The Tar Sands are the most environmentally devastating project on earth, involving extracting oil from a mix of clay and other materials, from underneath Canada’s Boreal forest. The refining process is complex and very energy intensive.

TransCanada, one of the largest companies involved in tar sands exploration, has proposed a 1,661 mile, 36-inch extension of the newly built Keystone Pipeline from Alberta, Canada to oil refineries of the United States. This would expand the capacity for refining oil produced from Alberta tar sands by approximately one million barrels per day.

Here are some resources to learn more about the project:

Canada and Its Tar Sands: What the Country Can Learn From Brazil About Protecting the Environment

Friends of the Earth factsheet

Solve Climate article on recent spills and approval process

National Geographic Photo Essay about the Tar Sands

Natural Resources Defense Council factsheet on Keystone XL

U.S. Climate Protests Shift to Blocking Keystone XL Pipeline Approval