There is no silver bullet technology that will provide for the world’s needs – likely a mix of several different renewable sources will be needed – what is clear however is that it’s not the technology that’s lacking but the political will to...

Global warming occurs when the heat from the sun hits the surface of the Earth and begins to radiate back towards outer space, but is trapped by too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The tar sands are made up mostly of sand. Only 10-12 per cent is bitumen – a very heavy crude oil that must be heavily processed and refined to be turned into synthetic crude oil.

Tar sands operations require the use of vast quantities of water, which become contaminated and must be stored in huge tailing ponds. This both depletes local water reserves and threatens to pollute the environment and nearby communities.

The main health concerns related to the tar sands are associated with air and water pollution. In addition to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, tar sands operations also emit other substances into the atmosphere, most notably nitrogen...