Oil Sands Question and Response (OSQAR) Blog

Dishing the dirt on oil sands TMZ-style

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Celebrities undoubtedly hate the gossip website TMZ.com for its uncanny ability to get the scoop, usually accompanied by unauthorized and usually unflattering video and photos, and latest detail about their private lives. TMZ, by the way, stands for Thirty Mile Zone. Anything film production that happens within 30 miles of the intersection of West Beverly Boulevard and North La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles is counted as “local Hollywood,’’ and determines the rates and work rules film industry unions demand for their members.

Planes, trains and automobiles: Getting under the hood of GHG emissions

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Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation is a critical part of any climate change and energy strategy. It is also the toughest problem to tackle, since in all countries, big or small, rich or poor, personal mobility and the movement of goods are essential for economic efficiency and quality of life.

Trimming GHG emissions: fad diet or balanced approach?

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Greenhouse gases (GHG) may be out of sight, but they’re definitely not out of mind for anyone concerned about the production and consumption of fossil fuels and impacts on climate change.

Can we grow oil sands production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

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A sure sign the world is coming out of recession is that demand for oil has been rising sharply for over the past year. Amid increasing oil prices, Suncor and other developers are planning further investments in Alberta’s oil sands, which is one of the world’s largest petroleum reserves. 

In Situ Oil Sands: Mining’s Hotter, Younger Sibling

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There’s a popular misconception that oil sands equals mining. Not true. There are two types of development:Mining, which has been around for about four decades and is what people tend to think of first when oil sands projects are mentioned. Then there’s a newer method of drilling for the oil-in situ (Latin term meaning “in place”).

What does the U.S. mid-term elections' result mean for energy regulation in North America?

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No one was surprised with the strong mid-term electoral shift in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some pundits are saying the Administration’s “green economy” agenda and national action on climate change is dead, never to return in our political lifetimes.

OSQAR asks: In 2050, where will energy come from? Rick George speaks at WEC

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Media reports about the recent Ottawa visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Ed Markey put the debate about energy development and the environment squarely in front of Canadians.  

OSQAR asks: What’s the whole picture on oil sands emissions?

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One of the most contentious criticisms made against oil sands is that gasoline and diesel produced from them is associated with an exceptionally high level of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to fuel from conventional crude.