Harit K.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I learned is how much the Athabasca Oil Sands affects our country and other countries. Canada invests a lot of time, effort, and money in the oil sands. The oil sands distributes oil to many countries, most notably the USA, which has made Canada a great ally with the USA. The oil sands has also shaped over 500,000 Canadians' jobs, as well as changed the way Canada thinks about energy and fuel usage.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that there are always two sides to a coin, and both sides are important for any object, movement, or person. The Oil Sands were considered to be one of the most profitable regions in Canada, however, environmental sustainability was not considered for so long that now the region causes devastating impact on wildlife and environment. Furthermore, the oil sands has become so integrated into Canada's economy that stopping production would ruin the country and millions of lives. It is always important to consider the positives and the negatives of any decision.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Compared to the people I have studied that relate to the Athabasca Oil Sands, I believe that we are much better off than those 70 years ago. Currently, we hrve much better control over the oil sands reserve than we did before. We are minimizing the impact of our oil sands usage, as well as understanding the sands much better.