Canadian Oil Sands: Life-Cycle Assessments of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42537.pdf
After discussing the methodology of life-cycle assessments, this report compares several available assessments of life-cycle emissions data for Canadian oil sands crudes against each other and against those of other global reference crudes. Finds that extracting crude oil from Canadian sands and transporting it via the Keystone XL pipeline would increase greenhouse gas emissions more than other sources. Concludes with a discussion of tools for policymakers who want to investigate the impacts of U.S. energy choices on the environment. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists