Curse of the black gold

It was good to see David Harris' March editorial addressing the environmental implications of rapid Alberta oil sands exploitation for export to energy-hungry countries around the world. He noted the economic benefits for Canada but commented that there is just one problem — global warming.
Other problems associated with the current stampede include: chemical contamination of soil, air and water; an overheated economy drawing into the province large numbers of people dependent on a temporary resource; rampant materialism and social stratification; and the prospect that within a few decades our descendants will be left with a devastated environment and without access to convenient petroleum-based fuels for heating and transport. Even now, with Alberta still sitting on large reserves of natural gas, less affluent citizens are being impoverished or driven out of their homes by soaring prices of gas for home heating in a severe climate. Those prices are essentially being determined by external demands not only for heating but perhaps even more for air-conditioning, which has facilitated the transfer of industry from the northern states to the cheap labour south and which is another factor in global warming.
The current Alberta energy boom may be a bonanza for many, but for others it is worse than nothing. It has been said that oil in the ground is like King Midas's gold — a curse to those who have it. This dictum certainly seems applicable to many parts of the world. Will it be true of Alberta also?