[adamjernst]

A ratio of 3:1 doesn't strike me as "almost as much energy as it produces." Would you say that if I gave you $3 for every $1 you gave me?

[tptacek]

The headline is referring to a (hypothetical) calculation that accounts for things like environmental cost; of course, to make such an apples-apples comparison, you'd have to ding all the other fuel sources equivalently.

[icegreentea]

Well, the almost figure comes from a secondary analysis that includes additional energy costs,

"Hall, who wasn't involved in Hughes' study, thinks the EROI for oil sands would fall closer to 1:1 if the tar sands' full life cycle—including transportation, refinement into higher quality products, end use efficiency and environmental costs—was taken into account."

Furthermore, if you structured your whole life around a 15:1 ratio, then a 3:1 ratio could very well be effectively 1:1.

[mactitan]

Good point. Just the fact that tar sands is ramping up is a bad sign. We will feel pain because we're used to cheap energy.