Oilsands are NOT the largest polluter in Canada

[Anonymous]

Environment Canada tracks trends in GHG emissions and breaks that down further to identify "single" emitters. Passenger transport, electricity utility generation, and forest land management practices far exceed emissions from oil sands. My province produces more pollution than Alberta, but our industry doesn't receive near the negative press as Alberta and it's top industry.



I would be angered too if foreign money and foreign competition was financing untruths about my industry.

[Romero]

Environment Canada tracks trends in GHG emissions and breaks that down further to identify "single" emitters. Passenger transport, electricity utility generation, and forest land management practices far exceed emissions from oil sands.

If the Vice President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has to compare oil sands pollution to tens of millions of cars, trucks and buses, it must be pretty bad.



Alberta is by far Canada's largest polluter.



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[Anonymous]

^^Not true my friend. When it comes to emissions of smog pollutants and greenhouse gases, OPG's coal plants are Ontario's pollution giants. In fact, OPG's coal plants produce 40 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions reported by Ontario industrial facilities to Environment Canada and continue to be Canada's number one corporate source of greenhouse gases.

[Romero]

It's true. Alberta is the largest polluter in Canada according to Environment Canada.



The oil sands used to be less polluting than all the coal-fired power plants in Ontario, but they're being shut down. The last two large plants are closing this year and the last small plant is going to be shut down next year. By 2015 Ontario will have no emissions from coal plants.



And the emissions from the oil sands is just from extracting it! Before the oil is even burned!

[Anonymous]

^^ We were told originally 2007 and then 2009 and now it's supposed to be 2015. At the plants in Nanticoke and Lambton, carbon dioxide emissions increased by 20 per cent from 2004 to 2005 and by 90 per cent for all the coal plants since 1995.

But the pollution doesn't stop there. OPG plants also produce waste that contains toxic chemicals like arsenic and mercury, which is either buried in on-site landfills or sent off-site, often to cement plants where it is re-heated in cement kilns.

[Romero]

The deadlines were too ambitious but Ontario has been shutting down all its coal plants. Only three left and they're on schedule to be shut down this year and next.

[Anonymous]

Romero, I can understand if you don't like Shen Li. She can be a nasty piece of work at times, though she seems to have lightened up a bit lately.



The fact remains that two government entities are the biggest polluters in Canada. OPG is the biggest polluter of the air and the Calgary Wastwater Treatment is the biggest polluter of water.

[Romero]

I like Shen Li! I wouldn't be against the oil sands just because I didn't like somebody.



Regardless of what we compare it to, there's no argument that the sands is a huge polluter.



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[Anonymous]

I like Shen Li! I wouldn't be against the oil sands just because I didn't like somebody.



Regardless of what we compare it to, there's no argument that the sands is a huge polluter.

Sorry about that Romero. I thought there were personal dislike like I have with Gary Oak.



The oilsands pollute, but so do lots of other industries across Canada. They also are working hard to develop new technologies to decrease the amount they pollute.



I would be pissed-off if foreign money was spreading negative propaganda about my industry too.



We have lots of industry here in Ontario that also are ugly and pollute, but do not contribute as much to national GDP.

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