I also wrote a piece related to oil sands, US oil imports and the recent UN climate change conference in Montreal:

http://mikewatkins.net/categories/politics/election2006_day12_petrochem.html

My inspiration for writing the piece came from many reports in the media touting the US vs Canada greenhouse gas emissions increase from 1990 - 2003 - US 13%, Canada 24%.

This has frequently been touted as justification for the US not signing on to Kyoto or joining with international efforts.

My point, only partly illustrated in the piece, is that the US has effectively "outsourced" a big chunk of its CO2 / GHG emissions to other countries, and Canada, particularly because of increases in oil sands production during the measured period, has seen its GHG emissions grow at a much more rapid rate. I cite some stats which are interesting too in the peak oil sense.

I didn't mention this in the piece but oil sands production generates twice as much nitrogen and sulpher oxides as conventional oil production; and GHG emissions are almost three times as much as conventional oil (average) production.

If, when, Peak Oil becomes a reality (or the fear of it becomes widespread) we are going to see climate and pollution concerns take a back seat to production.

At present, its political suicide to suggest anything but full steam (pun intended) ahead in the oil sands... more than 100 billion in investment is current and this number is only going to grow. GHG intensity reductions will be part of the mix but rapid output growth will not be offset by new GHG containment strategies anytime soon.

Useful document (pdf) by the Pembina Institute:
http://www.oilsandswatch.org/docs/osf-book.pdf

Related sites:
http://www.oilsandswatch.org/
http://www.pembina.org/

mw: I agree, however why does TH state or imply that there is any activity in ANWAR?  " Most of you are already aware of the damage caused by the burning and the extraction of oil (in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, for example)."  I was on the northslope last Nov and I was not aware of any activity in ANWAR. This can only take away from their credibility. Plus many other statements they have made in the past.

I know what Canada would like to do.  But if the investment costs keep escalating and the net energy keeps declining tar sands are going to peak pretty soon.