Tar sands and fracking are very different processes but have very similar impacts on the economy, society and the environment. So, before we start comparing, what are tar sands? Tar sands, or oil sands is the mixture of sand, clay and water, which contains extra heavy crude oil called bitumen. Because Bitumen is very sticky and viscous, there are special ways to mine it. There are 2 main ways, open-pit mining and In-situ, but we will be focusing on In-situ as it is the main way of obtaining bitumen. To obtain bitumen using In-Situ, they drill downwards until they reach the tar sands, then they drill horizontally, and once they’ve drilled far enough, they pump in steam into the well to liquify the bitumen. Once it is liquified, it is pumped back to the surface where it can be obtained. Now, onto the comparison. Which one benefits the Economy more, tar sands or fracking? Well, I would say that …show more content…
Tar sands or Fracking? I think that Tar sands is better for the environment. Yes, tar sands uses a lot of electricity and water, and emits greenhouse gases too, but, unlike fracking, it doesn’t have any spreading chemicals, and doesn’t have any contamination problems that could harm the environment and the people around it. Tar sands is also not as big and common as fracking, so therefore in total the tar sands industry would be emitting much less greenhouse gases compared to fracking. And yes, even though the bitumen contaminates the water and steam used, it does not spread like fracking, and can be filtered back into water from man made technologies that are still developing now. Overall, it emits greenhouse gases and uses a lot of water and electricity, but, fracking also uses a lot of water, electricity, and also emits greenhouse gases, PLUS, it has deadly chemicals that can spread and cause a lot of damage to the ecosystems and people around it. This is why I believe tar sands are better for the