American Empire and the Canadian Oil Sands shows that the unconventional fossil fuels revolution that is taking place in North America must be understood in light of the great power status of the US. Development of the Canadian oil sands would enhance the political position of the US on the world stage-both by powering its domestic economy and giving the US a potentially important asset as conventional fossil fuels are declining (e.g., peak oil). While the unconventional fossil fuels revolution in North America has obvious geopolitical implications, it also holds tremendous potential for causing environmental damage-both in terms of global warming and the local and regional damage created by extracting Canadian oil sands and natural gas and oil from shale.

Autorentext
George A. Gonzalez is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, USA. He is the author of Urban Sprawl, Global Warming, and the Empire of Capital (2009), Energy and Empire: The Politics of Nuclear and Solar Power in the United States (2012), Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic (2013) and The Politics of Star Trek: Justice, War, and the Future (2015).

Zusammenfassung
Throughout the US oil and gas shale are being 'hydrofracked' to produce petroleum and natural gas. Oil (or tar) sands from Canada is being 'processed' thereby generating large amounts of crude. This book places the unconventional fossil fuels revolution that is taking place in North America within the context of great power politics.

Inhalt

1. Introduction
2. Canadian Oil Sands and the American Empire
3. The Political Economy of U.S. Energy Policy
4. The Canadian Oil Sands Policy Network
5. Urban Sprawl as Economic Stimulus
6. Global Oil Politics
7. Democratic Ethics, Environmental Lobbying Groups, and Symbolic Inclusion: The Case of the Canadian Oil Sands
8. Conclusion: The Canadian Oil Sands, Empire, and the Collapse of Civilization