Syncrude acknowledgesTar Sands "reclamation" is skin deep

onMar 21, 2008 @ 14:32 PDT

“If people aren’t looking closely, it blends into the natural landscape.”

That was the triumphant description of the first piece of land “officially certified as reclaimed from any of Alberta’s oil sands” – it’s good enough to impress the government, but even the Syncrude spokester admits the claim won’t stand up to scrutiny.

All this was reported this week in a celebratory story in the Globe and Mail:Piece of oil sands first to be certified as reclaimed.

The Globe reported that Syncrude and “government officials” thought this announcement was “a milestone in easing concerns over the megaprojects.”

Not hardly.

By Richard Littlemore

Q&A: This Comedy Series Is Taking Aim at Big Oil’s PR Machine

ByEllen Ormesher

onSep 14, 2026 @ 11:01 PDT

SLICK is a funny yet cutting satire of how the ad industry contributes to the climate crisis.

Series: Holding the Advertising and Public Relations Industry Accountable for Greenwash and Climate Misinformation

Series: Advertising & PR Industry

Analysis

Majority of Planned Alberta Data Centre Projects Could be Under Foreign Control

ByMitch Anderson

onSep 14, 2026 @ 07:05 PDT

DeSmog analysis finds less than one third of planned projects could have full Canadian control over data.

Carbon Capture Is Booming. So Is the Push to Shift Oversight to States

BySarah Hofmann

onSep 11, 2026 @ 10:36 PDT

As hundreds of CO2 storage wells move toward development, the EPA is handing more regulatory authority to states — despite concerns about safety and long-term liability.