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Stupid to the Last Drop: How Alberta Is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada
A bestselling investigative journalist takes a tour of the Alberta oil and gas industry, revealing how Canada’s richest province is squandering our chance for a sustainable future.
In its desperate search for oil and gas riches, Alberta is destroying itself. As the world teeters on the edge of catastrophic climate change, Alberta plunges ahead with uncontrolled development of its fossil fuels, levelling its northern Boreal forest to get at the oil sands, and carpet-bombing its southern half with tens of thousands of gas wells. In so doing, it is running out of water, destroying its range land, wiping out its forests and wildlife and spewing huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, adding to global warming at a rate that is unrivalled in Canada or almost anywhere else in the world. It’s digging, drilling and blasting its way to oblivion, becoming the ultimate symbol of Canada’s – and the world’s – pathological will to self-destruct.
Nowhere has the world seen such colossal environmental destruction as is being wreaked on Alberta. At one point the province even went so far as to consider a scientist’s idea of nuking its underbelly to get at the tar sands. Stupid to the Last Drop looks at the increasingly violent geopolitical forces that are gathering as the world’s gas and oil dwindle and the Age of Oil begins its inevitable slide towards oblivion. As Canadians deplete their energy reserves, selling them off to Americans at bargain-basement prices, no thought is given to conservation or the long-term needs of the nation.
In this powerful polemic, William Marsden journeys across the heart of a province seized by the destructive forces of greed, power and the energy business, and envisions a very bleak future.
In its desperate search for oil and gas riches, Alberta is destroying itself. As the world teeters on the edge of catastrophic climate change, Alberta plunges ahead with uncontrolled development of its fossil fuels, levelling its northern Boreal forest to get at the oil sands, and carpet-bombing its southern half with tens of thousands of gas wells. In so doing, it is running out of water, destroying its range land, wiping out its forests and wildlife and spewing huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, adding to global warming at a rate that is unrivalled in Canada or almost anywhere else in the world. It’s digging, drilling and blasting its way to oblivion, becoming the ultimate symbol of Canada’s – and the world’s – pathological will to self-destruct.
Nowhere has the world seen such colossal environmental destruction as is being wreaked on Alberta. At one point the province even went so far as to consider a scientist’s idea of nuking its underbelly to get at the tar sands. Stupid to the Last Drop looks at the increasingly violent geopolitical forces that are gathering as the world’s gas and oil dwindle and the Age of Oil begins its inevitable slide towards oblivion. As Canadians deplete their energy reserves, selling them off to Americans at bargain-basement prices, no thought is given to conservation or the long-term needs of the nation.
In this powerful polemic, William Marsden journeys across the heart of a province seized by the destructive forces of greed, power and the energy business, and envisions a very bleak future.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 20, 2013
This, to some extent, is a doomsday scenario of the eventual demise of Alberta through the over exploitation of its oil and gas resources. To a degree this is a warranted prognosis. Much of Alberta’s resources are environmentally difficult to extract compared to oil in Arab countries. The extraction methods are environmentally invasive; the tar sands around Fort McMurray and natural gas in southeastern Alberta are the prime examples used in this book.
The rivers and water sheds are being chemically polluted. Indian communities north of Fort McMurray where the Athabasca flows are getting rare forms of cancer. Farmers in southeastern Alberta develop skin rashes and irritations because their water wells are becoming toxic from extraction of natural gas. The Alberta and Canadian governments are ignoring this. The energy companies are obfuscating. The Alberta government, ignoring the Kyoto Protocols, has given energy companies an environmental carte blanche to come in and shop. All for money and jobs – a good election platform. It makes one wonder what happens to people in less developed areas of the world where there are no environmental movements and human rights can be trampled. Even though the farmers and the Indians are suffering they are at least permitted an outlet and can voice some dissent – and their claims can be made to the governments.
Mr. Marsden is excellent at pointing out the problems of minority groups and small communities – Indians in Fort Chipewyan or dispersed farmers can do little to combat the forces of energy companies that are being backed up by the government.
The rivers and water sheds are being chemically polluted. Indian communities north of Fort McMurray where the Athabasca flows are getting rare forms of cancer. Farmers in southeastern Alberta develop skin rashes and irritations because their water wells are becoming toxic from extraction of natural gas. The Alberta and Canadian governments are ignoring this. The energy companies are obfuscating. The Alberta government, ignoring the Kyoto Protocols, has given energy companies an environmental carte blanche to come in and shop. All for money and jobs – a good election platform. It makes one wonder what happens to people in less developed areas of the world where there are no environmental movements and human rights can be trampled. Even though the farmers and the Indians are suffering they are at least permitted an outlet and can voice some dissent – and their claims can be made to the governments.
