Canucks may become "clean"

[Asher]

Uhmn, no, your cut actually gets higher since you don't need to use a vast amount of the tar sand to extract the oil, so you get more oil to sell

No, it doesn't make it any more efficient in terms of output. Just reduces energy requirements and wastewater.

[notyoueither]

The article says it recovers more oil.

However, this is no different than the ~150 other people and groups who are working on technology they hope will do a better job than what we already have. Of course the oilsands are going to get cleaner and more efficient. They have been getting cleaner and more efficient year over year since development began. There are billions, or trillions, of dollars to be made by making them so, you silly Dane.

[Asher]

From what I've heard from far more credible people, it doesn't recover any more oil. It just reduces initial cap-ex, ongoing op-ex (if it works in large scale), and is better PR. So obviously they're taking it seriously. But as you say, nye, there's enormous strides made every year in making it more economical and environmentally friendly and this is just one example. It's in the papers because some university is tooting their horn about it.

There's an entire building on the UofC campus (the Petro-Canada building ), that's essentially dedicated to oil sands applied research.

[Wezil]

"However, the production of petroleum from tar sands causes environmental damage."

LIES!! There is no environmental damage from the tar sands. [/Albertan]

[Asher]

It depends if you consider it damage or giving mother nature the what-for.

[Wezil]

To this date, except for religious threads, that was the most bizarre conversation I have seen at Poly.

Oil is Alberta's religion.

[Asher]

It's more important than religion. It's our lifeblood.

[notyoueither]

To this date, except for religious threads, that was the most bizarre conversation I have seen at Poly.

It was quite bizarre. I could not figure out what your problem was with land reclamation.

[KrazyHorse]

The article says it recovers more oil.

However, this is no different than the ~150 other people and groups who are working on technology they hope will do a better job than what we already have. Of course the oilsands are going to get cleaner and more efficient. They have been getting cleaner and more efficient year over year since development began. There are billions, or trillions, of dollars to be made by making them so, you silly Dane.

This.

[Wezil]

It was quite bizarre. I could not figure out what your problem was with land reclamation.

It is the "good as new" position you guys hold that astounds.

[Asher]

It is the "good as new" position you guys hold that astounds.

That much is true.

What's wrong with the reclaimed land, specifically?

[Wezil]

Bah, I haven't the inclination to go down the rabbit hole again. Too bad the archives have apparently been lost.

My favourite 3 arguments for pure absurdity (again excluding religion as they are dead ringers for the top 10 at least):

1 - NYE, Asher, Flubber - The oil sands don't cause any lasting environmental damage.
2 - Drake - The Afghan insurgency aren't Afghans.
3 - Serb - Canadian kids grow up dreaming of playing pro hockey in Russia.

[notyoueither]

You might pause and think why three people who don't agree on a lot, but who are quite familiar with the topic agree about this.

Oh, and the claim is not that there is and can be no lasting environmental damage from developing the oilsands. The claim and the dispute was over the reclamation of surface for the open pit mines. You seemed to be absurdly fixated on the landscapng when done.

There are concerns about water. Those are being addressed by the introduction of practices to eliminate tailings ponds. Oh, and ducks, mustn't forget about the ducks.

[Wezil]

You might pause and think why three people who don't agree on a lot, but who are quite familiar with the topic agree about this.

I already answered that actually.

Oil is Alberta's religion.

[notyoueither]

Flubber is a Newf.