Reviews of “Tar Sands”
 Tar Sands“The Calgary author contends that Canada is starting to resemble the petro-states of South America and the Middle East -- rich in oil but short on democracy and freedom of speech--and that Alberta's tar-sands development is mismanaged, environmentally toxic, bad for Canada's autonomy and short on long-term benefits for Albertans. Nikiforuk has a point, and he has guts. He also explains the tar sands in a straightforward way, something government and industry have been slow to do, apparently with reason.” National Post, Nov 28, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Although I am not so naive as to suggest that these companies halt their operations, the comment that "environmental concerns are paramount" is simply unbelievable. After considering those comments about restoration, I would recommend reading Andrew Nikiforuk's excellent book, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent, in which he highlights the fiction of reclamation. I expect the majority of Calgarians would not want tailings ponds in their vicinity, or their water or air to be polluted as it is in northern Alberta.” Calgary Herald, Nov 28, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Tar Sands explores the costs and benefits of the current oil sands boom, placing it in the larger context of global climate change and continental energy policy. The result isn’t pretty. Not that the writing isn’t compelling: it is. You’ll find the same combination of comprehensive research, compelling storytelling and entertaining irony that won Nikiforuk a Governor General’s Award for Saboteurs (2002).” Alberta Views Magazine, May 26, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands"With Tar Sands, Nikiforuk, a Calgary based writer…vividly lays out a damning assessment of energy development in Northern Alberta." Green & Organic Lifestyles - Spring 2009, May 1, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar SandsI made the mistake of skimming Tar Sands’ introductory ‘Declaration of a Political Emergency’ one night before bed – and couldn’t put the book down before I had finished Alberta Views Magazine, Apr 15, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Tar Sands tells a well-known story in a new way. We see not only the large-scale environmental destruction that we have come to associate with this mega-project, but also the local social problems that result… The book’s greatest strength is [his] ability to show the impacts of the tar sands on real people.” Literary Review of Canada, Apr 7, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Nikiforuk’s book is important. It’s provoking. It should restart the national debate. It is an exhaustively researched, comprehensive, survey of everything about the tar sands, compressed into some 180 pages. As you would expect, it is not a pretty story. …Nikiforuk does not belong to the ‘don’t worry – be happy’ school of thought. He’s genuinely concerned about our governments’ ability to solve the problem that the tar sands present. …Nikiforuk packs an emotional punch that will leave a mark on any reader.” Island Tides Magazine, Mar 26, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Award-winning author and journalist Andrew Nikiforuk sheds light and warning on the bitumen industry in Tar Sands… at the heart of Nikiforuk’s scathing criticism of petropolitics are the social and environmental injustices, turning the surrounding community into ‘a carbon storm and the planet’s third-largest watershed into a petroleum garbage dump.’ The shocking claims are not meant as a scare tactic, but rather a call for collective movement, led by the author’s insightful ‘Twelve Steps to Energy Sanity.’” E Magazine, Mar 24, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Packed with shocking statistics that condemn the Canadian oil industry, 200 pages is more than enough to convince any reader that the tar sands are anything but sustainable. …This book is perfect for anyone who is interested in reducing their reliance on oil products, or who is researching and fighting for change in Canadian mining practices.” Outwords Magazine, Mar 17, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |
Tar Sands“Nikiforuk provides an insiders deep insight into the corruption and collusion within the Alberta government based on the First Law of Petro-Politics, where political freedom invariably declines as the price and production of oil increases. …Nikiforuk’s book, written in his caustic style of investigative journalism, ...sometimes resembles a political thriller.” Canadian Dimension, Mar 4, 2009 Read more about Tar Sands >> |