Tar sands from Canada might not enter the EU

News time on green carpet has shown a possibility that the EU might ban the import of the tar sands from Canada. The Ecologist says that "Oil from the tar sands industry is set to be classified as having greater GHG [green house gas] emissions than conventional oil in a review of the European Union’s Fuel Quality Directive". That means that those oil importers and fuel providers that are legally bound to reduce GHG emissions will have to refuse using tar sand oil.

I personally think it's incredibly important to ban tar sand oil! Of course, it's significant to save our atmoshpere from GHG emissions as the process of extracting oil deposits from tar sands is "estimated to be three times more carbon-intensive than conventional oil sources" as states The Ecologist.
But in my personal opinion extracting oil from tar sands should have been banned in whole world in general- it is unnaceptable in my mind to remove such vast territories of topsoil, leaving open mines- it strips the planet! It also steals the natural habitat from living creatures. I mean- it's not that this territory has been a desert before, not at all. There used to be forests which is multi-level ecosystem with huge variety of living beings in all those levels starting from root system, moss, grass to bushes and trees.
And as if that was not enough, the process pollutes local waterways with toxic cemicals, it uses water resources irresponsibly and on emits the GHG. And on top of it- after the extraction of bitumen, the stripped earth is left to be such- a dead zone, where nothing can grow and no creature can live in anymore. No wonder they call it the dirtiest oil of all.

I would think that we should ban the oil from tar sands for these reasons, not just the higher GHG emissions. And I would want to see it in the whole world, not just the EU..
But at the moment- every second closer to this European ban is a victory for another square of the living land. And if I look at it from this perspective, I am ok with GHG being the reason to ban tar sands oil. As long as there is a ban, at least here in Europe. Maybe other parts of this world will see what it does to our planet and follow. Fingers crossed on green carpet.

p.s.- picture copyright Jiri Rezac from Tarhished Earth exhibition