated,” as though the claims focused only on the effects of mining and the tailings ponds that store waste products. Yet the Natural Resources Defense Council study to which the article authors seem to refer also reviewed the current and potential future effects of fragmentation from in situ drilling, water withdrawal, air and water toxins, and global warming. 1 The harmful effects of tar-sands operations on birds nesting in the region are very real and will grow if the oil-removal operations continue along their planned path of rapid expansion.

The public in the US and Canada needs to understand the real, long‑term ecological costs of tar-sands oil development and determine whether petroleum from that source is what people want fueling their motor vehicles. Birds are telling us it is time for a change in North American energy policy. Better energy options are available, options that do not foul our air, poison our waters, or kill our backyard birds.

References

  1. 1. Natural Resources Defense Council, Danger in the Nursery: Impact on Birds of Tar Sands Oil Development in Canada’s Boreal Forest, NRDC, New York, 2008 available online at http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/borealbirds .

More about the Authors

Susan Casey‑Lefkowitz . (sclefkowitz@nrdc.org) Natural Resources Defense Council Washington, DC.

This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_2011_02.jpeg

Volume 64, Number 2

Related content
/
Article
/
Article
/
Article
/
Article
/
Article
/
Article

Get PT in your inbox

Physics Today - The Week in Physics

The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.

Physics Today - Table of Contents
Physics Today - Whitepapers & Webinars
By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.