Mr. Marsden is excellent at pointing out the problems of minority groups and small communities – Indians in Fort Chipewyan or dispersed farmers can do little to combat the forces of energy companies that are being backed up by the government.
March 28, 2016
The situation in Flint, Michigan where the lead in the water is causing irreversible health problems brings this book to mind. The politicians and mining companies in Alberta have been covering up the increased rates of cancer there. If you are interested in the topic of clean water this book should be on your list.
November 4, 2008
William Marsden is an author and investigative journalist who bravely took on the Hell’s Angels biker gang in a series of books and columns. Now he’s after a bigger, richer, and far more deceptive foe… the Canadian oil industry. Marsden goes to the physical and metaphorical heart of Canada’s oil country to provide an incisive examination of an environmental catastrophe effected by a manipulative oil industry in denial and aided an impotent and incompetent system of governments.
Marsden begins by supplying a great deal of informative historical background of the oil sands project, including a bizarre scheme in the 1950s to extract oil via controlled nuclear explosions. He also provides an inside view of the immense scale oil sands excavations by visiting the projects and talking with the workers. This sets the stage for the critique to come.
The two primary targets polemically identified by Marsden (the “stupid” ones of the title) are the oil industry and governments within the province of Alberta.
Marsden describes a heavily subsidized industry that flouts the rule of law, uses propaganda and intimidation to achieve its ends, is deliberately deceitful, and remains astonishingly ignorant of the long term effects (environmental, social, and financial) of its activities. He illustrates how time and time again the massive public relations machine of the oil industry obscures facts and keeps citizens in the dark (for example, by stating that the toxic petrochemical-related products suddenly infusing wells and land are naturally occurring).
The second side of the problem rests with an impotent and largely incompetent provincial government. This is not a government that serves its citizens; rather, it is a veritable plutocracy under the sway of corporations and addicted to royalties delivered by the ever-increasing prices of crude oil. The politics of ignorance appear to be the central creed of the Alberta government, and there is little or no desire by elected officials to listen to citizens or take their concerns seriously. As such, Marsden takes it upon himself to visit concerned citizens and report their stories, and they are not pretty. He reports of a government bought and paid for by the oil industry and who remain astonishingly oblivious about the effects of the industry on the citizens of Alberta.
Marsden concludes that the results the industry and government action/inaction have resulted in boreal forest depletion of a massive scale, a significant and possibly catastrophic depletion of the water table, and destruction of wildlife and rural agriculture. If continued unchecked, the Alberta of the future will be a bleak monument to avarice, and yes, stupidity.
Marsden begins by supplying a great deal of informative historical background of the oil sands project, including a bizarre scheme in the 1950s to extract oil via controlled nuclear explosions. He also provides an inside view of the immense scale oil sands excavations by visiting the projects and talking with the workers. This sets the stage for the critique to come.
The two primary targets polemically identified by Marsden (the “stupid” ones of the title) are the oil industry and governments within the province of Alberta.
Marsden describes a heavily subsidized industry that flouts the rule of law, uses propaganda and intimidation to achieve its ends, is deliberately deceitful, and remains astonishingly ignorant of the long term effects (environmental, social, and financial) of its activities. He illustrates how time and time again the massive public relations machine of the oil industry obscures facts and keeps citizens in the dark (for example, by stating that the toxic petrochemical-related products suddenly infusing wells and land are naturally occurring).
The second side of the problem rests with an impotent and largely incompetent provincial government. This is not a government that serves its citizens; rather, it is a veritable plutocracy under the sway of corporations and addicted to royalties delivered by the ever-increasing prices of crude oil. The politics of ignorance appear to be the central creed of the Alberta government, and there is little or no desire by elected officials to listen to citizens or take their concerns seriously. As such, Marsden takes it upon himself to visit concerned citizens and report their stories, and they are not pretty. He reports of a government bought and paid for by the oil industry and who remain astonishingly oblivious about the effects of the industry on the citizens of Alberta.
Marsden concludes that the results the industry and government action/inaction have resulted in boreal forest depletion of a massive scale, a significant and possibly catastrophic depletion of the water table, and destruction of wildlife and rural agriculture. If continued unchecked, the Alberta of the future will be a bleak monument to avarice, and yes, stupidity.
June 20, 2019
Very well researched. I learned a lot. But it appears no one is listening to the inevitable destruction we are wreaking on our planet.
