Canada's new geopolitics: When a green country becomes a petroleum country

Canada has always projected an image of a green country with vast open spaces and with politicians supporting the environment and sustainable development. Nonetheless, since the beginning of the new millennium gigantic reserves of heavy oil coming from bituminous sands in the province of Alberta have been promoted commercially by the large worldwide energy companies. Canada now has the world’s second largest proven oil reserves, just behind Saudi Arabia. The geopolitical implications resulting from this fact have transformed the bilateral relations with its American neighbour and modified its international posture with respect to such strategic challenges as the Kyoto Protocol.

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