Introduction
Alberta is one of the Canada’s most densely populated provinces. It has a population of approximately 3,786,398 people (True Knowledge, 2011 p.1). There are various natural resources in the region. These resources are of a great help to the community. They assist in job creation as well as well as bringing developments in the region in terms of infrastructure and other developments. This project has however been faced by various challenges which has undermined its success.
Importance of the topic (Alberta tar sands)
This topic is of great significance to be studied. There are several issues surrounding the Alberta Tar Sands which affects the welfare of the community. Just like any other project involving the natural resources, the project has impacted on the community both positively and negatively. This project has also raised concerns on health issues. It has posed a great danger to the diversity. Exposure to the environment has brought some complications on the health of communities living around. It has also affected the flora and fauna. The project has also positive impacts on the society. For instance, the project helps in creating employment to the communities around. The project has provided employment to many people in the community, both skilled and semiskilled workers.
However, there are some conflicts over the export of raw bitumen. Concerns are raised on why the monopolies are exporting raw bitumen which could be upgraded and refined in Canada (TML Daily, 2011 p. 7). In other words, the main frustration over the export of unrefined bitumen is based on the fact that export of raw bitumen was denying the Canadians job opportunities. If bitumen could be refined in Canada, it can form one of the main factors of the petrochemical manufacturing companies. In the process of refining the raw bitumen, more revenue can be generated which can then be used in supporting the manufacturing sector. In the process, more job opportunities will be generated.
Describe the Concept
As already seen, there are several issues concerning the Alberta Sand Mines which affects the welfare of the surrounding communities. These issues have been affecting the community in two dimensions; physically and socially. The communities surrounding the project as well as the workers in these mines are not getting their just share of the benefits from the mine.
The project has a significant implication on the environment. It poses a great danger to the health conditions of the people. According to Timoney and Lee (2009), concentrations of alkylated PHAs in Anthabasca river Delta sediments increased over the period 1999-2007 (p.5). This pollution has affected both the people and the wildlife. These effects raise concerns on the current and future health status of the people of Canada. For instance, exposure to the environment is associated with cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and increase in respiratory system (Timoney & Lee, 2009, p.13). There is a need to adopt modern technology which is more efficient in reducing the level of environmental pollution.
There is a need to have calculations on the effects of the project on the health conditions of the community. For instance, the Alberta Tar sands project has adverse effects on the people’s health and the biodiversity in general. However, the revenue generated in these projects is benefiting some; just a fraction of the people who are the owners of capital. The community is getting a fair share of this revenue. For instance, workers are never given their benefits until the monopolies have deducted their returns and also realized a certain level of interest. Their health conditions will consequently deteriorate since they cannot access reasonable health benefits.
Such a situation cannot be sustained in the community. People will rise up to fight for their rights and this will lead to conflict between the two groups of people. Jamieson commented that with massive theft of resources, the people (i.e. the wealthy and the poor) are alienated from their cultural responsibilities (2011 p. 1).
The workers in this project have ever been complaining. Most of the complaints concern the wages and the benefits which are entitled to these workers. The workers as well as their family members feel that their benefits and wages do not fit the kind of work they are engaged in (TML Daily p. 9). They also complained about their living and working conditions which were not feasible with the kind of work they were engaged in. They complained of difficult working conditions in which they were working in but was ignored.
Such a project should be of benefit to the community rather than being a cost. However, the community is not getting the just share. Employees continue to live a low standard kind of living. They are also not able to get fare benefit for the kind of work they do. This situation is very harmful to the health of the workers. For instance, they should be entitled to a reasonable health benefits to cater for their health. This will enable them to overcome any illness that may result from their working conditions.
Analysis of “Alberta tar sands” using the social conflict theory
According to the social conflict theory, different people in the community have varying levels of both material and non-material wealth. Consequently, the condition leads to development of two groups in the society i.e. the poor on one side and the wealthy on the other side. The amount of wealth held is determined by the ownership of the means of production. The rich are the owners of the means of production. The rich uses their power which they get from their wealth to exploit the poor fraction of the community. In this case of the Alberta Tar Sands, this theory has clearly manifested itself. The wealthy people have been taking advantage of their power to exploit the poor in the community.
Alberta Tar Sands is project which is supposed to help the entire society. According to TML Daily (2011), exploitation of the energy resources like the tar sands is characterized by many features which reflect a socialized economy on which wealth creation depends on (p. 15). This resource is a product of a natural resource from the motherland and should therefore benefit the entire society. The resultant product is as a result of the productive capacity of the Canadian working class. The exploitation process also applies the means of production like energy, machines, tools, infrastructure, education and healthcare programs all based in Canada. This project should therefore benefit all the people in the community rather than a fraction of them.
In contradiction to this, the relations of production in the Alberta Tar Sands have been characterized by social divisions; those work on one side and those who own a part of the economy (TML Daily, 2011 p.16). The owners of capital apply different mechanisms to deny the society their claims for the fair share of the part of the community’s wealth generated by the workers. The methods applied in this system are virtually exploitative which has led to poor quality lives especially for the workers.
The owners of the capital who are in this case the monopolies operating in the tar sands does not pay royalties until they have received back their invested capital and a certain amount of returns (TML Daily, 2011 p. 17). In other words, the losses will be passed to the workers. These monopolies receive a certain percentage of the total interest generated in the process of refining the tar sands. They use this weapon to exploit the society of its wealth which has been generated using the socially owned resources.
In the Alberta tar sands, there are concerns about environment pollution. Monopolists or the owners of capital pollute the environment in the process of production. This brings conflict between the monopolies and other groups which represents citizens. The society is demanding for a sustainable environment free from pollution. The society is insisting on adoption of modern technology in order to reduce the level of pollution. On the other hand, the owners of capital are avoiding expensive technologies. They consider the cost effective methods rather than environmental friendly methods.
This antisocial arrangement) which leads to unjust distribution of resources by the owners of the capital) leaves the members of the public with very many questions unanswered. It is necessary for the development of resources to proceed under the control of the public institutions dedicated to serving the interests of the people. By so doing, there will be equity in the distribution of the resources (Climate and Capitalism, 2009 par4). This will help in reducing the social conflict between the social classes formed as a result of unequal distribution of the resources.
Conclusion
This discussion has clearly discussed the issues surrounding the Alberta Tar Sands. This discussion has included the social importance of the issue on tar sands. This discussion has revealed that the methods used in exploiting the resources are exploitive and the products of the process are benefiting just a fraction of the community. Monopolies, which are the owners of the means of production, take the largest fraction of the revenue generated in the process of refining these resources. This is despite the fact that this revenue is generated using the community’s workforce and the community owned land as the raw materials.
This situation has led into division of the community into two parts. There are those who own the means of production on one side and the workers on the other side. The owners of the capital generate interests at the expense of the poor workers. Consequently, this relation has cultivated conflict between these two groups. The workers are demanding for their fair share of the community’s wealth.
Reference List
Climate and Capitalism. (2009). The Facts about the Alberta Tar Sands. Web.
Jamieson, G. (2011). Alberta Tar Sands and the Environmental Effects on Indigenous North American Culture. Web.
Timoney, K. & Lee, P. (2009). Does the Alberta Tar Sands Industry Pollute? The Scientific Evidence. Web.
TML Daily (2011). 66th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Those Murdered by the Nazis. Web.
True Knowledge. (2011). Population of Alberta 2010. Web.