Bad wipes out good

A holistic vision is simply a must in today's world. Else, you can end up fooling yourself and others.

A new report from Canada's environment ministry shows that emissions from expanding tar sands production and use will double by 2020 and will overwhelm emission cuts in energy production elsewhere.

This will entirely undermine Canada's efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions 17% by 2020, as pledged under the Copenhagen Accord. Between 2005-2020, electricity generators will see their emissions fall by 31 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, largely as a result of coal-fired plants giving way to natural gas-fired power.

But that figure is far eclipsed by the oil sands, which will see carbon output rise by 62 megatonnes, tripling its 2005 levels. Of that, 25 megatonnes will come from new so-called "in situ" extraction methods that inject steam into underground wells to extract oil sands crude.

A further 11 megatonnes will come from expansion of oil sands mining. The rest is expected from additional upgrading, a process used to transform the thick, heavy oil sands bitumen into a lighter crude that can then be refined into end products like diesel and gasoline.

As the world goes on a frenzy shopping for new sources of energy, we can expect more such damage. But can we do away with it?