One of Canada’s most respected climate scientists says the oil sands won’t warm the planet nearly as much as some are claiming.
In a scientific journal, Dr. Andrew Weaver demonstrates that if all 170 billion barrels that the industry is targeting were hauled out of the ground, temperatures would go up between 2 and 5 one-hundredths of a degree.
By comparison, if the world’s accessible coal resources were burned, it would raise temperatures almost one full degree.
Weaver says he’s not giving a get out of jail free card to the industry; he says governments still have to look for ways to shift demand away from hydrocarbons.
Published February 21, 2012
