Is the Canadian government doing anything at all to address the pollution created by tar sand oil?

Is the Canadian government turning a blind eye toward this problem or have they actually taken real concrete steps to address it?

Probably not they don't seem to get it I don't know what it will take to wake them up!

"This problem"? What, exactly, do you think "this problem" is regarding the oil sands? And what, exactly, do you think they should be doing that they aren't? What, exactly, do you actually *know* about the oil sands?

Our oil sands is the second biggest crude oil reserve in the world - the *world* - accounting for 15% of the world's reserves, second only to Saudi Arabia. It accounts for 42% of Canada's oil output, producing 1.1 million barrels a day, and is on track to increase to 3 million barrels a day by 2020. The industry employs 275,000 people in Canada. The USA buys 20% of its oil from Canada - we are your biggest supplier of oil.

When all the bitumen has been extracted from an area the oil companies are required to restore the land to, at minimum, its previous state. I've been to such a reclaimed area - the pits are filled in, grass and trees are replanted, and this area in particular had buffalo living on it. One of the local Native bands took care of the area. Oil sands is no more destructive than strip mining.

As for greenhouse gas emissions, the oil sands account for 12% of Alberta's emissions, 5% of Canada's, and only 0.1% of the world's. Not even a full percent. Not even *half* a percent. Yes, it does create more omissions than conventional oil production; but the oil companies were required to reduce emissions by 12% as stated in Alberta's Climate Change and Emissions Management Amendment Act. And fun fact - this was the first regulation of its kind in North America.

Environmentalists get on their high horses about the oil sands but I honestly believe they don't understand the situation - and it ticks me off. If you think there's a recession now, close down the oil sands. THAT would get you a recession a hundred times worse than the current economic slowdown.

You want to whine about something impacting the environment? How about NASCAR? Burns lots of fuel, releasing greenhouse gases, for nothing except mindless and pointless entertainment.