Oil Sands –
Saviour or Scourge?
Dirty Oil? Ethical Oil?
The industry’s best alternative?
William Schoenhardt, King City SS
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
www.kcssbiz.com
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
AGENDA
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Expectations / Rationale
Oil Sands – a background
Oil Sands: current state / future state
Learning Activities
Summatives
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Rationale & Links
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Current, real, in the news
BIG Business
Our lifestyle!
Environment
Corporate Social Responsibility
Strategy
Emerging Markets
Canada’s GDP; F.Ex
International Relations Key Stone pipeline,
Northern Gateway Pipeline
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Industry
• Western Canada home to the world’s second
largest proven oil reserve
– 173 billion barrels!
– 150 years of production!
– Canada in top 5 oil production by 2020
– Size of Florida!
• Bitumen – “molasses like oil mixed with
sand, water and clay”
• HUGE capital investments
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Industry
• Bitumen – “molasses like oil mixed with sand,
water and clay”
• HUGE capital investments
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Industry cont’d..
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Price ($30 in 2008)
Ft. McMurray growth  inflation
#1 American supplier (18%)
Canadian dollar & GDP
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
DIRTY OIL “Tar Sands”
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Energy intensive – natural gas
GHG emissions
Water intensive
Toxic tailings ponds
Pit mine “overburden”
Pipelines  refineries USA & Asia
in situ extraction
First nations & the Boreal Forest
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
ETHICAL OIL “Oil Sands”
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Best alternative
Good Jobs, increased GDP
Rule of law
Environmental standards
“made in Canada”
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
• Suncor pursues a triple bottom line vision of
sustainable development – energy development
should occur in a way that provides economic
prosperity, promotes social well-being and preserves
a healthy environment
 Leading Canadian company >60% of production
 market capitalization
 Sustainability report
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
The Tipping Point
CBC The Nature of Things
Video
CBC learning work sheet
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Sustainability
“business adds values”
• Sustainability report investigation
• Syncrude and Suncor
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Stakeholders
• Introduction with The Lorax
• Round table  stakeholder perspectives
• Individuals  us!
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
DEBATE
The Resolution: Corporations add values
1. Be it resolved that, the oil sands are the
most ethical (and viable) oil source in the
world today and should continue to be
aggressively developed.
2. Be it resolved that Suncor Energy’s pursuit
of a ‘triple bottom line’ is...
EVALUATION www.kcssbiz.com
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
The Resolution:
Corporations add values
FOR = “ETHICAL OIL”
 The development of the
oil sands is the most
ethical source of oil and
should be further
developed
AGAINST = “DIRTY OIL
 The oil sands are a
scourge to the
environment, social wellfare and an abomination
to Canada; Development
should be severely
curtailed.
CASE STUDY
The Alberta Oil Sands (also referred to as the “Tar
Sands”) has received much attention in its
development. Critics claim it is the “dirtiest” oil and
an environmental threat. Supporters claim that it is
the most secure, source of energy and that
development is being done in an “ethical” and
“sustainable” manner. Complete a formal case
study report on the attached article (40 marks, 60
minutes).
EVALUATION www.kcssbiz.com
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Next steps
Extensions
What could I / we do?
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Local solution  school green team?
Avatar (the movie)
Who killed the electric car? (the movie)
Green Energy industry  Volt; photovoltaic
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Various Resources....
• Ethical Oil, Ezra Levant
• Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent,
Andrew Nikiforuk
• www.suncor.com
• www.syncrude.ca
• www.kcssbiz.com
• Tipping Point: the age of the oil Sands CBC The
Nature of Things
• When Less is More, CBC The Nature of Things
• Crude Awakening: Alberta’s Oil Patch, CBC The
National
Oil Sands - Saviour or Scourge?
william.schoenhardt@yrdsb.edu.on.ca