Table of Contents
How does production of oil from tar sands contribute to global warming?
All told, producing and processing tar sands oil results in roughly 14 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than the average oil used in the U.S. And greenhouse gas emissions per barrel have stopped improving and started increasing slightly, thanks to increasing development of greenhouse gas–intensive melting-in-place …
How much co2 per barrel does tar sand production of oil produce?
According to Birn’s study, the least carbon-intensive operations produced the equivalent of 39 kilograms of carbon dioxide per barrel, while the most intensive produced 127 kilograms—a threefold gap.
What is carbon intensive tar sands oil?
Tar sands oil is one of the most carbon intensive form of energy—substituting it for conventional oil increases global warming emissions by 20\%, when of course we need to reduce emissions more than 20\% in the near future.
What is tar sand used for?
Tar sands (also known as oil sands) are a mixture of mostly sand, clay, water, and a thick, molasses-like substance called bitumen. Bitumen is made of hydrocarbons—the same molecules in liquid oil—and is used to produce gasoline and other petroleum products.
How bad is tar sand oil?
In fact, oil from tar sands is one of the most destructive, carbon-intensive and toxic fuels on the planet. Producing it releases three times as much greenhouse gas pollution as conventional crude oil does. In fact, it has become one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in that country.
Are Alberta oil sands bad?
Tar sands oil — even the name sounds bad. And it is bad. In fact, oil from tar sands is one of the most destructive, carbon-intensive and toxic fuels on the planet. Tar-sands development has already wreaked havoc on the environment and communities in Alberta, Canada — and companies are racing to expand the industry.
What is wrong with tar sands oil?
How toxic are tar sands?
Studies have found levels of mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxins at elevated levels near the area’s tar sands excavation sites. 5 These chemicals are known carcinogens and cause the types of rare cancers—including cancer of the bile ducts—that are on the rise among members of the Fort Chipewyan community.
What is the cleanest burning fossil fuel?
Natural gas is a relatively clean burning fossil fuel Burning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning coal or petroleum products to produce an equal amount of energy.