Alberta’s oilsands are Canada’s greatest economic asset, and an ecological catastrophe. Nearly 3,400 square kilometres of roads, pipelines and inky tailings ponds weave throughout the landscape like a patchwork quilt. Oilsand development thus far accounts for about two per cent of known bitumen deposits in Northern Alberta. As more oil is extracted, the landscape will be defined by this patchwork of infrastructure, and much of the area around Fort McMurray will be turned into an industrial wasteland.

If the exploitation going on right now is just the tip of the iceberg, well, to quote renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, “It’s just kind of hard to imagine, when we get to the other 99 per cent, what Alberta’s going to look like.”

I’ll hazard a guess: it will probably look like one of Burtynsky’s eerie photographs. These large, gritty images display landscapes juxtaposed with factories and railroads, raped of their natural resources or riddled with the debris of discarded ships, electronics, tires and tailings. Burtynsky’s lens has exposed everything from our province’s oilsands to the ship-breaking graveyards off the coast of Bangladesh. He’s permanently donated 22 of these haunting images to the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, as part of the exhibition, The Residual Landscapes (February 7 to April 26). In total, the exhibition will feature 38 massive photographs, with representations from most of Burtynsky’s career.

The Residual Landscapes is the title exhibition at this year’s Exposure Banff Calgary Photography Festival, which will explore the themes of environmental stewardship and sustainability. The festival will feature more than 25 exhibitions across Calgary, Canmore and Banff, including new work by local artists, a group show at the Gerry Thomas Gallery (Our Environment: Tenuos Balance; February 1 to 28) and student shows at the Alberta College of Art and Design and SAIT.

The festival’s theme should resonate, considering the environmental consequences of exploiting our province’s most infamous economic assets — the Athabasca, Cold Lake and Peace River oilsands. After all, producing oil from bitumen requires one of the most resource-intensive processes around, using two to four barrels of fresh water and 21 cubic metres of non-renewable natural gas to produce just one barrel of oil. With per capita emissions at 20 metric tons, Canada’s already the second largest CO2 producer of all the G8 countries. With full exploitation of the oilsands we’ll be number 1. Do we really want this distinction?

“I’d rather not be there if we can prevent it. We’ll become the pariahs of CO2 if we do this,” says Burtynsky. “If we bury our heads in the sand and this goes ahead, then one day we wake up and find out that we’ve pulled off an incredible asset, but in a way that’s dirty, and in a way that makes us internationally look like an uncaring, polluting and dirty nation.”

“I see it as a dilemma, you know. I’m partaking of the product that I’m actually looking at and considering, and so I understand its complexity. That’s why I don’t ever say this is the right or the wrong thing to do. I’m just saying we should do it in the full light of day and in total consciousness, aware of all the facts and figures and the consequences of these actions.”

Raising public awareness is something Burtynsky’s been trying to accomplish during the 25 years he’s been photographing these disturbing industrial landscapes. As an artist, he’s tried to explore our relationship with the environment and build a dialogue surrounding the issue.

At this year’s festival, many local artists will join in the dialogue, including photographer Carole Harmon (Passing Through the Fire: Wildfire as Metaphor and Inspiration, February 3 to March 31). Her striking images explore the ideas of transformation and regeneration, questioning our perception of natural processes as evidence that our world is in peril. And Jenny Tzanakos (Underground: New Photography; February 1 to 28), whose work examines the barriers we erect between ourselves and our urban environment. After seeing these striking exhibitions, says Whyte Museum curator Craig Richards, “Hopefully you’ll start to question your role and our role in everything we’re doing.”