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Tar Sands – Solutions, anyone? Canada’s oil extraction problem

Alberta Tar Sands

Image source: Wikipedia

Updated: April 2022

There has been a lot of talking these years about climate change and the multiple ways countries and their citizens can reduce their total carbon footprint. Governments and corporations in North America, Europe, Japan, and other parts of the World have doubled down on their efforts to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and shift towards renewable energy sources, namely solar power, wind turbines, natural gas, and others.

Despite the growing popularity of alternative energy sources, as of 2022, the World is still largely dependent on coal and oil as some of the most commonly used energy sources and fuels. That’s why most of the recommended portable generators run on gas. Their alternatives in form of solar power generators, while being highly popular among the campers, are still usually not powerful enough to serve as home backup generators or to compete with compact inverter generators.

Oil operations are therefore to this date in high demand and provide a lucrative source of income for the authorities and companies in charge.

One such large oil operation site, frequently criticized by environmentalists for its destructing impact on the natural environment, is the tar sands located in Alberta, Canada.

This massive human-made swath of land is currently one of the World’s largest oil reserves. The type of oil extracted there is known as bitumen. Its extraction is a rather complicated task, requiring the extensive use of resources. This means that tar sand oil is not only significantly more expensive than conventional oil but also that the entire process has a more destructive impact on the environment than more commonly seen oil operations.

There have been numerous efforts to resolve the issue of Alberta’s tar sands – the site of roughly the same size as the entire territory of England.

One resource proposing new effective solutions to the problem of tar sands was the site TarSandsSolutions.org. 

After the website halted its operation, Generator Advisor has decided to purchase the domain in order to preserve its legacy and raise awareness of the tar sand issue.

We fully support any initiative aimed at fostering the understanding of the environmental problems caused by oil extraction. We are also committed to our mission of promoting alternative energy sources. That is why we are generally fond of dual fuel generators that allow their users to use natural gas instead of gasoline. We constantly monitor the generators market in search of the quietest and most environmentally friendly portable generators.

While the smallest generators suitable for campers generally do not consume much fuel, nonetheless we find it vital on the larger scale to pay attention to where the oil comes from. That is why we believe that the extraction of tar sands oil is a serious issue that should be addressed by the relevant parties involved.

We hope that in the near future we can all find the solution to the tar sands problem and finally remove this painful scar from the otherwise green and pristine natural landscape of Canada.

Learn more about Alberta’s tar sands here.

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