An oil boom is bringing news jobs and strengthening the economy but also harming the environment.
Almost half of Canada's oil production comes from the oil sands - and the energy industry estimates that enough oil can be economically extracted to fill the country's needs for three centuries.
The vast majority of Canadian oil exports goes to the United States, and the Bush administration sees the remaining resources as America's best hope for reducing dependence on Middle Eastern oil."
"The benefits may be great, but the toll on other natural resources is also enormous...With development expected to triple, or even quintuple, in the next few decades, producers and government officials puzzle over how to harness the oil sands' potential with less cost to the climate, land, water and the well-being of native peoples who fear that cancer cases in a downstream community may be a sign of lethal industrial pollution.
"The industry, which generates billions of dollars in economic activity, royalties and taxes each year, says it plans to minimize environmental effects through improved efficiency and land restoration required by government leases."
"Like a modern gold rush, the oil sands development has lured thousands of workers with jobs that may pay more than $100,000 a year..."
"Provincial water officials say they know of no water pollution from the oil sands, but some elders who once drank directly from the lake now even avoid drinking from remote streams when they hunt and trap."
FULL STORY: Black gold's tarnish seen in Canada
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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