Book Review

Title: Green Oil

Author: Satya Das

Publisher: Sextant, an imprint of Cambridge Strategies Inc.

Release Date: Oct 1^st 2009

Number of Pages: 149

ISBN: 978-1-926755-00-7

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins - Vancouver

The gaping problem of the oil sands in Alberta has been talked about for a long time, but never has a book been so clear as to what the solution to that problem should be. The idea of sustainable oil production, according to Das, can coincide with a move towards a carbon-neutral future and eventual non-dependence on fossil fuels. Instead of the idea of all or nothing, Das sees the move towards a greener industry in Alberta as a gradual shift that will only come about with strong governmental involvement and the ability of Alberta and Canada to be world leaders in the move towards green oil and a more sustainable future.

Satya Das is an award-winning journalist and author, and he has advised the most senior levels of the Canadian Government on issues ranging from immigration to Alberta-Ottawa relations to the oil sands. He is fluent in English, French, and Oriya and also has some knowledge of Hindi, Bangla, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. His previous publications are Dispatches from a Borderless World and The Best Country: Why Canada Will Lead the Future.

This book comes at a very crucial time in our history as we approach the Copenhagen talks that will take place in December and momentum continues to build behind the movement towards sustainability. The solutions put forth by Das are compelling and effectively presented, and nobody can argue that we should do nothing about the dirty problem in Alberta. While the writing style is a bit dry at times, and some chapters are very policy based, all the detailed information is very useful for forming one’s own opinion and generating ideas about the future of the oil sands.

Das argues that “dirty oil could be turned into clean oil, with the application of strong political leadership, a stringent regulatory framework, advances in technology, and an insistence on best-practices in energy production.” He also puts it very simply when he says that “the purveyors of capital and the prophets of market economics must be made to see that a holistic pursuit of environmentally sustainable energy production is to their advantage.”

In the final chapter, Das talks about Lady Thatcher’s speech to the UN in 1989 during which she spoke of the need for immediate action against climate change and “international co-operative effort.” It is unsettling to think that after twenty years we are still facing the same problem of coming to an international agreement. After all of the policy and politics, the book ends on a personal note by talking about Das’ childhood in India and his loss of connection to the land. He dreams of a green future for Canada and the world, and he asserts that it is fully attainable.

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