- What is happening in Alberta?
- They dig up the tar, and then they process it (see #6), making oil.
- Why is it happening now?
- It happens, because the world needs some more oil.
- Which other difficult landscapes are exploited?
- The Alaskan, Venezuela, the Mexican gulf and the deposits in the deep sea.
- How was oil formed millions of years ago?
- Oil is made by organic material, mainly microorganisms, which have been under high pressure for billions of years.
- What is the difference between the deposits in Alberta and Saudi Arabia?
- The deposits in Saudi Arabia do not require just as big a process as the ones in Alberta.
- Describe how oil is extracted in Alberta.
- The oil in Alberta is laying into a sandy mixture, and in order to get the oil out of the mixture, they start with letting the sand run through a crusher, making the sand become close to a powder. Thereby they mix it with some hot water, and sling it around in a huge centrifuge, extracting the sand and water from the oil. Then they gather the oil.
- What is oil sludge?
- Oil sludge is a mix of tar and oil, making it very hard to extract the oil from it.
- What is the paradox in Alaska?
- Alaska is a very nature rich place, but G.W. Bush Junior means that the area is where USA should be getting some of their energy supplies from, and the area is already affected by the global warming.
- What is the attitude of environmentalists?
- The environmentalists are not exactly happy about what Bush is planning.
- What is Raymond’s point of view concerning future energy supply?
- There will be enough if we just keep the prices at the same level.
- What is his view on American efficiency in energy consumption?
- He claims they are the most energy use efficient nation in the world.