[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

The mere fact you call them the "tarsands" tells me everything I need to know about your political leanings.

"Until the 1960s, everyone called them the tar sands. At that point, primarily as a way of communicating more clearly what product would eventually come out of the bitumen, the Alberta government started calling them the oil sands.

Both terms were used interchangeably until about ten years ago when this topic became politicized by the opponents of the way the bituminous sands were being developed. Tar sands sounds more sinister to the ear now. The proponents of the development seem to make it a point to always call them the oil sands.

Politicization came with the relatively recent fights over all the complicated social, political, environmental and emotional issues that now surround this topic.

But talk to any of the old timers and they will use the two terms interchangeably. For the old dudes there is no emotion associated with either term.

I like to use both terms in conversation as a way to see how people react - and then I know a bit about their point of view."

http://www.capp.ca/CANADAINDUSTRY/OI...x#yAPX4Obp7PV2