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Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the tar sands. For more questions and more in-depth answers, please click here.

What is the difference between "oil sands" and "tar sands"?

The difference is only the name.  In the 1970s, the oil industry wanted to make the tar sands sound cleaner, so they created a campaign to rename them "oil sands" and focus on the fact that oil would be derived from them.

What is the difference between oil from the tar sands and conventional oil?

Conventional oil is liquid and flows easily enough to be pumped to the surface without any human intervention.  Oil from the tar sands has to be heated with steam in order to be fluid and this requires the use of immense amounts of power and water.

Doesn't Alberta already have laws about greenhouse gas emissions?

Alberta is the only province in Canada that has legislated emissions targets, but these are intensity targets rather than hard caps.  This means that emissions as a percentage of economic activity will be reduced, but the actual amount of emissions will be allowed to increase.

The latest updates

 

Win for B.C.'s orcas!!

Blog entry by Sarah King | February 13, 2012

The countless hours spent scouring legal documents, appearing in court and enduring what must have been trying exchanges with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) by our awesome lawyers at Ecojustice has all paid off. Read more >

We are the lucky ones at Greenpeace

We are the lucky ones at Greenpeace

Blog entry by Stephanie Goodwin | February 9, 2012

I am one of the lucky ones.  Not everyone can say that they are surrounded by greatness, passion and humour at work.  But I can.  In fact, I am regularly humbled by those around me at Greenpeace. My closest colleague for the latter... Read more >

Forest Hero: UN awards Amazon Campaign Director

Forest Hero: UN awards Amazon Campaign Director

Blog entry by Jess Miller | February 9, 2012

Paulo Adario, who heads up our Amazon campaign , may not be your archetypal hero (we’ve never seen him don tights), but we’re proud to announce that he has just been awarded the honour of “Forest Hero” by the UN.  He’s not one to tout... Read more >

Only half of Great Bear Rainforest off-limits to logging:

Only half of Great Bear Rainforest off-limits to logging:

Feature story | February 7, 2012 at 10:08

Despite widespread public and political support for an agreement to save one of the world’s last and largest intact coastal temperate rainforests, only half of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest is currently protected from logging. Read more >

Open Letter to Premier Christy Clark on the Implementation of the February 7, 2006...

Blog entry by Eduardo Sousa | February 7, 2012

February 7, 2012 The Hon. Christy Clark Premier, Government of British Columbia PO Box 9041 STN Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W9E1 Dear Premier Clark: Today is the sixth anniversary of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements... Read more >

Chasing down the truth of Harper’s “oil sands advocacy strategy”

Chasing down the truth of Harper’s “oil sands advocacy strategy”

Blog entry by Keith Stewart | January 30, 2012

I’ve spoken with a lot of politicians over the years, but I’ve never had one run away from me before. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, as it’s no secret that our federal Minister of Natural Resources doesn’t have a lot of time... Read more >

Federal government refuses to protect caribou

Federal government refuses to protect caribou

Blog entry by Catharine Grant, Forest Campaigner | January 27, 2012

Environment Minister Peter Kent is still refusing to issue an emergency order to protect Alberta’s woodland caribou, despite a court order last July asking him to in light of scientific evidence. Kent has suggested that the existing... Read more >

Confidential federal tar sands strategy targets Aboriginal and green groups

Confidential federal tar sands strategy targets Aboriginal and green groups

Feature story | January 26, 2012 at 14:34

As controversy increases over the Harper government’s attacks on environmental groups, Greenpeace Canada today released internal government documents obtained under Access to Information legislation showing that the Harper government has... Read more >

Greenpeace ad labels Asia Pulp & Paper a tiger killer

Greenpeace ad labels Asia Pulp & Paper a tiger killer

Feature story | January 23, 2012 at 9:00

Greenpeace launched an advertising campaign today illustrating the consequences of Asia Pulp & Paper’s (APP) rainforest destruction on the critically endangered Sumatran tiger in Indonesia. The tiger themed advertisement, appearing in locations... Read more >

U.S. State Department: Keystone pipeline proponents inflated jobs number 20-fold

U.S. State Department: Keystone pipeline proponents inflated jobs number 20-fold

Blog entry by Keith Stewart | January 20, 2012

There was, understandably, a lot of coverage of the Obama administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. But very few people seem to have read the full “ Report to Congress ” filed by the U.S. State Department... Read more >

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