Canada's tar sands

Once a pristine forest and watershed, the Athabasca River Valley in Alberta has been permanently damaged by the energy-intensive practice of squeezing oil out of sludge beneath Boreal forest. Elevated levels of rare cancers have appeared in communities downstream from lakes of toxic waste—and downwind of toxic spewing smokestacks—required by current tar sands operations. While large corporations reap incredible profits for this tarry gold, communities pay a staggering cost. If we don’t stop the endless quest for more tar sands oil, the project, already visible from space, is projected to grow to the size of Florida.