Looking at the nearly solid-red dots of Alberta, I feel more impatient with my federal government's lack of reaction to the situation in my neighboring province.

I know that down-the-middle stark difference between the Eastern and Western US has little to do with pollution and more to do with population, since there is an extremely low population in the desert and plains areas of the Southwest and the western Midwest [and areas like the Florida Everglades and northern Minnesota/Wisconsin, which I personally know are sparsely populated areas], but it's still alarming to see how dense the eastern US' figures are in comparison to the rest of the country [and you can even make out where mountain ranges are located in the East/New England area]. I am surprised at some areas, such as Georgia, which I would have expected to be blacked-out around Atlanta but then dispersing in rural areas.

This is just those that "reported", however. How much basis does this figure have in what is probably the reality of industrial pollution by facility? Was reporting this information always mandatory in all cases?

Alberta scares me, however. I don't know much about Canada and had no idea there was such a huge problem such as this there. What is the cause of that?

Oh, gee, looks like they completely missed the worst environmental disaster in North America located in the northeastern corner of Alberta, the Tar Sands projects!

I am sure it has something to do with the Oil Shale.

What is the cause of all the red in Alberta?....Sweet precious oil that is being sucked out of the ground and the tar-sands...

Scary place...glad I moved from there.

I wonder how that would cross reference with an economic density map? Maybe thrown off a bit by California and BC.

As for Alberta, can that ALL be oil production? Seems to me that there's a lot of empty space up north in Alberta. Looks like somebody needs to do a story on that. I know that there aren't a lot of people up there and those that are make their livelihoods off oil production. An outsider needs to take a flashlight up there and shine a light in some nooks and crannies. Don't get caught though. Scary.

If you look at the Google Earth version, you will see that most of the points in Alberta are Oil and Gas facilities.

And yes, the tar sands (Fort McMurray) are included. Fort McMurray is in the NE quadrant of Alberta but not right in the corner.

"This map shows the locations of almost 34,000 industrial facilities in North America that reported on releases or transfers of pollutants in 2004." No comment on relative severity or types of pollutants. This is the sort of sloppy, half-done reporting that undermines true environmentalism--you have to be up front with /all/ the facts available, or you undercut your own position.

i was born in fort mcmurray alberta the heart of the oil sands project and lived there for 8 years of my life, let it be known that north eastern alberta is nothing but a festering scar, it is the largest man made disaster in the world i believe i have heard a few times.

the scar can be seen from space as well as the toxic pools produced. It takes incredible resources of natural gas, water electricity to produce oil out of the oil sands. 75% of the oil feeds the United States...

Are many too many leaders of the global political economy spurning their moral obligations by turning a blind eye to human over-consumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities that can be seen recklessly dissipating the natural resources and drastically degrading the environs of our planetary home? The Earth is being ravaged; but it appears too many politicians, CEOs and institutional executives are willfully refusing to acknowledge what is happening.

Because the emerging global challenges that could soon be confronted by humanity appear to so many responsible, able and courageous scientists to be human-induced, many of our political leaders and economic powerbrokers have evidently been eschewing unwelcome responsibilities and unexpected duties which must be assumed now if life as we know it and the integrity of Earth are to be preserved for our children and coming generations.

Besides tar sands, conventional oil, and gas. Alberta has large coal deposits. They remove whole mountains in some cases and load them on trains to Japan. Theres a Provincial election going on right now and a lot of candidates are talking about putting the brakes on the economy and try and do something for the environment. Just smoke and mirrors in the end. The lour of money is just too great.

Regarding the red blob known as Alberta. I believe that the Alberta Energy & Utilities Board has implemented (and enforces) the strictest regulations on reporting spills & releases, no matter how small. If there is fluid on the ground and it is not reported and remedied, the companies involved can face fines and restricted operations.

Knowing this, what is the rest of the continent NOT reporting. What are they hiding? Should we be concerned?

Upstream oil and gas facilities report to Canada's pollutant inventory, but not the US pollutant inventory. Hence, lots of points in Alberta but not so many (on this map) in Texas, Wyoming, Alaska, etc.

All three countries have different reporting requirements for their national pollutant inventories. This is a map of available, if not always directly comparable, data.

Still, it's interesting to look at areas like Sarnia, Ontario and see what's on either side of the border.

Please also see Lloyd's recent post on the tar sands:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/tar-sands-most-destructive-project.php