Global Geography 12“The apex of disaster capitalism” – Naomi Klein

Goals for today’s class: Focus on:

Analyze factors that affect the global distribution and consumption of water (SCO 4.2)

Examine contemporary global patterns of industrialization and resource extraction(SCO 4.3)

Revisit: Evaluate the health of our planet (SCO 2.3) Investigate the relationship between natural

disasters and humans (SCO 2.4)

GCOs Citizenship, Power & Governance: Students will be

expected to demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and the origins, functions, and sources of power, authority, and governance.

People, Place and Environment: Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions among people, places and the environment

Interdependence: Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interdependent relationship among individuals, societies, and the environment – locally, nationally, and globally – and the implications for a sustainable future

Essential Graduation Learnings: Aesthetic Expression Citizenship Technological Competence Communication Personal Development Problem Solving

Agenda Introduction to the topic Brainstorm Article Introduction to the assignment

What does bitumen mean?

Does this picture help?

What about this one?

Bitumen is: The preferred geological term for

naturally occurring deposits of the solid or semi-solid form of petroleum.

In a nutshell, bituminous sands is just another word for oil sands or tar sands

Where are bituminous sands (oil sands) located?

The tar sands in a nutshell… Canada is the current epicentre of tar

sands production, and represents the second largest oil reserve in the world.

There is an estimated 170 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Albertan tar sands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOk0Fyov_2A&feature=player_embedded

Now for the real question(s)…1. Where are all of the refineries?2. How do we get this oil out of Alberta?3. At what cost?

1) Oil refineries in Canada…

1) In the United States…

2) Pipelines!

At What Cost? Pros of the tar sands: Cons of the tar sands:

EPA slams State Department’s Keystone XL pipeline review By Timothy Gardner Published in the Financial Post

13/04/23 As you read the article continue to add

to your list of potential pros and cons to the Keystone XL and other proposed pipelines that are taking oil from the bitumen sands to refineries throughout North America

At What Cost? Pros Cons

You’re all invited…

Your task: The debate over whether Albertan crude oil should be

exported to oil refineries throughout the world has proven to be extremely divisive.

You must form a working group of 3-4 people which will represent the opinions of one of the following groups at the town hall meeting: Oil company Government of Canada Government of the United States Aboriginal peoples Environmental protection groups Citizens of Alberta Citizens of Nebraska (the pipeline is proposed to go through

their back yards – potentially interfering with an aquifer and other environmentally sensitive areas)

Your task (cont’d) You will be responsible for conducting research as to

your group’s position on the pipeline Are you for, or against?

You will also be responsible for developing an argument that you will present at the city hall meeting aimed at convincing others of your opinion Why are you for the pipeline? Why are you against it?

This presentation could take a variety of forms: Verbal presentation PowerPoint Ad campaign (commercial, radio spot) Artistic rendering (spoken word, song, etc.)

Suggested Sites (starting point only) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Keystone_Pipeline http://www.tarsandswatch.org http://oilsandstruth.org http://www.thenation.com/article/baghd

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