Tar Sand Oil

Remember that the word alternative only means another form. It does mean better or cleaner. Take for example oil produced from tar sands. It is said that tar sand oil products are at least three times higher in greenhouse gas emissions than oil produced from traditional sources. And yet Canada has a very large tar sand oil industry exporting most of it to the United States.

As a result, as recently as May 2008, green organizations both from Canada and the US have lobbied the US Congress and Senate to ban the importation/exportation of the oil. Alberta, Canada is rumored to hold as much or more oil in the tar sands as oil in Saudi Arabia. Environmentalists strongly suggest that tar sand oil is infinitely more detrimental as it a dirtier oil causing great harm to wildlife.

Generally speaking, the danger in seeking alternative fuels is that good fuels will be overlooked in favor of cheaper fuels. As gas prices continue to rise, the tendency is not to find cleaner fuels but less expensive fuels shifting the focus away from the environment and into economics. If companies can supply a cheaper product, people will jump on the bandwagon not realizing the disastrous effects until it is too late.

Realistically, if alternative means other forms, then it is easy to develop new fuels but, since the general public and green organizations use the word alternative referring to cleaner living, then not all alternative fuels are beneficial.