The oil sands contribute to global warming primarily because their extraction and processing require significantly more energy and release more greenhouse gases compared to conventional oil production.
Here's a breakdown of how oil sands contribute to global warming:
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Energy-Intensive Extraction: Bitumen, the type of oil found in oil sands, is very thick and doesn't flow easily. This necessitates energy-intensive extraction methods such as:
- Surface Mining: Involves removing vast amounts of soil and rock to access the bitumen.
- In-Situ Extraction: Uses steam or solvents injected underground to liquefy the bitumen for pumping.
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Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Due to the energy-intensive extraction and upgrading processes, oil sands production results in higher greenhouse gas emissions.
- Life Cycle Emissions: Emissions from oil sands are approximately 30% higher than those from conventional oil sources across their entire life cycle (from extraction to consumption). This includes emissions from:
- Deforestation and habitat destruction
- Energy consumption for extraction, upgrading, and transportation
- Combustion of the final products
- Life Cycle Emissions: Emissions from oil sands are approximately 30% higher than those from conventional oil sources across their entire life cycle (from extraction to consumption). This includes emissions from:
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Land Disturbance and Deforestation: Oil sands development often involves clearing forests and disturbing large areas of land.
- Loss of Carbon Sinks: Forests act as crucial carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Deforestation releases this stored carbon, contributing to global warming.
- Habitat Destruction: Loss of habitat impacts biodiversity and can further disrupt ecosystems' ability to regulate carbon.
In summary, the extra energy required to extract and process bitumen leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation associated with oil sands development reduces carbon sinks, all of which exacerbate global warming.
