本週在美國邁阿密召開的全美市長會議通過決議，未來各市將減少使用碳排放密集類燃料，如油砂、液態煤和油頁岩等等，此決議也推動針對生產過程中所排放的二氧化碳量進行分析，而不單單只計算燃料燃燒時所產生的排放量。
此項決議要求建立指導方針及採購標準，協助市長們更瞭解採購的燃料，從生產到消耗整個過程中產生的溫室氣體排放量。
油砂是天然瀝青的沈積物，是一種必須經過加工轉換為高級原油的黏油，可供精鍊廠生產汽油或其他燃料。從油砂中提煉原油，比一般傳統的原油提煉需要耗費更多的水和能源，而許多傳統油田的運作已經需要大量的水、能源及排放大量的溫室氣體。
許多國家擁有大量的油砂沈積物包括美國、俄羅斯和中東。而加拿大和委內瑞拉則擁有全球最大面積的油砂沈積物，其境內的油砂保留地相當於全球所有原油油田的總面積。
目前只有加拿大擁有大規模的商業油砂工業，並在亞伯達省設立亞塞巴斯卡油田。
決議中也表達全美市長對於加拿大環境的擔憂，指出加拿大生產每桶油砂所排放的二氧化碳，大約是原油生產的3倍，嚴重破壞加拿大寒帶森林的生態系，這裡也是全球最大的碳儲藏地。
對於市長會議質疑油砂的原油提煉，環保人士給與肯定。擔任「美國自然資源保護協會」資深律師的尼科威(Susan Casey-Lefkowitz)女士表示：「過去幾年來，美國市長開始挺身而出，扮演環境議題的領導角色，而透過此項決議，市長們能藉由取得瀝青油砂這類污染性燃料相關資訊，進一步落實他們對抗全球暖化的承諾。」
2008年的全美市長會議也很謹慎地促成歷年來最環保的一次聚會，在減少二氧化碳排放量的目標上，從旅館、晚宴到部分市長的交通工具，都以節能為最高原則。
全美市長在氣候保護議題上也率先發聲，超過850名市長同意在各自的城市中降低溫室氣體排放量，同時推動國會提撥地方政府能源補助款，深化各城市的環保成效。
The U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami this week adopted a resolution aimed at avoiding the use of high carbon fuels such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale. The resolution encourages fuel analyses that include emissions from production, not just from burning the fuel.
The resolution calls for the creation of guidelines and purchasing standards to help mayors understand the greenhouse gas emissions of the fuels they purchase through their entire lifecycle from production through consumption.
Tar sands are deposits of natural bitumen, a viscous oil that must be treated to convert it into an upgraded crude oil so that it can be used in refineries to produce gasoline and other fuels. Extracting oil from these sands uses more water and requires larger amounts of energy than conventional oil extraction, even though many conventional oil fields also require large amounts of water and energy and emits large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Many countries have large deposits of tar sands, including the United States, Russia, and countries in the Middle East. The world's largest deposits are in Canada and Venezuela, both of which have tar sands reserves equal to the world's total reserves of conventional crude oil.
Currently, only Canada has a large-scale commercial tar sands industry, developing the Athabasca Tar Sands in Alberta.
The resolution approved by the mayors expresses concern for Canada's environment, stating, "... the production of tar sands oil from Canada emits approximately three times the carbon dioxide pollution per barrel as does conventional oil production and significantly damages Canada's Boreal forest ecosystem - the world's largest carbon storehouse ..."
Environmentalists praised the mayors' challenge to fuel derived from tar sands. "In the last few years, U.S. mayors have come out as leaders on environmental initiatives, specifically in the fight to stop global warming," said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC. "This resolution will help implement their commitment to fight global warming by giving mayors the information they need about dirty fuels such as tar sands oil."
The U.S. Conference of Mayors took care to make this year's session the "greenest" to date. The hotel, evening events and some of the mayors' transportation used energy efficient practices with the goal of reducing carbon emissions.
Mayors are already leading on the issue of climate protection with more than 850 mayors agreeing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their respective cities and pushing funding for an energy block grant in Congress to further their efforts.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
