[Cecil Terwilliger]

@dobbles

I don't know if you'll ever get a great unbiased answer on whether AB oil is "dirtier" than anyone elses oil or less environmentally friendly. There's so much risk of inherent bias and conflict of interest you're likely going to have to get several opinions and weigh them yourself.

However, what I will say is that facts, in cases like this, are just as important as myths. Imagine Oil Sands being Tylenol Cold and Flu and US Oil (fracking?) being Robitussin Cold and Flu. It's all about convincing the consumer that the other guy's product is useless, or worse poison, and your product is a miracle product.

Ultimately they - and by they I mean the countries, the energy companies invested and the people who work and lobby for those industries - are trying to grab the most out of the market. And just like any other commodity you see on TV, from feminine products to dish soap to vehicles, there is a constant and never ending ad campaign running and it is worth billion and billions of dollars. You just don't notice it as much because they don't run commercials every 5 minutes.

Right now, the international energy producers (ie non-Canada) have done a fantastic job at indoctrinating the Canadian population, mainly BC/ON/QC, that our own product is terrible and that other similar products from other countries are better. AB and the energy companies with an interest in AB have done a piss poor job at winning that propaganda battle. Beyond piss poor IMO.

It's like how everyone knows about clubbing baby seals in Canada even though that's barely a thing. It's purely international economic leverage. I'm sure most of us know about the evils of tailing ponds and orphaned wells and as such our views of AB oil are quite negative. Not realizing that the alternative is often much, much worse.