The production of bitumen and synthetic crude oil emits higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than the production of conventional crude oil and has been identified as the largest contributor to GHG emissions growth in Canada, as it accounts for 40 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. [43]
While the emissions intensity of producing oil sands has decreased substantially, i.e., 26% over the past decade, total emissions are expected to increase due to higher production levels.[44] Currently, to produce one barrel of oil from the oil sands releases almost 75 kg of GHG with total emissions estimated to be 67 megatonne (Mt) per year by 2015.[45]

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_sands

[Show as slideshow]

Bitumen cake. [1]

Workers on the Athabasca River.[2]

Tar Sands from above.[3]

Pockmarked landscape.[4]

Believed to be a Syncrude refinery. [5]

Giant machine diggers for extraction.[6]

Some of the largest trucks in the world are need to haul the mixture.[7]

Another shot from above.[8]

A closer view of the trucks.[9]

A collage of the area.[10]

Provides an idea of the scale of the depth of extraction.[11]

Another aerial view.[12]

Loading a truck.[13]

One last shot from above.[14]