The Alberta Oil Sands Then and Now: an Investigation of the Economic, Environmental and Social Discourses Across Four Decades

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The Alberta Oil Sands Then and Now: an Investigation of the Economic, Environmental and Social Discourses Across Four Decades The Alberta Oil Sands Then and Now: An Investigation of the Economic, Environmental and Social Discourses Across Four Decades J. Paskey, G. Steward and A. Williams Mount Royal University August 2013 Oil Sands Research and Information Network The Oil Sands Research and Information Network (OSRIN) is a university-based, independent organization that compiles, interprets and analyses available knowledge about managing the environmental impacts to landscapes and water impacted by oil sands mining and gets that knowledge into the hands of those who can use it to drive breakthrough improvements in regulations and practices. OSRIN is a project of the University of Alberta’s School of Energy and the Environment (SEE). OSRIN was launched with a start-up grant of $4.5 million from Alberta Environment and a $250,000 grant from the Canada School of Energy and Environment Ltd. OSRIN provides: Governments with the independent, objective, and credible information and analysis required to put appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks in place Media, opinion leaders and the general public with the facts about oil sands development, its environmental and social impacts, and landscape/water reclamation activities – so that public dialogue and policy is informed by solid evidence Industry with ready access to an integrated view of research that will help them make and execute environmental management plans – a view that crosses disciplines and organizational boundaries OSRIN recognizes that much research has been done in these areas by a variety of players over 40 years of oil sands development. OSRIN synthesizes this collective knowledge and presents it in a form that allows others to use it to solve pressing problems. Citation This report may be cited as: Paskey, J., G. Steward and A. Williams, 2013. The Alberta Oil Sands Then and Now: An Investigation of the Economic, Environmental and Social Discourses Across Four Decades. Oil Sands Research and Information Network, University of Alberta, School of Energy and the Environment, Edmonton, Alberta. OSRIN Report No. TR-38. 108 pp. Copies of this report may be obtained from OSRIN at [email protected] or through the OSRIN website at http://www.osrin.ualberta.ca/en/OSRINPublications.aspx or directly from the University of Alberta’s Education & Research Archive at http://hdl.handle.net/10402/era.17507. i Table of Contents REPORT SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... vii 1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Context .....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Research Method .....................................................................................................3 2 DISCOURSE REGARDING THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF OIL SANDS DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................................6 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................6 2.2 Research Method .....................................................................................................7 2.3 Economy in General ................................................................................................8 2.4 National Economy .................................................................................................13 2.4.1 Media Findings: National Economy ..........................................................15 2.5 Foreign Investment/Ownership and Market Potential ...........................................18 2.5.1 Foreign Investment/Ownership ..................................................................18 2.5.2 Foreign Markets .........................................................................................21 2.5.3 Media Findings: Foreign Interests .............................................................23 2.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................................26 3 DISCOURSE REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF OIL SANDS DEVELOPMENT ..........................................................................................................................28 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................28 3.2 Research Method ...................................................................................................28 3.3 Air Emissions .........................................................................................................30 3.3.1 Discourse from the 1970s ..........................................................................30 3.3.2 Discourse from the 1980s ..........................................................................31 3.3.3 Discourse from the 1990s ..........................................................................32 3.3.4 Discourse from the 2000s ..........................................................................32 3.3.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................37 3.4 Tailings Ponds ........................................................................................................38 3.4.1 Discourse from 1970 to 2000 .....................................................................38 ii 3.4.2 Discourse between 2000 and 2012 ............................................................40 3.4.3 Conclusions ................................................................................................43 3.5 Greenhouse Gases ..................................................................................................44 3.5.1 Findings......................................................................................................46 3.5.1.1 Academic .....................................................................................46 3.5.1.2 Government .................................................................................47 3.5.1.3 Industry........................................................................................49 3.5.1.4 Environmental NGOs ..................................................................50 3.5.1.5 Media ...........................................................................................51 3.5.2 Conclusions ................................................................................................52 3.6 General Conclusions on Discourse Regarding Environmental Aspects of Oil Sands Development ...........................................................................................................53 4 DISCOURSE REGARDING SOCIAL ASPECTS OF OIL SANDS DEVELOPMENT .54 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................54 4.2 Research Method ...................................................................................................56 4.2.1 The CEMA Bibliography: Methodological Notes .....................................56 4.2.2 Media Data: Methodological Notes ...........................................................57 4.3 Aboriginal Issues ...................................................................................................57 4.3.1 Government................................................................................................57 4.3.2 Academic ...................................................................................................63 4.3.3 Industry ......................................................................................................65 4.3.4 NGO/Other .................................................................................................68 4.3.5 Media .........................................................................................................70 4.4 Living Conditions: Supplementary Analysis .........................................................72 4.4.1 Government................................................................................................72 4.4.2 Academic ...................................................................................................74 4.4.3 Industry ......................................................................................................75 4.4.4 NGO/Other .................................................................................................75 4.4.5 Media .........................................................................................................75 4.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................76 iii 5 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................78 6 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................80 6.1 RECOMMENDED READING ...........................................................................101 LIST OF OSRIN REPORTS .......................................................................................................105 iv REPORT SUMMARY A detailed study
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