Alberta’s Renewable Energy Potential

A 2008 major project grant helped the Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development publish the results of Greening the Grid, an economic model that assessed the potential for renewable energy to meet Alberta's future demands.The assessment found that Alberta's growing demand for electricity can be entirely met by tapping into the province's vast renewable energy resources. It also found that Alberta has incredible potential to become a leader in green power production and energy efficiency and doesn't have to rely on dirty fuels.

Lay of the Land: A Survey of Watershed Leaders in Alberta

Watershed leaders in Alberta are very concerned about the growing impact of land use on watersheds and want to see stronger leadership by government. A grant from Alberta Ecotrust allowed Water Matters to survey 54 watershed leaders from across the province and publish the results in Lay of the Land.

A very high number of respondents identified the health of aquatic ecosystems as a top concern. They are also well aware of the linkage between watershed planning and land-use planning, ranking them almost equally important. Respondents considered industry, including oil and gas activities, intensive livestock operations, forestry and mining, as key culprits in watershed degradation. A related priority to many of the respondents is the need for effective watershed planning as a means to link and improve water and land decision making and to protect aquatic ecosystems.

Taking the Green Route: Environmental Improvements for Alberta's Rocky Mountain Ski Resorts

Skiing in the Canadian Rockies' beautiful surroundings can easily make one forget about the environmental impacts of the intensive land, water and energy use required by ski area operators. UTSB Research received a major project grant from Alberta Ecotrust to refine and promote best practices for Alberta ski operators.

Taking the Green Route is a third-party evaluation of ski areas’ environmental management and policies. A thorough examination of fourteen ski areas in Western Canada, this scorecard allows the public to compare and contrast different ski areas’ environmental performance. This scorecard uses the same criteria as that used by the Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC) to evaluate seventy-seven Western American ski areas. UTSB Research is a member of the steering committee of the SACC.