Canada’s oil sands development is controversial in Europe and the U.S.; there are many discussions if this type of oil is an ethical source or the most toxic fossil fuel. Notably, oil from the Canadian sands is a naturally occurring substance extracted from a mixture of sand, water, clay, and bitumen. Oil sands can be found in Alberta, Athabasca, and Peace Rivers. Some merits of Canada’s oil sands industry are the increasing number of employment opportunities, which has improved the living standards of Canadian citizens since they can generate income from the oil sands sites. Therefore, oil sands have led to significant economic development growth in Canada. The country’s GDP has increased due to the oil export; Canada has one of the largest crude oil reserves on the planet.
Canadian citizens have access to low oil prices since the country is the leading oil producer. Nonetheless, Canadian oil sands also negatively impact the environment and people living around the mining site. For instance, oil production has degraded and polluted water systems in the environment. This, in turn, has caused harm to marine life through oil emissions that contain neurotoxins. The crude oil processing has also caused emissions of harmful gasses to the atmosphere, affecting the ozone layer and accelerating the global warming process. In addition, chemicals disposed to the environment have polluted the land, increasing the acidity and P.H. levels of the soil, which affects crop production. Therefore, Canada implements environmental regulation policies to reduce the negative impact of oil sands.