Greenpeace plans more actions in oil sands

Hi everyone,
As we all understand oil is one of the major source of energy. I have read the above mentioned article in The Star news paper on 24th March, 2010. The news was mainly on the intention of Environmental Activist “Greenpeace” to disrupt the production of oil sands by the Canadian government. The effect oil sand was mentioned as damaging the environment and nearby community.

The article also highlighted that Greenpeace has a C$200,000 ($196,000) budget to campaign against the oil sands, Hudema said, a fraction of what multinational oil companies and the Alberta government itself spend on its oil sands messages, he said.

Actually what is Oil sand?? and how it can affect the environment?

Oil sands, also known as tar sands, or extra heavy oil, are a type of bitumen deposit. The sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand or clay, water and an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen. They are found in large amounts in many countries throughout the world, but are found in extremely large quantities in Canada and Venezuela.

Canada is the largest supplier of crude oil and refined products to the United States, supplying about 20% of total U.S. imports, and exports more oil and products to the U.S. than it consumes itself. Most of the oil sands of Canada are located in three major deposits in northern Alberta (54,000 sq mi) and hold proven reserves of 1.75 trillion barrels (280×10^9 m3) of bitumen in place.

Like all mining and non-renewable resource development projects, oil sands operations have an effect on the environment. Oil sands projects affect: the land when the bitumen is initially mined and with large deposits of toxic chemicals; the water during the separation process and through the drainage of rivers; and the air due to the release of carbon dioxide and other emissions, as well as deforestation. Additional indirect environmental effects are that the petroleum products produced are mostly burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Cannadian goverment has taken few action to control this oil sand operation as such increase the tax, controlled release of liecence for the oil sand companies and enforcement of Law.

You may refer the articles at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/24/worldupdates/2010-03-24T052833Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-471672-1&sec=Worldupdates