This report looks at the promised economic benefits of coal mining projects in northeastern British Columbia and concludes that the jobs, tax revenues and production activity estimates are wildly overstated, while pledges to protect vulnerable wildlife species have not been met. The woodland caribou—a distinct population called Central Mountain caribou located in the same region as …

This report concludes that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) is not needed to meet forecasted Canadian capacity needs. The author, J. David Hughes, also demonstrates that contrary to claims that bringing heavy oil to tidewater for export to Asia will fetch a higher price, it will likely instead sell at a loss of $4-$6 per barrel. …

The result of a truly collaborative research effort, Renewable Regina: Putting Equity into Action, makes the case that the City of Regina’s efforts to achieve 100 percent renewability must be equitable if they hope to succeed. Through interviews with 25 community-based organizations, this report demonstrates how City leaders and planners must understand how access to …

This report assesses the emissions implications of the Canada Energy Regulator’s (CER) 2019 oil and gas production forecast for BC, and the implications of ramping up gas production for liquified natural gas (LNG) export. The British Columbia government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent from 2007 levels by 2050 through …

Innovation Policy and Alberta Universities As scientists and Indigenous elders have been telling us for decades, life on this planet as it has evolved over millions of years is on the brink of a precipice. Planetary ecosystems are threatened with collapse by the pressures of humans’ appropriation of nature and their production of wastes, pollutants, …

As debate continues to rage over pipelines for Alberta’s oil, this report analyzes how the oil sands industry, in the early years of the mature phase of its business lifecycle, is producing more bitumen with less capital and fewer jobs.  “Since the 2014 oil price crash, advancements in extractive technologies and modular facility design have …

Regime of Obstruction is a conference for researchers, activists and community leaders that looks at fossil fuel power and how we can challenge it. Hosted by the Corporate Mapping Project. Please join us at the University of Victoria, May 21 -23, 2020. Thursday, May 21:  7:30pm – 9:00pm Friday, May 22: 9:15am – 8:00pm Saturday, …

For British Columbia to meet its emissions targets and not perpetuate the climate crisis, it must phase out its fossil fuel industries by mid-century. This means strategically and thoughtfully planning for the coming energy transition, including full decarbonization of the economy by 2050 and a fair transition for workers and resource-dependent communities. The report outlines …

Protests around BC and the rest of the country have put Indigenous issues front and centre in discussions of Canadian politics and energy policy. Approved by the BC government, TransCanada’s Coastal GasLink pipeline would run through Wet’suwet’en territory and the company argues it is in the broader “public interest” because of “substantial benefits to First …

Part 2 of a report on how fracking poses risks to BC Hydro’s Peace River Dams Read Part 1 of the report View timeline BC Hydro was so worried that its Peace Canyon dam could be badly damaged if an earthquake was triggered at a nearby natural gas industry disposal well, that it briefly considered …

Part 1 of a report on how fracking poses risks to BC Hydro’s Peace River dams Read Part 2 of the report View timeline BC Hydro has known for well over a decade that its Peace Canyon dam is built on weak, unstable rock and that an earthquake triggered by a nearby natural gas industry …

With climate and energy issues dominating much of the political debate, the question of how and what students learn about these issues in our public schools has become an increasingly contentious issue. This is especially the case in Western Canada, where recent comments by conservative politicians and pundits like Alberta Education minister Adriana LaGrange and …