From 300kcal/day in coal in 1858 when oil was transformed into a commercial product to 9880kcal/day in 1900 to 22,100 kcal /day average consumption with the U.S. consuming 129,000 kcal/day in 1940. Although 6% of the world's population, U.S. uses 33% of its energy reserves.
All of the wars to be fought in this century will be over energy reserves.After the energy crisis of the 1970's Arab States became enemies of the West because they were no longer willing to exchange cheap power for expensive Western goods.
All oil production is based on assumptions that the 20th century rains would continue to keep rivers flowing, & using up water from the Athabasca Basin would not harm the environment. However long term analysis shows the 20th century was actually wetter than previous centuries. Southern Alta will be a dust bowl & Northern Alta will be carved up by oil sands development. Drier climate promotes pine beetles and forestry destruction which decreases our ability to mitigate the carbon entering the atmosphere.
The free trade agreements negotiated pander to the notion that American interests are more important than our own & politicians are either too stupid or they are gaining economically from agreements that place the energy needs of Americans above our own.
Meanwhile the American culture still don't believe in climate change.
This book is bang on. It's all about the money, honey. 12 years after this book was published there is very little change in our behaviour. Better book your flight to Mars on Elon Musk's vehicle!
From 300kcal/day in coal in 1858 when oil was transformed into a commercial product to 9880kcal/day in 1900 to 22,100 kcal /day average consumption with the U.S. consuming 129,000 kcal/day in 1940. Although 6% of the world's population, U.S. uses 33% of its energy reserves.
All of the wars to be fought in this century will be over energy reserves.After the energy crisis of the 1970's Arab States became enemies of the West because they were no longer willing to exchange cheap power for expensive Western goods.
All oil production is based on assumptions that the 20th century rains would continue to keep rivers flowing, & using up water from the Athabasca Basin would not harm the environment. However long term analysis shows the 20th century was actually wetter than previous centuries. Southern Alta will be a dust bowl & Northern Alta will be carved up by oil sands development. Drier climate promotes pine beetles and forestry destruction which decreases our ability to mitigate the carbon entering the atmosphere.
The free trade agreements negotiated pander to the notion that American interests are more important than our own & politicians are either too stupid or they are gaining economically from agreements that place the energy needs of Americans above our own.
Meanwhile the American culture still don't believe in climate change.
This book is bang on. It's all about the money, honey. 12 years after this book was published there is very little change in our behaviour. Better book your flight to Mars on Elon Musk's vehicle!
May 10, 2017
This book is an excellent read and is another damning indictment of how Canada continues to squander our resources. From the serious consideration of using nuclear bombs to break up the shale under the tar sands to make the oil flow, to the wholesale abandonment of responsibility for the health and welfare of Canadians, particularly Albertans, this book should be drilled into the heads of all politicians. Even if you are not an environmentalist, this book should alarm anyone who recognizes that non-renewable resouces should be treated and paid for as such. Mr. Marsden illustrates repeatedly, the billions of dollars that the (mostly foreign owned) petro chemical companies only filter into Canada's coffers reluctantly. This echos Ontario's pricing of gold and other precious and semi-precious metals to foreign-owned mining companies, leaving very little money in Canada's coffers when the limited resource finally runs out. A necessary, but depressing tale of waste all round.
February 24, 2019
I had no idea the extent of the environmental damage that is happening with the oil extraction process in Alberta. The careless, villainous polluting of the land, rivers and lakes which provide the Cree people with their hunter - gatherer livelihood just makes me want to curl up in a ball and scream. The moose and fish are contaminated with arsenic , resulting in increased cancer rates. The government of Canada has abdicated its authority as a protector of the people and the land, letting the oil and gas companies self- regulate.
April 28, 2019
Shocking read. the book is certainly well titled. couldn't believe that politicians would collude
with oil companies to pollute, and do harm to a whole province and the environment. sadder
but wiser now.
with oil companies to pollute, and do harm to a whole province and the environment. sadder
but wiser now.
April 27, 2021
don't really know what to rate this because I just read it randomly and didn't know anything before lol, but i think it was pretty good and everything was explained pretty clearly :)
January 9, 2023
If you have a clue how anything works, you'd never vote conservative. It is bad. Way worse than expected.
