The True Cost of Oil- New Novel reveals the High price Albertans pay working in the Industry

March 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Edmonton, AB – Marc Bauer was from a small town looking for a way out. Lured in by the promise of Alberta’s booming gas and oil business, his first job in the oil industry looked pretty good from the outside.

But after awhile the stark reality of what that job does to a person came crashing down on him.

“I was making money so fast I didn’t know what hit me. It was great. A brand new car, a house, drinking and partying when off shift- it was all really appealing to a guy in his 20’s. The profits are immense. For a guy from a small town it’s a great introduction to responsibility, team work and a real life. It makes you feel like you are part of something great- at first.”

But as the novel  Alternative Energy (http://mbauerbooks.com/)  reveals, it doesn’t take long before that type of lifestyle starts to catch up with you.

"Among other things, I wanted to take people to a working rig and they could read for themselves what it’s like. Hours are long--sometimes 16 hours a day, sometimes longer. The cold is unspeakable. And the guys get pushed to do more, more, and more, until they have nothing left. Shifts get lengthened, weekends cut short, and vacations delayed or cancelled altogether, sometimes safety standards are skirted or not observed and personal relationships crash and burn. There are also instances of heavy substance abuse. These guys don't see their families--or anyone else. By the time they're 40, they're finished. And their kids are strangers."

Marc goes on to say- "Don't get me wrong--people in the oil industry are not bad people. You get paid good money to work the rigs and as a millwright. But the toll is too high--I have seen the rigs chew up too many lives including my father who was killed in an industrial accident on an oil lease in 2011. If we want Alberta producing oil, and lots of it, then we need to regulate the industry more. Safety codes need to be maintained, or better yet, exceeded.”

Marc’s book, though fictional, is a tale told through the character of Brandon Baker, an amalgamation of workers and friends he met while working in the oilsands. It’s an eye opener to many who are looking to go into the oil industry but is also a positive story about how to find a more spiritual and meaningful way of living life. Readers will be able to relate to it on many different moral levels and it is an exciting and entertaining read.

Bauer has lived and worked all over Western Canada as well as overseas, as a millwright in the oil, gas and power generation industry for over 15 years. This is Marc’s first book.

Review copies are available in PDF or hard copy.

Visit http://mbauerbooks.com/ for more information.

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