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Frank Kaminski from Seattle Peak Oil Awareness (SPOI) claims that ³Tar Sands: Dirty

Oil and the Future of a Continent´ is a well-organized and compelling book. Kaminski finds the

chapter ³The Ponds´ to be the most gripping, especially for citizens of Alberta. Kaminski agrees

with author Andrew Nikiforuk that Canada is the number one supplier of oil to the United States

and that ³Canada would not fare nearly as well as the United States would during an oil shortage,

since, unlike most other industrialized nations, it does not have a strategic petroleum reserve for

emergencies.´ Furthermore, Kaminski advises all Canadians and North Americans by reading

³Tar Sands´ it creates awareness on the rising problem due to oil consumption in the world.

In Kaminski¶s book review, he focuses mostly on the chapter ³The Ponds´, describing it

as a toxic wasteland that produces ³new toxic tailings to fill 720 Olympic pools.´ Oil companies

respond to this by building ponds that are above ground; however, the toxins are known to have

leaked in the ground. There has been an increase in illnesses and an ³extremely rare cancer´ that

has recently surged. Kaminski states that when people have tried to approach the government

they have been turned away. Furthermore, many animals die every year either in ³The Ponds´, or

on the toxic wetlands surrounding them. ³Nikiforuk points out that if tar sands development

continues unabated; the number of square miles that the ponds occupy will increase by more than

three and a half times, to 85 square miles, over the next decade.´

The other chapters explore more problems that are increasing in the Tar Sands such as,

the bitumen that is buried deep in the ground. Nikiforuk discusses how harmful this mining

technique is for the environment and wildlife. At the conclusion of Kaminski¶s review on ³Tar

Sands´, he suggests that Nikiforuk has made a clear point that Canada has to ³limit tar sands
production rather than expanding it and to use tar sands energy to move beyond our oil

dependence, not to cling to it.´ He recognizes the disregard in Canada towards these issues that

Nikiforuk is vividly writing about in his book.

Work Cited:

Kaminski, Frank (May 5th, 2009). „
   

  
   Retrieved March

27th, 2011, from http://www.energybulletin.net/node/48842

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Îustin Van Kleek describes Andrew Nikiforuk as a frustrated Canadian who is ³sick and

tired of watching his own beloved habitat mutate from a pristine Northern ecosystem to a

veritable toxic wasteland.´ Van Kleek compliments Nikiforuk¶s unique writing style and detailed

research, which entertains its audience and raises awareness to a potential catastrophe in Canada.

Van Kleek says that the Canadian government is ignoring the ³Tar Sands´ or ³Bitumen reserves´

matter and reaping the benefits by continuing to be the number one supplier of oil to the United

States. He is admiring that Nikiforuk, a Canadian born, is realizing the increase of damage that

the ³Tar Sands´ is causing to the environment.

Van Kleek concurs with Nikiforuk that the oil from the bitumen reserves is dangerous

and dirty. Nikiforuk states that Bitumen is affecting Canadians in more than one way. The

process of retrieving the oil destroys the environment, impinges on the Canadian economy, and

causes severe pollution. Financial disasters will continue to intensify as the Canadian

government continues ignoring the costs of merely cleaning up tainted locations. Nikiforuk states

that ³Canadian taxpayers, who made $150 million [Canadian] in royalties from mining activities
between 1966 and 2002, have spent more than $4 billion tidying up scores of contaminated

sites«.´

Îustin Van Kleek is convinced that this problem will no longer be ignored as a result of

Nikoforuk¶s book. According to Van Kleek, this book stops the bitumen supporters from turning

a blind eye; however, Van Kleek states, ³As the world runs out of its precious petrol, desperate

measures become required«and just about anything will serve for a quick fix.´

Work Cited:

Van Kleek, Îustic ( Îan 7th, 2009). ? „
  

    
 

 
       


 Retrieved March 27th, 2011, from

http://www.blog.sustainablog.org/book-review-andrew-nikiforuk%E2%80%99s-tar-sands-dirty-

oil-and-the-future-of-a-continent/