February 14, 2017
Real nice eye opener that took me in depth to some of the history, politics, motives, environmental impact, and some of the people affected by the Albertan oil industry. In each chapter, Marsden strategically focuses on an aspect of the industry, brings forward individuals engaged with that aspect, and discusses their experiences with that aspect and the general impact on environmental, social, and political fronts. I'm not used to reading political matters, but the basic take-away I got is; the environmental science and data are horribly underdeveloped and neglected so that the oil industry can keep expanding to gargantuan levels, and in some ways possessing more powers than the governments have. Of course, in the process, constantly winning over the rights to drill on other people's lands, and devaluing treaties with First Nation Aboriginals. Moreover, this book has informed me more about the western Canadian environment I've lived in my whole life, and provided me insights to how the oil industry impacts it. Most of the time, it was terrifying to read! Yet, money is more important than our natural resources. Finally, I appreciate the book exposing me more to the workings of the political and industrial sides of the oil industry. I've always been curious to know more about the largest industry in Canada. On the flip-side, this book has been about exposing some shitty results of the oil industry and stressing the need to make more advanced sustainable choices, however, I am sure many great things have resulted from the oil industry, and I would be interested to see it from the industry's perspective in the future. The bottom line is - and we already know it -, that we only have one Earth with only so many natural resources and it's own sacred beauty to protect and responsibly consume and sustain. To destroy and deplete our natural resources and environment is to destroy ourselves. I recommend this book to anybody with an open mind and curiosity about the oil industry, and western Canadian politics and environment.
June 19, 2010
This is a truly stunning condemnation of Alberta's energy policies and the exploitation of this precious resource. It is mainly about the tar sands but covers other matters associated with the oil and gas industry and how it affects the ecosystem, the economy and the health and well-being of Albertans and their neighbours. The days of easily accessed oil reserves is past. Now industry must use draconian methods to extract oil using and polluting Alberta's scarce groundwater and water reserves. One of the methods they use is called "fracking". Look it up. It'll make your hair stand on end. The world's oil and gas supply is quickly being used up and in a few short decades will be all but gone. What will we do when it's gone? Many of us alive today will escape its consequences but what about my sons? Life will be very different for them in their old age 40 years from now and the world my grandchildren will inherit is not easy to imagine (the youngest is 2 and the oldest is 10). The oil industry is in control of the government of Alberta and has strengthened its grip during the Ralph Klein years and that grip will be difficult to break as Albertans have proven to be very easy to buy off. They have no Provincial Sales Tax in Alberta and this seems to be enough for them. The industry extracts a non-renewable resource and pays the lowest royalties and taxes in the world while Alberta residents constantly gloat about the Sales Tax they don't pay in Alberta. The main reason Canada has failed to reach is Kyoto targets for greenhouse gas reductions is pollution from oil and gas extraction in Alberta. Alberta's vaunted Heritage Fund sits at $16B while Norway's equivalent fund is over $400B. Why? Because oil companies pay a lot more to the Norwegians for the depletion of their resource. The Norwegian Government-owned oil company is investing heavily in Alberta's oil sands and the Norwegian taxpayer will receive a higher benefit from Alberta's resources than Albertans will. The Conservative Party remains in power in Alberta because of voter apathy: only 41% of voters elected a record majority Conservative government is Alberta in the last Provincial Election. How stupid is that?
July 3, 2011
"With the billions of dollars in tax subsidies and royalty holidays that this industry receives each year, Canadians are subsidizing the total destruction of this environment." (p 195)
I wish all Alberta taxpayers would read this book, though I don't think even if all of us who were not making a dime off this devastating industry all banded together we could make one bit of difference. Government has really sold us out, & there seems to be no way to stop these industries in their quest for money. Maybe Marsden has some personal notes to advise people what they actually CAN do, but he didn't include them in this book.
Marsden explains the intricacies of environmental change due to the oil & gas industry in layman's terms. It's not about how the oil sands "look" - it's the destruction of the entire freshwater system, the boreal forest, farmlands.... This is big, even bigger than those hectares of now-wasted, contaminated land. Truly, truly appalling.
I took one star off for the lack of footnotes (oh, and being told how stupid I am one too many times when this is not solely an "Albertan" problem....).
I wish all Alberta taxpayers would read this book, though I don't think even if all of us who were not making a dime off this devastating industry all banded together we could make one bit of difference. Government has really sold us out, & there seems to be no way to stop these industries in their quest for money. Maybe Marsden has some personal notes to advise people what they actually CAN do, but he didn't include them in this book.
Marsden explains the intricacies of environmental change due to the oil & gas industry in layman's terms. It's not about how the oil sands "look" - it's the destruction of the entire freshwater system, the boreal forest, farmlands.... This is big, even bigger than those hectares of now-wasted, contaminated land. Truly, truly appalling.
