Absolutely superb piece.

Every economist and every trader who sits in a clean little cubicle somewhere on the planet should visit the tar sands. Smell it up close and personal.

What are we doing? In God's name, what are we doing?

What in the world is going to be the true cost of this last little rabbit?

We should also be concerned about being overwhelmed by the avalanche from the dead-bunny mountain of previous consumption.

When you're done pulling out your hair. Get into the garage and dust off that bicycle. Get a bus pass.

Driving a car is explicit support for tar sand development. Make it a moral issue. BECAUSE IT IS.

Now why would anyone have to go there and smell it for, all one has to do is look at those old promo pieces Suncor put out where the oil sands and wind power walked hand in hand transitioning into a brave new and clean future. Yes I bought that pap but at least I got out a year ago when that smell reached me, in my little cubicle. I thought I was investing in a company that saw the end of oil and was moving to a clean power. I don't even believe in clean power any more. Every bit of new 'alternate' energy we come up with is not going IMO into saving the planet just into adding that much more energy for us to abuse it with.

Sorry for the rant and really it isn't directed at you personally, just a general shotgun blast. I just got pissed with the sudden thought of all the people who eat chicken but say they wouldn't kill a fly. No one ever looks at what their pension plans hold(or even RRSP mutual funds which are pretty darn transparent).

BTW I am not a professional trader if that is any excuse for not taking a closer look where my investment money was going.

Smell it up close and personal.

Yes, please. What kicked me over from opposed to oil reliance for intellectual reasons to disgusted by the sight of it was being a passenger in a car as it drove past an oil refinery. That smell was unforgettably foul, worse even than mountains of uncomposted cow dung. Most people associate memories strongly with smells, so I think it's a very effective way to drive a point home and make it stick.