How Does The Oil Sand Affect Canada

The oil sand are drastically reducing the amount of biodiversity in the ecosystems of Alberta. First of all, diverse habitats are disappearing quickly because of gas and oil exploration, timber harvesting, urban expansion, and many others. Oil deposits are underneath these important ecosystems and the land is taken over by mining companies. Forests, wetlands and fields turn into oil mills, and native species are forced elsewhere. The Institute of Wetlands and Waterfowl Research estimates that approximately 64 per cent of the slough/marsh wetlands in the settled areas of Alberta no longer exist. The loss causes even more problems, like deteriorated water quality, increased algal blooms, loss of species and increased soil erosion. If animals cannot adapt to a new area, their numbers will drop until they are endangered or extinct. For example, many oil operations have ruined the natural boreal forests that caribou live in, and their numbers in Alberta are rapidly decreasing. Herds are being forced to move and they in danger of extinction. Because of the decrease

First, the oil sands are a very important resource to Canada, and the sale of oil benefits the economy greatly. Canada’s Oil Sands states, “The oil and gas industry is Canada’s largest private sector investor, with oil sands alone injecting almost $23 billion into the economy in 2015”. Oil can be made for $24.00 a barrel and sold for upwards $70.00 a barrel resulting in a massive profit for Canadians (Holt, Nigeria of the North). Companies mining the crude oil pay taxes to the government, contributing billions of dollars annually. Finally, oil is traded and sold internationally and strengthens Canada’s relations with other countries, like the United States. Oil is an extremely valuable resource, and oil mining and sales has an irreplaceable benefit in the Canadian