If companies restored the land after they were finished mining in the area, they could change much of this landscape back into natural habitat.

There has been an ongoing debate surrounding the Alberta Oil Sands, the estimated 15.7 trillion dollar business that has pitted environmentalists against the tar sands business. It frustrates me that the debate can only have two seemingly incompatible stances- environment or profit. Why can’t it be both?
Tar sands certainly have serious environmental problems which there are no easy solutions to. Efforts to reduce tailings, the economically unprofitable toxic waste from the open pit mines, have been largely ineffective. However there are many simple solutions to environmental concerns that have been ignored by oil sands companies. For example, If before companies moved on to a new mining area they had to restore a previously mined area of similar size to its natural state, Pembina, a pro-environmental institute, contends that there would be “no impact on oil production”*, making it a much more ethically attractive business for people concerned about the environment.
Environmentalists, on the other hand, must realize that there is very little chance of the hugely profitable business shutting down, given its economic potential. Instead of condemning the business entirely and alienating themselves from others, environmentalists should focus on the simple solutions to the environment that are compatible with companies making their profits.