Quote:
Originally Posted by Frequitude
Serious question, why do the Oil Sands receive so much negative attention and coal does not?
I'm not trying to say "well they're bad too so we're ok", because I hate it when this arguement is made. The Oil Sands do have a huge environmental impact. Don't paint it any other way.
But really, coal is really bad. And its used to make electricity, something that today is being produced renewably. The only alternative to the Oil Sands right now is to buy it from someone else.
It just baffles me.
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The Oil Sands are an easier target. They're limited to a specific geographic area, so it's easy to say those evil Albertans are destroying the world; you can also show pictures of the tailings ponds, oil coated ducks and maps showing how big the area supposedly is.
If you target coal, on the other hand, pretty much no matter where you live you're potentially hurting your own area's economy; it's also so pervasive and such a big part of power generation that you'll have a lot more opposition. The diffusive nature of the coal industry also makes it harder to come up with those graphic pictures to get people on your side.