Pembina Institute Blogs

Moving oilsands to market — by pipeline or rail? (blog)

Nathan Lemphers — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:31:37 +0000

Earlier this week, five CP Rail tank cars jumped the tracks just outside of Jansen, Saskatchewan, spilling more than 91,000 litres of crude oil. Last month, a similar derailment near White River, Ontario, resulted in a 63,000-litre oil spill.

While these trains were not carrying bitumen from the oilsands, it’s becoming increasingly common to move oilsands by rail, particularly as public opposition to various new pipeline proposals continues to grow and oilsands producers seek other shipping options.

Scientists offer much-needed reality check on climate implications of Ottawa’s resource agenda (blog)

P.J. Partington — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:00:07 +0000

As other countries face up to the climate challenge and begin curbing their demand for fossil fuels, will Canada be left waiting on the shore for tankers that will never come?

Ontario’s transit funding debate is getting HOT (blog)

Cherise Burda — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:05:21 +0000

The provincial budget saw the introduction of Ontario’s first (and modest) revenue tool to fund transit: high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. With the provincial budget hot off the press, now is a good time to examine how HOT lanes work and what impact they have on congestion, as well as commuters.

Will climate be a winner in British Columbia’s election? (blog)

Josha MacNab — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

It’s down to the wire now. The B.C. election is less than a week away. Wondering how the climate will fare? Well, that depends on outcome of the election and, based on our platform assessment there could be significant progress, or significant backsliding.

Q&A: Top revenue tools for Toronto’s transit expansion (blog)

Cherise Burda — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:06:48 +0000

Toronto City Council is debating the revenue tools for transit recommended in the city manager’s report, based on opinion polls and public consultations with Torontonians. This blog answers some key questions regarding the report’s top four choices: a sales tax, a fuel tax, a parking levy and development charges.

“Re-tooling” development charges into a sharp, effective revenue tool (blog)

Cherise Burda — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:27:56 +0000

In the debate over which combination of revenue tools would best support the expansion of transit in the Toronto region, an unexpected option has emerged as a top pick. Travis Allan and Cherise Burda take a closer look at the development charge and its potential to fund transit and improve urban planning at the same time.

Clean Energy Champions: Mark Rudolph builds bridges between "counterintuitive strange bedfellows” (blog)

Guest Blogger — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:41:56 +0000

For Mark Rudolph, the key to making progress on environmental protection is to open channels of communication between unlikely allies, particularly between corporate Canada and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs). To this end, he volunteers as a matchmaker.

Ontario Budget: Let’s not let auto insurance concessions “collide” with our goals to reduce gridlock (blog)

Cherise Burda — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:10:16 +0000

For the Wynne government to pass its first budget, it may have to consider some policies demanded by the NDP, including rolling back auto insurance premiums by 15 per cent. While insurance rates are higher in Ontario than in some other provinces, there are better policy solutions to offer drivers a break without undermining other key government priorities — namely reducing congestion in the GTA.

Who has seen the spin? How wind power opponents are mischaracterizing the decision in the Fairview Wind Farm case (blog)

Ben Thibault — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:08:20 +0000

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a decision dismissing claims that opponents of wind power brought against the Fairview Wind Farm in Clearview Township. Unfortunately, the spin from the lawyer for the wind opponents and the misunderstanding of a vocal anti-wind group have misconstrued the judge’s reasons to their benefit. Here are the facts.

One more time, with feeling: why we’re not halfway there yet on climate (blog)

Clare Demerse — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:43:35 +0000

It seems that barely a week goes by without a federal cabinet minister saying we’re “halfway” to meeting our 2020 greenhouse gas target. So here’s the explanation of why the government says we’re halfway, what the line really means, and what Jon Bon Jovi has to do with Canada’s emission projections.

Tales from the National Inventory: a look at Canada’s latest greenhouse gas emissions report (blog)

P.J. Partington — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:06:22 +0000

Each spring, as the tulips are starting to bloom in Ottawa, Environment Canada releases its annual compendium of greenhouse gas emissions data. Here are three stories that emerged from our first look at the report.

