More than just a best-selling artist, respected guitarist, expressive singer, and accomplished songwriter, Bonnie Raitt has become an institution in American music. Throughout her extraordinary career, she has supported social justice and environmental causes including alternative energy solutions. She has just released her 18th album, Souls Alike, and will be supporting The Pembina Institute at a concert in Calgary's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Wednesday October 25. As this concert is expected to sell out, we encourage you to get your tickets soon. Tickets go on sale Monday August 28 through Ticketmaster.
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The Pembina Institute’s Greenlearning.ca program was recognized as one of the three Alberta Emerald Awards 2006 finalists in the education category. It is difficult for teachers to fit extra environmental content into the classroom since they are obliged to meet curriculum requirements. Pembina’s Greenlearning e-education program bridges the gap, making it a popular resource for teachers and students in particular, as well as community organizations and citizens wanting to explore energy efficiency and climate change. Over 800 Alberta teachers have utilized the resources of Greenlearning.ca since the fall of 2004. The entire site has just been revamped for the new school year.

Take a tour.

June 12 - The potential for energy efficiency, cogeneration and renewable energy to meet energy demands in Ontario is twice the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA) worst-case scenario for predicted demand in 2020. That’s the conclusion of a report released by Pembina and other environmental groups. Read the media release.

June 13 - The government of Ontario gives its directive on what mix of electricity sources should be used to meet future demand to the OPA. The OPA is to come back with a plan. The good news – the government more than tripled the target for conservation and demand side efforts, and moderately increased the renewables targets tool. The bad news – they also committed to 14,000MW of nuclear capacity, which will require building two new reactors and the refurbishment of four more. Read Supply Mix Directive and Nuclear (media releases).

June 14 - On June 14 it was revealed that the government had secretly exempted the plan to be developed by the OPA from the province's Environmental Assessment Act. The previous electricity demand supply plan, developed by Ontario Hydro in 1989 (and proposing a dozen new reactors) was subject to the act, and fell apart under cross examination before the Environmental Assessment Board and was withdrawn by Hydro in 1993. On June 19th, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario released a statement saying the way the exemption had been handled violated the province's Environmental Bill of Rights. Read Exempt (media release). Do you object? File your complaint under Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights now.

June 22 - A coalition of environmental groups including The Pembina Institute delivered an open letter to the Premier of Ontario on electricity issues, calling for immediate action on efficiency and renewables and an environmental assessment of the OPA's electricity plan. A 12 foot high nuclear waste container was inflated by Greenpeace on the lawn of the legislature, and 'boxes' of nuclear waste were presented to cabinet ministers. Read 7-Point Plan (media release).

June 29 - The Ontario government released its revisions to the Building Code. This is the first policy action on energy efficiency since the June 13 announcement. It falls short of recommendations by Pembina and others who called for the immediate implementation of "Energuide 80" energy efficiency standards and updates to the energy efficiency provisions of the Ontario government’s building code every 3 to 4 years, as is done in many leading US states.

July 17 - Electricity consumption was predicted to reach an all-time high. The Pembina Institute joined other environmental organizations to call on the Ontario government to pursue "peak-shaving" programs instead of buying power from polluting coal plants to meet peak demand. Read Dirty Power (media release).

As of August 2006 Pembina has worked with more than 50 First Nations communities on energy planning. Together we have found ways to reduce community costs and emissions, and to increase local control and sustainability of their energy sources. One recent example demonstrating that a sustainable energy future is not only possible but underway, is a community-scale renewable energy project implemented by the Beaver Lake Cree Nation in northeastern Alberta. After working with The Pembina Institute on an energy baseline study, this community built a solar air heating system on their new recreation complex, and are actively looking for ways to make their new homes as energy efficient as possible. Photo of the Beaver Lake Solar Wall by Donna Lewis, Astravan Distributors.

If you’d like to know more about our work with First Nations contact Tim Weis, Community Project Analyst, at 780-485-9610 x 103.

Just before Ottawa’s long summer break, Pembina teamed up with WWF-Canada to deliver a "summer recess reading assignment" to every MP, in order to prepare them for a crucial debate this fall on the government’s new environmental strategy. All 308 Members of Parliament took home The Weather Makers, a best-selling book on global warming by the renowned science writer Dr. Tim Flannery, and Oil Sands Fever, a recent Pembina Institute report about the environmental impacts of the escalating development of Alberta's oil sands. If they’ve done their homework, Canada’s MPs will head back to Ottawa this fall eager to make cutting climate change pollution the centrepiece of the "Green Plan" for Canada.

Read the media release.

A full page ad published in the Hill Times, a popular weekly read by politicians, describes what kind of climate change plan Canada needs.

Pembina expresses concerns that Ontario’s growth plan is degenerating from a bold vision to nothing more than a "business-as-usual" plan.

The 2005 annual report highlights key achievements for the year and also presents 20 years of success in moving towards a sustainable energy future.

Roger Peters explains how the Harper government's latest plans to cut energy efficiency and renewable energy programs will set Canada back a decade in its efforts to reduce energy costs for homeowners and curb the environmental impacts of high energy use. Read the full Op-Ed.

Jesse Row and Matthew Bramley consider Federal Environment Minister Rona Ambrose announcement on her government's election promise to replace five per cent of the fuel at the pumps with renewable fuels (ethanol and biodiesel) by 2010. The question is: How much will this actually benefit the environment? Read the full Op-Ed.