Pembina Institute News

It’s time to speak out for nature and democracy (blog)

Ed Whittingham — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:39 +0000

Grassroots campaigning is not something that comes naturally to us here at the Pembina Institute. But the level of public discourse over energy issues and environmental protection in this country has sunk so low over the past few months that even Canadians who are well informed have just cause to wonder who to believe.

Alberta government misinterprets findings of Jacobs report on oilsands emissions (blog)

Marc Huot — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:46:21 +0000

Over the months ahead, expect to hear frequent references to a new report released Wednesday comparing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with oilsands production to emissions from other sources of crude oil used in Europe. We took a close read of the report, prepared for the Government of Alberta by Jacobs Consultancy, and there seems to be a problem: the report’s findings about how oilsands compare to conventional oil do not tell the full story, and government documents appear to misinterpret the implications of those findings.

The Pembina Institute supports new multimedia series (media release)

David Dodge — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This week marks the launch of a new multimedia series, Green Energy Futures. With 80 episodes planned over the next two years, this multimedia web channel is designed to help Canadians understand and embrace clean energy.

Pembina reacts to the Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development’s audit of federal climate change policy (media release)

Matt Horne, Kevin Sauvé — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Matt Horne, director of the Pembina Institute’s climate change program, made the following comments in response to the Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development’s audit of federal climate change policy.

Environmental groups launch major campaign to defend nature and democracy (media release)

Pembina Institute et al. — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The federal government’s attack on nature and democracy means “silence is not an option” for Canadians according to a national campaign, being launched Monday, May 7, by the country’s leading environmental organizations.

Rising electricity prices have little to do with renewable energy (op-ed)

Tim Weis — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

While spring in Ontario has yet to bring much rain, there’s been no shortage of mudslinging over rising electricity prices. While there’s more to these changes than critics of renewable energy would you have you believe, new data helps to clarify how recent prices have more to do with nuclear than with clean energy programs.

Pembina reacts to Quebec Environment Commissioner’s assessment of Quebec’s 2006-2012 climate change plan (media release)

Matt Horne, Kevin Sauvé — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Matt Horne, director of the Pembina Institute' climate change program, made the following comments in response to the Quebec Environment Commissioner’s assessment of Quebec’s 2006-2012 climate change plan.

Weaker federal laws will increase pressure on Alberta to deliver on environmental management (blog)

Jennifer Grant — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:15:13 +0000

Last week, the Harper government outlined its plans to weaken virtually every major piece of federal environmental legislation in Bill C-38, the omnibus budget implementation bill. Among other things, the changes outlined in the bill would repeal the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and replace it with a new version of the bill. CEAA 2012 will shift responsibility for many environmental assessments to the provinces (even though some, like Alberta, have been ill equipped to do the job).

Federal budget strips accountability and transparency from climate change policy (blog)

P.J. Partington — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:29:42 +0000

Rolled into the federal government’s budget implementation bill are a curt few lines repealing the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act. In the space of two haikus, they have junked Canada’s best weapon for transparency and accountability on climate policy.

Support for road tolls, taxes and user fees depends on smart implementation and fair allocation (blog)

Cherise Burda — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:32:56 +0000

Congratulations to Metrolinx, Toronto’s regional transportation agency, for delivering the final kick in the pants to get Toronto moving with light rail transit (LRT). Earlier this week, the Metrolinx board approved its plan for the construction of four LRT lines voted on by Toronto council this year.

While these new LRT lines will provide relief to priority neighbourhoods in the Toronto area, transit enthusiasts in Ontario know that these four lines are part of a larger regional plan — The Big Move — that promises to deliver a rapid transit network for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Pembina reacts to announcement that Pioneer Carbon Capture and Storage project will not proceed (media release)

Chris Severson-Baker, Kevin Sauvé — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Chris Severson-Baker, Managing Director of the Pembina Institute, made the following comments in response to TransAlta’s announcement that the Pioneer Carbon Capture and Storage project will not proceed.

New study finds Toronto-area drivers would pay to expand rapid transit and beat gridlock (media release)

Cherise Burda, Graham Haines — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Drivers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are willing to pay for alternatives to commuting on congested roads five days a week, according to a new transportation study released by the Pembina Institute.

The study includes a survey of drivers in the GTA who face a daily commute of at least 30 minutes each way. The detailed online survey, conducted by Environics, found strong support among drivers for alternatives to the daily commute, such as expanding rapid transit to suburban communities.

Drivers’ Choice (publication)

Cherise Burda, Graham Haines — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This report investigates a variety of policy options designed to reduce the growing rate of congestion in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and/or to help finance construction of rapid transit in the region. It presents a poll of drivers in the GTA, and explores in-depth some of the policy options offered in the survey.

Pembina reacts to federal government plans to weaken environmental assessment (media release)

Simon Dyer, Julia Kilpatrick — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The Pembina Institute comments on Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver’s announcement that the federal government will weaken environmental oversight of resource development projects.

Changes to B.C.’s carbon neutral requirements a positive first step (blog)

Josha MacNab — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:35:11 +0000

Last week, the provincial government announced changes to public sector carbon neutrality in response to some concerns. Overall, each of the changes should improve the policy. Unfortunately, some important concerns have yet to be addressed.

Environment Canada pressured to weaken regulations on coal emissions (media release)

Matt Horne, Kevin Sauvé — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

On the heels of government data showing that coal plants represent seven of the top ten sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution in Canada comes pressure for the government to weaken its coal-fired power regulations, the Pembina Institute has learned.

Weakening regulations could reduce their effectiveness by more than half (publication)

Matt Horne, Tim Weis, P.J. Partington — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Environment Canada is being pressured to allow existing coal plants in Canada to operate unabated until they reach 50 years of age, while softening future emissions targets. Combined, these backward steps could reduce the overall effectiveness of the regulations by more than half over their first fifteen years.

Fossil fuel subsidies are not the best way to reduce home energy costs (blog)

Sachi Gibson — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:40:31 +0000

A proposal to eliminate part of the harmonized sales tax (HST) from home heating fuels in Ontario is back on the table as of this week. The New Democratic Party of Ontario has set its terms for accepting Ontario’s budget. One of the requests is the removal of the provincial portion of the HST from home heating fuels, a move that could cost the province about $350-million a year in lost revenues.

Exemptions for greenhouse growers set poor precedent for carbon tax review (blog)

Matt Horne — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:31:12 +0000

Yesterday, the government announced a change to the carbon tax in what amounts to temporarily eliminating $7.6 million in carbon taxes from greenhouses in B.C. and, in the process, placing its review on the edge of a slippery slope.

Faulty premise underlies Budget 2012 “streamlining” of environmental review process (op-ed)

Simon Dyer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

If you followed coverage of the federal budget last week with an eye to environmental issues, you could be excused for thinking Canada’s environmental review process is a tangled web of unnecessary red tape that is stifling investment in Canada’s energy sector.