What Minister Oliver didn’t read (blog)

P.J. Partington — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:00:53 +0000

Canada’s Natural Resources minister, Joe Oliver, recently shared his views on climate change and energy with La Presse. The Minister is quoted that he did not read the climate change section of the IEA report or their warning about locking into a path to dangerous climate change. To hopefully inform his next briefing, I’ve summarized the two scenarios below.

Albertans don’t just pay to ride the resource rollercoaster — they risk having to clean up once the carnival leaves town (blog)

Nathan Lemphers — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:56:10 +0000

There’s a carnival in town, and everyone is talking about its main attraction — the mighty resource rollercoaster that is taking Alberta’s and Canada’s economies for a wild ride. Albertans are already paying a premium at the ticket booth, but few have noticed the fine print on the bottom of the receipt: once the carnival leaves town, ticketholders may be left paying for the cleanup costs.

How carbon pricing currently works in Alberta (blog)

P.J. Partington — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:47:30 +0000

In Alberta’s current carbon pricing system, called the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER), major industrial facilities must reduce their “emissions intensity” (i.e. emissions per unit of production) by up to 12 per cent, relative to their typical performance or “baseline” level. The target phases in over time, reaching the full 12 per cent requirement in a facility’s ninth year of operation, and remains at 12 per cent after that.

What you need to know about Alberta’s 40/40 carbon pricing proposal (blog)

Simon Dyer — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:24:20 +0000

News broke this week that Alberta is considering strengthening greenhouse gas regulations on the province’s energy industry. The so-called “40/40” plan proposed by the Environment Minister Diana McQueen would increase Alberta’s intensity-based emissions target and its carbon price. The very mention of such a move has kicked off a long-overdue conversation about what it’s going to take to curtail greenhouse gas pollution and develop Alberta’s resources responsibly.

Farewell to National Round Table on Environment and Economy (blog)

Matt Horne — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 23:44:34 +0000

Last year’s federal budget gave the order to shut the NRTEE down on March 31, 2013, but you can find an unofficial archive of their work online, including a list of their publications dating back to the early 1990s.

Driving forward with electric vehicles in British Columbia (blog)

Alison Bailie — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:00:00 +0000

On Tuesday morning the government of British Columbia extended their Clean Energy Vehicles program. This means for at least the next year, residents of B.C. will continue to receive an incentive of up to $5,000 when purchasing an electric vehicle. Here are five more ideas for British Columbia to support the transition to more electric transportation.

New oilsands mine to go ahead despite lack of promised Athabasca River protection (blog)

Jennifer Grant — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:13:54 +0000

After years of delays, the next major oilsands mining venture is expected to start production by the end of this month. Imperial’s Kearl mine was approved in 2007 but legal challenges over the failure to manage greenhouse gas pollution, along with protests associated with equipment imports, unseasonably cold weather and significant cost increases delayed startup. Despite these delays, promised environmental measures that were critical in granting the approval remain unimplemented. The fact that the policies required to ensure protection of the Athabasca River have not yet been secured calls the legitimacy of the approval into question.

Q&A: How the Board of Trade’s transit funding proposal would drive the Toronto region in the right direction (blog)

Cherise Burda — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:21 +0000

Earlier today, the Toronto Region Board of Trade released its bold proposal to address gridlock and expand transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The benefit of the four tools proposed by the Board is that they can be spread among the tax base, be kept relatively low for each tool, such as for a regional sales tax and fuel tax, and not hit one sector or user group hard.

Fact-checking Canada’s record on climate change and the oilsands (blog)

Clare Demerse — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:05:39 +0000

With consideration of the Keystone XL pipeline proposal heading into the home stretch, a parade of Canadian politicians have been making the trek to the U.S. to try to convince the Obama Administration of the pipeline’s merits.

The good news is that the recent visitors — from Premiers Redford and Wall to federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver — now acknowledge that Canada’s environmental record is crucial to the upcoming U.S. decision.

The bad news is that there are some gaping holes in that record.