A Young Engineer

As much as high speed trains in North America seem unlikely, I had to laugh a little at the irony of this link relative to the timing of the film/trailer. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/08/biden.rail.network/index.html?iref=hpbua

I am a Canadian Engineering student completing a work term with one of the companies producing oil from the tar sands in Alberta. While my experience has been very positive, the demonization of this industry has become very apparent to me and its influence on the people of Canada. Instead of being a point of pride, the oil sands development seems to be a sort of burden that many Canadians wish would be wiped out in the name of protecting the environment. These opinions are prominent outside of my country as well as referenced in the EU’s recent proposal towards to oils sands. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/03/24/eu-oilsands.html While the proposal of adding penalties to Canadian oil were turned down as mentioned in the article above, the fact that these types of suggestions are being put forward is proof enough of the global opinion towards this industry. My questions for the forum are as follows, what is the general opinion of Americans regarding this industry? And secondly, what is the opinion of objectivists?