The Green Party of Saskatchewan is opposed to all exploration, drilling and extraction of the province's tar sands (AKA Oil Sands).
Tarsands development in Alberta has been demonstrated by independent scientists(footnote 1) to be adding highly toxic metals and polycyclic aromatic compounds to the downstream and downwind environment. The only plausible explanation so far given for the sudden high incidence of rare cancers in the downstream community of Fort Chipewyan is the impact of these substances. Western Saskatchewan forests and lakes are already suffering from acid rain generated by Alberta's tarsands industry. Tarsands extraction uses much higher volumes of water, and significantly larger amounts of energy, than conventional oil operations.
In addition to these local effects, the development of tarsands poses a major threat to the global climate. Leading NASA climate scientist Dr. Jim Hansen presents the situation in stark terms:
"exploitation of tar sands would make it implausible to stabilize climate and avoid disastrous global climate impacts.... if emissions from coal are phased out over the next few decades and if unconventional fossil fuels are left in the ground, it is conceivable to stabilize climate. Phase out of emissions from coal is itself an enormous challenge. However, if the tar sands are thrown into the mix it is essentially game over." (footnote 2)
Hansen is referring to climate change turning irreversible, resulting in an end to the natural systems which support human life over much of the globe.
Green Party of Saskatchewan deputy leader Dr Mark Bigland-Pritchard said: "There are much better, safer and more durable ways to prosperity than poisoning our neighbours and imperilling the stability of the global climate. We oppose all tarsands development in Saskatchewan, and stand in solidarity with the
movement in the USA to stop the Keystone XL pipeline."
Contact:
Mark Bigland-Pritchard
(306)249-4101
1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2789758 ,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941314
2 http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2011/20110603_SilenceIsDeadly.pdf
