Oilsands are not the problem

No pun intended but the Canadian Tarsands have certainly become a hot topic as of late, my view on them as such:

I think the oilsands are a consequence of our dependence on fossil fuels, if it wasn't the oil sands we were mining, it would be the arctic wildlife reserve or the vast oil stores in Columbia which would also have terrible environmental consequences.

With the vast investment that has already been sunk into the tarsands and considering the boost it has given to the Canadian economy, I think it is highly unlikely that shutting down the tarsands is feasable. Thus, if we truly wish to see the end of such projects, we should be looking to alternative fuels and transportation methods that are equally effective, convenient and as cheap as oil. After all, if we didn't need oil, would we mine for it? The stone age did not end due to a shortage of stones, similarly, to get beyond our petroleum days, an effective and cheap alternative for oil or the transportation that depends on it must be used.

A single tire for a tarsand dump truck costs roughtly $30 000 CAD, that could buy two smart cars!