The legendary Art Garfunkel will take the stage this fall in support of the Pembina Institute. He will perform in Edmonton September 16, in Calgary September 18 and in Vancouver September 20. Art Garfunkel was originally revered for his chart-topping songs and albums with partner Paul Simon.

Andrew Kiss, one of Canada's best-recognized nature artists, is joining the Pembina Institute as our official artist. He will donate a portion of the proceeds from his works to support the efforts of the Pembina Institute, and a special selection of his paintings and other works will be available through a silent auction and art sale at our 2007 Green Planet Concert Series in September.

A recent poll reveals that more than 70% of Albertans believe that the Government of Alberta should suspend new oil sands approvals until infrastructure and environmental management issues have been addressed in areas affected by oil sands development. Furthermore, more than 90% of Albertans want oil sands companies to pay for pollution. They also want royalties linked to company profits and 1/3 of the oil sands royalties invested in the development of renewable energies and energy efficiency.

Since heavy industry accounts for almost half of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, placing real limits on that pollution is a crucial part of any serious climate change plan. Unfortunately, the federal government's long-awaited framework for GHG regulations, released last month, is not expected to stop the growth in industrial GHG emissions for several years or more. One key problem is that the framework relies on "intensity" targets that don't actually place a hard cap on GHG emissions: while industries will have to become more efficient under the new system, their emissions can still go up if their production grows more quickly than their efficiency increases. Pembina Institute analysts calculate that in a fast-growing area like Alberta's oil sands, producers could meet their 2020 intensity targets while their actual GHG emissions triple.

According to a Probe research poll released this month by the Pembina Institute, the government's intensity-based approach won't fly with Albertans. Of those polled, 70% want to see emissions from the oil sands drop below current levels "even if it costs industry more." And while Canadians have shown solid support for Canada's Kyoto Protocol target in poll after poll, the government's new plan would leave Canada 11% short of our Kyoto target in 2020 — a decade after the Kyoto deadline.

This spring, the Alberta government implemented Phase II of its oil sands public consultation process. Although Albertans have outlined a vision for oil sands that includes social and environmental considerations, development continues rampantly rather than responsibly. The Pembina Institute's A Blueprint for Delivering on Albertans' Expectations outlines six key requirements for responsible oil sands development.
Photo: David Dodge, The Pembina Institute

The City of Dawson Creek sets a great example in sustainable community planning. One step ahead of the pack, Dawson Creek has been engaged in an Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) process since May, 2006. ICSP helps communities envision a sustainable future and better integrate environmental, economic and social factors into community planning. The City has recently launched a website — www.planningforpeople.ca — to identify the steps that can be taken to plan for a sustainable future.

With an Ontario election on the horizon for this fall, the nuclear debate is heating up. Proponents of nuclear are calling for 1,500 megawatts of nuclear power — 500 megawatts beyond what the government has already targeted for Ontario. The Pembina Institute's 2004 publication, Power for the Future, clearly documents how Ontario can meet its electricity needs without regressing to an unreliable source of power that has economic, safety and security issues that put it in a class of its own. Our new summary report provides an overview of the reasons why nuclear should not be considered as a viable power option for Ontario, and a new fact sheet explains how nuclear energy contributes to global warming.

The Pembina Institute's latest report, Protecting Water, Producing Gas, calls on the Alberta government to protect groundwater to greater depths than it does now. Many rural Albertans are concerned that there is insufficient knowledge, protection and monitoring of groundwater, especially since climate change is expected to reduce natural flows in rivers and groundwater recharge. Groundwater supplies 90% of those living in rural Alberta.

Download the summary report

Nuclear proponents frequently claim that nuclear power is a source of energy free of greenhouse gas emissions. In reality, greenhouse gases are released at each stage of the nuclear energy cycle. While the greenhouse gas emission profile of nuclear power looks attractive when compared with that of conventional fossil fuel sources, it is far from zero.

Download the report

Download the report

Download the report

Download the report