<h2>
	Politics, Religion - and the Oil Sands?</h2>
<p>
	If you&rsquo;re anything like some of us at Brion Energy, you know Christmas dinners can sometimes be a bit awkward. You know the old rule &ndash; never talk about politics or religion with family, for fear of starting heated debate. Some of us wonder whether the oil sands industry should be added to that list, as we try to avoid the moment when a well-meaning relative says something like, &ldquo;I just read the nasty newspaper article about the controversy <em>&lt;insert oil company name here&gt;</em> is causing!&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	As the saying goes, there are at least two sides to every issue. According to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), <a href="http://www.capp.ca/aboutUs/mediaCentre/NewsReleases/Pages/CanadiansbackincreasedmarketaccessforCanadianoil,pollsays.aspx">two out of every three Canadians</a> believe the oil sands can be developed while managing environmental impacts. That means there are a lot of people out there (hopefully some of whom are also at your dinner table) who believe there are and will continue to be good things happening in our oil sands industry. Don&rsquo;t be shy to jump at the chance to talk about work that companies like Brion Energy are doing.</p>
<p>
	Worried you won&rsquo;t have enough facts to sustain you through a debate with Uncle Ed or Aunt Maggie? Then get up-to-speed on a few facts:</p>
<ul>
	<li>
		Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world. <em>Source: CAPP 2013.</em></li>
	<li>
		Canada has 173 billion barrels of oil that can be recovered economically with today&rsquo;s technology. Of that number, 168 billion barrels are located in the oil sands. <em>Source: ERCB and Oil and Gas Journal 2012.</em></li>
	<li>
		80% of oil sands reserves are too deep to be mined so are recovered in place (or in situ) by drilling wells. Drilling (in situ) methods create minimal land disturbance and do not require tailings ponds. <em>Source: CAPP 2013.</em></li>
	<li>
		Only 0.02% of Canada&rsquo;s boreal forest has been disturbed by oil sands mining operations over the past 40 years.<em> Source: AESRD 2011.</em></li>
	<li>
		Oil sands account for 6.9% of Canada&#39;s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and just over 0.16% (1/600th) of global GHG emissions. <em>Source: Environment Canada 2012 United Nations Statistical Division.</em></li>
	<li>
		Oil sands projects recycle 80-95% of water used. <em>Source: AESRD.</em></li>
	<li>
		In 2010, 51% of the water used by in situ oil sands was saline groundwater, which is not suitable for human or agricultural use. <em>Source: CAPP 2013.</em></li>
</ul>
<p>
	Want to learn more about Canada&rsquo;s oil sands industry? Visit CAPP&rsquo;s web site, <a href="http://www.oilsandstoday.ca/Pages/default.aspx">Oil Sands Today</a>.</p>
<p>
	Brion Energy takes its commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility seriously. Learn more about our company and consider being part of the team that&rsquo;s building something big in the Alberta oil sands. Visit <a href="http://www.buildingsomethingbig.com/">www.buildingsomethingbig.com</a> for details.</p>
<p>
	<strong>On behalf of Brion Energy and our Human Resources team, we wish you and yours a very safe and happy holiday.</strong></p>
