Ecology

Creating innovative ways to explore and use our natural resources is not only part of Alberta's innovative past, but part of what makes our current way of life possible, with all of its benefits. On the other side of this innovation, however, lie concerns over the responsible use of natural resources and conserving our planet's ecosystem. The debate is a broad, complicated and multifaceted.

Albertans are fortunate because the province is rich in natural resources, in particular those in the form of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal). Unfortunately, when fossil fuels burn, they release emissions containing greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases, measured in carbon dioxide equivalents, build up in the atmosphere and can affect climate and weather patterns.

Striking a balance between the environment, industry and innovation is, consequently, a debate that exists and one that will certainly continue into the future in Alberta, requiring innovation by proponents on each side of the debate. The issue is a local and global concern, involving policy makers, scientists, scholars and activists in Alberta, Canada and around the world.

The stakes in this debate are high in our province, and directly linked to innovation—it is the innovative efforts of scientists and those in resource development that have enabled us to profit and use Alberta's rich resources. It is also innovation that has allowed us to understand Alberta's ecosystem, work toward more efficient and less harmful means of extraction and methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the realize the limits of our province's non-renewable resources.

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