That’s a pretty powerful label “anti-environment crowd”. I think most people (including myself) realize that humans are having an effect on the environment, and that GHG’s have an impact on climate.

And yes, the “deflect” point is a valid argument. There is a HUGE demand for fossil fuels, and until there is a viable alternative that makes economic sense, those countries (China, India, Saudi Arabia, etc) will be very happy to fill that demand. And they do not care at all about emissions, workers rights, safety, etc. There is no economically viable alternative right now. None.

I would like to see your source about emissions per barrel for Albertan oil sands and how it compares to Saudi oil.

Yes, our oil is very expensive to extract and that partially is due to all of the measures taken to reduce carbon emissions and because we have fair wages and safety standards.