The world environment has survived for eons with man using various methods of fuel collection from suspension energy to fire to oil extraction to nuclear power to now tar sands and also shale oil. Along the way, various technological innovations have added some challenging means, which are realistic but need development.
Regardless of what the means may be, there is always someone in opposition. The latest item happens to be tar sands oil, which is extracted from open pit mines in Alberta, Canada. Heat is used along with chemicals in the open pit process to separate the oil from the sand or clay. The other method is accomplished by pumping steam into the ground to heat and separate the oil and pump it out.
The leftover sludge or remaining clay sands are stored in lakes and can be subject to seepage and water resources can be contaminated. The process has been ongoing for 40 years with all the land containing tar sands 85 percent leased. The product sold or shipped to Portland is oil, just like well oil. It is a polluting process, as are all fuel oil retrieving processes. Coal and wood are pollutants and not as opposition-drawing as the tar sands issue. The process began to supplement the depletion of conventionally obtained oil as OPEC, etc. The process in Alberta produces an amount second only to Saudi Arabia.
The opposition in Portland is understandable, but what will it accomplish? The oil will continue to be gathered, shipped and sold in this way and the losers could be Mainers looking for heating oil next winter. Cleaner and more technical forms of energy have been developed to a point but need further enhancement. NASA developed some, like the advanced batteries and charging means. Further advances are limited with the cut in space program technology to where we don’t even have our own manned vehicles program, and in fact, rent Russian taxi vehicles.
Wind mills or power work well, except the same environmentalists oppose that, too, even though it is environmentally clean. No matter what solutions are found, the isolationist preservationists will find a way to create noisy opposition even if it is efficient and effective.
John Flynn, Sanford
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