I took one star off for the lack of footnotes (oh, and being told how stupid I am one too many times when this is not solely an "Albertan" problem....).
December 28, 2007
A good accompaniment to 'The Shock Doctrine' and 'American Theocracy'. Thanks to the Alberta government's unquestioning embrace of Chicago School economics we are living in a time of unbridled destruction of our environment for the sake of easy money. Marsden describes the folly of the mandatory sale of our resources to the U.S., the short sightedness of the provincial leaders in destroying the Athabasca River delta thru unconstrained growth of oil sands development and the grave environmental consequences of coal bed methane drilling. The province of Alberta could be sitting on a growing legacy of money in its Heritage Trust Fund but instead is letting it all slip away by allowing ridiculously low oil royalties to persist and indirectly fueling inflation and thus driving up its own costs to build needed infrastructure. Well worth reading, especially in conjunction with the two above mentioned books.
April 1, 2020
Very interesting book, revealing and surprising. The entire industry and Canadian politics are corrupt and set in their ways such that it seems foolish to expect a change.
Marsden skillfully captures views from past government officials, mayors, ranchers, members of the public, First Nations, doctors, oil sands executives and supervisors, scientists and more to present readers with what the media doesn't report on and energy companies keep hidden.
Marsden investigated thoroughly for this book and sets out interesting cases from both sides and exposes the processes that keep Alberta, and Canada heavily reliant on the oil industry for its environmental monitoring and reporting, and political campaign funding. Fracking appears in this book though you may not expect it to given it was written almost 10 years ago. The entire book is still relevant and important for Canadians to read.
Marsden skillfully captures views from past government officials, mayors, ranchers, members of the public, First Nations, doctors, oil sands executives and supervisors, scientists and more to present readers with what the media doesn't report on and energy companies keep hidden.
Marsden investigated thoroughly for this book and sets out interesting cases from both sides and exposes the processes that keep Alberta, and Canada heavily reliant on the oil industry for its environmental monitoring and reporting, and political campaign funding. Fracking appears in this book though you may not expect it to given it was written almost 10 years ago. The entire book is still relevant and important for Canadians to read.
June 15, 2011
This book should have been a tedious and maybe obvious read, given the subject matter. But the author tackled the subject so well, laying out his comprehensive investigation with a cool dry wit and readable narrative. It is hard to pick out which factor is more enraging, from the environmental damage, to how the natives have been poisoned and screwed out of treaty rights, to how the resource is being liquidated at firesale prices to foriegn companies. One thing I think that could have been explored a little more is the drug problems in Fort Mac. Tar sands defenders like to claim the industry offers good jobs but what good is a 100k salary to a meth addict? Marsden briefly mentioned drug problems. Everything else he covered in thorough and appalling detail.
July 13, 2010
I wouldn't call this a page-turner, but it was informative, if you're interested in oil-sands. For example, there's a pretty interesting chapter on a plan to use nuclear bombs to create chambers in the oil sands where the heated oil could flow. They never did it, but the Russians apparently did, causing the surrounding aquifers to become radioactive. It seems that we need to move from petro to renewable sooner rather than later.
November 18, 2012
WOW, this was an eye-opener!
To think that all that destruction of our Canadian environment is mostly for the benefit of the States is simply disgusting!
I live in Quebec, and I know that there are plans being made to exploit our northern oil resources as well. I'll be keeping an eye on those developments.
I encourage all Canadians and enviromentally-concious individuals from all parts of the world to read this book.
To think that all that destruction of our Canadian environment is mostly for the benefit of the States is simply disgusting!
I live in Quebec, and I know that there are plans being made to exploit our northern oil resources as well. I'll be keeping an eye on those developments.
I encourage all Canadians and enviromentally-concious individuals from all parts of the world to read this book.
August 29, 2012
I have to look back at this. It's one of few books that I simply never finished. I believe I felt that it was just hitting on the wrong points while missing hugely important negative items. I'm marking it to look at again.
Read
June 12, 2014Boy was this ever an eye-opening read. All about the Alberta oil sands and how corporations are trying to exploit what is in the ground at the expense of the environment as well as the health of people living in the area. I would definitely recommend it.
January 4, 2016
I can't remember when I first read this book. The "date finished" for this entry is the "dated added".
A very critical and alarming look at the Alberta oil industry and in particular the Tar Sands and frakking.
A very critical and alarming look at the Alberta oil industry and in particular the Tar Sands and frakking.
April 27, 2010
We had better change our ways
Read
August 9, 201312
December 1, 2013
If you're not already angry with the people who run the show on both the federal and provincial levels -- this will do it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews