Around here there is a large chunk of the public that has been sucked in by the aerial photography of the oil sands areas.
Apparently not a large enough chunk of the public, given the fact that Alberta has been run by conservatives for 30+ years.
They're gaining traction as the mess grows, which is why we're having this discussion. The industry is beginning to make concessions. As it must.
If by concessions you mean the oilpatch companies are implementing new technology to extract this oil in a more environmentally friendly way, then yes I agree with you. This is something these companies would likely be unable and/or unwilling to afford in a cap and trade scenario.