The Crude Effects of Alberta's Oil sands

A program to listen to on January 12: The Crude Effects of Alberta's Oil sands on CBC's Quirks & Quarks: http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/2013/01/09/january-12-the-crude-effects-of-albertas-oilsands/ "Alberta's massive oilsands have produced an impressive amount of crude oil over the past two decades. But according to a new study from Queen's University and Environment Canada, they're producing an alarming amount of pollution as well. The study looked at 6 small lakes near the oilsands, and found surprisingly high levels of a toxic chemical that is a known carcinogen in the water. And by analyzing the sediment from the past 50 years, they showed that the chemical deposits have been steadily rising since large-scale oilsands production began in 1978. We'll speak to one author of the study who says this is "the smoking gun" that proves the contamination is not natural. It seems that the bitumen is biting back."