Even as I write that title, I cringe. To call the destruction of a once lush wilderness “beautiful” is to walk the line between neutrality and complicity. And to be clear, I am neither.
The Tar Sands project in Alberta has claimed 141,000 square kilometers of Alberta, Canada, and turned forest into a toxic landscape of oily ponds and scarred earth that stretches to the horizon.
Climate change photographer Ashley Cooper documented the Tar Sands project in a recently-published collection of images that have put an ugly face to the household name. Check out the gallery above for Cooper’s candid look at the Tar Sands.
Do we dare call Cooper’s work beautiful? Decades ago director Godfrey Reggio shot a film called “Koyaanisqatsi” [Hopi for “Life out of Balance”], which depicted a man-made world gone mad with development and expansion at the expense of the Earth. It was as beautiful as it was cautionary and terrifying, and it compelled critics to describe it as “breathtaking” and “music for the eyes.”
In this instance, we can probably assume that outrage and impetus are the principle reactions desired by photographer.
Whatever Cooper’s intentions, he certainly left little mystery as to the real goings-on up there in Alberta.
The worst destruction. winning oil from sand is the most stupid thing. Why do all the effort to win ancient sunlight while fresh sunlight is coming down on us every day. It doesnt make sense. Great photos, horrible subject.
You would need a solar/wind field the size of Colorado to do such things.
I must politely agree with S Ritchie and Kenton. This is not the whole story and Canadian oil will always be twenty times cleaner, both ecologically and socially than middle-eastern oil. How ironic that this article from Petapixel (http://www.petapixel.com/2012/10/24/you-take-35-degrees-out-of-360-degrees-and-call-it-a-photo/) referred to this Calvin and Hobbes strip today.
http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2012/09/20
I live next door in Saskatchewan and oil sands production has begun here. If they maintain their current practices they are welcome to come. No industry is spotless and any can appear filthy if that is what you focus on exclusively.
I too am disappointed by the way you have chosen to describe the oil sands area of northern Alberta. You make it sound like they’ve clear cut 141,000km of land and dug big lakes and filled them with toxic sludge. The vast majority of northern Alberta is untouched wilderness as far as the eye can see. Is there environmental damage? Absolutely and these images are a very interesting (beautiful?) way of documenting that.
Unfortunately he actually left a great deal of mystery about what is going on up there and I wish he had ventured out to show some of the natural beauty of the area as well.
I never saw Koyaanisqatsi, but I remember my sister seeing it when it came out and she has always raved about how incredible the movie was. I’ll have to try and see it sometime.
Beautiful images. Whether the situation is or not is a different discussion. Images are arresting, interesting.
I hate all this sh*t about how the oil sands are so bad. I’m a photographer and pilot, I was flying into the oil sand regularly. Showing pictures of tail ponds and cut down tree’s and labelling it mass destruction is just such BS. You fail to mention all the efforts into how the companies are preserving the place, replantation etc… There is two side to all of these stories and let’s not forget that all the cameras and video production equipment that supports guy’s like Chase comes from petroleum. I love the environment as much as the next person but the oil sands is a huge project that supports families from the east to west coasts. Maybe start looking in your own backyard before criticizing your northern neighbour.
I bet ritchie is a romney supporter… outdated and misguided by his own miseducated information. Note that I said information, not knowledge.
Romney supporter not likely, I’m Canadian you idiot ! Miseducation ? Would love to know what you know about the oil sands, I spent three years working out of there and flying people, workers that is in and out there. The statement “and turned forest into a toxic landscape of oily ponds and scarred earth that stretches to the horizon”, is complete BS. When you see it from there air you can see Ft Mc Murray clearly and all the surrounding forrest. On the scale of seeing the horizon from the air at 30000 ft the oil sands project is only a small part of the picture. Outdated, was last in there in 2011 so wrong again.
Seems you are the miseducated and misguided one here buddy !
That was a smart move to bring American politics into the argument a Canadian is making. You do sound like an Obama supporter.
I totally agree. To hear all this one sided BS from today’s favorite eco group gets old fast. Its so transparent and they make sure only half the story is told. This example is no different. I have seen stunning images from reclamation areas where the forests and environment has been re established with wildlife thriving. Chase, you were the one who posted this one sided crap. If you are truly intent on sharing the …your words “real goings on ” about whats happening here in Alberta share this link to a short vid on just how these areas are really left .
http://youtu.be/lQ6AYnrKh7c