This slideshow identifies a growing body of oil sands “spin” from federal and Alberta politicians and the oil sands industry and counters them with the plain facts about oil sands impacts.

A letter sent to Canadian and U.S. politicians alerting them to the availability of a new Pembina Institute resource that provides clear, factual information on the environmental impacts of Canada’s oil sands development.

The Pembina Institute's submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Hearings, also known as the Oil and Water Hearings.

Simon Dyer, the Pembina Institute's Oil Sands Program Director, presented on the impact of oil sands development on water resources as part of the Pembina Institute's submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Hearings (also known as the Oil and Water Hearings).

On behalf of the Oil Sands Environmental Coalition, the Pembina Institute and Ecojustice filed an affidavit with the Alberta ERCB and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency requesting that the approval of Royal Dutch Shell’s Jackpine Mine and Muskeg River Mine Expansion oil sands projects be re-considered through a new public hearing.

The Pembina Institute submitted this letter to the ERCB to provide feedback on the Draft Directive: Requirements for Water Measurement, Reporting, and Use for Thermal In Situ Oil Sands Operations.

Oil sands development uses large quantities of freshwater and produces large amounts of toxic waste, posing a risk not just to local ecosystems but to those downstream as well. The Waters That Bind Us: Transboundary Implications of Oil Sands Development explores both the impact that oil sands development has on water resources and current water management practices in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It includes six recommendations for improving water management practices and minimizing risks to water resources from oil sands development.

Oil sands development uses large quantities of freshwater and produces large amounts of toxic waste, posing a risk not just to local ecosystems but to those downstream as well. The Waters That Bind Us: Transboundary Implications of Oil Sands Development explores both the impact that oil sands development has on water resources and current water management practices in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It includes six recommendations for improving water management practices and minimizing risks to water resources from oil sands development.

This paper provides an overview the Pembina Institute's position on carbon capture and storage (CCS) as of February 2009.

A letter to Alberta Environment from the Pembina Institute in response to the draft policy for Emission Standards for the Use of Non-gaseous Fossil Fuels for Steam Generation in In-Situ Bitumen or Heavy Oil Recovery Projects.

With available fresh water resources expected to decrease as a result of climate change, Alberta faces the challenge of meeting its growing demand for water in a sustainable manner. This report draws attention to the decline of summer river flows, the future effects of climate change on water supply and the projected growth in demand for water for energy production and to meet the needs of a growing population. It also documents Alberta’s contribution to climate change through growing greenhouse gas emissions, which the Government of Alberta will allow to continue to increase through 2020.

A fact sheet on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and Canada's climate strategy.

Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama regarding the Alberta tar sands.  From the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence Canada, ForestEthics, Greenpeace Canada, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pembina Institute and Sierra Club of Canada.

This report is a response to the final version of the Alberta Land-use Framework. It recommends that the Government of Alberta take actions in six key areas to translate the LUF’s policy direction into meaningful change on the ground.

The extraction and refining of bitumen from Canada’s oil sands is taking a significant toll on migratory birds throughout North America. This report outlines the effects of the oil sands industry on migratory bird populations in Alberta’s boreal forest and along the Western Hemisphere’s flyways.

Cette fiche d’information fournit un vue d’ensemble des données présentes dans la publication de l’Institut Pembina “La fièvre des sables bitumineux: Les conséquences écologiques de la ruée vers les sables bitumineux du Canada”.

Also available in English.

In this report, the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society recommend specific actions for the Government of Alberta to take in six key areas to translate the Land-Use Framework’s policy direction into meaningful change on the ground.

Recognizing the urgent need for environmental management and the benefits of engaging stakeholders, the Pembina Institute puts forward recommendations for a new multi-stakeholder approach to environmental management in the Athabasca oil sands.

The Pembina Institute's new report, Upgrader Alley, provides the first in-depth look at the environmental impacts of upgrading oil sands bitumen in the Edmonton region. It recommends that the Government of Alberta only approve new projects once environmental and infrastructure plans are completed and implemented.

Download the full report.

Download the fact sheet.

Oil sands production in northern Alberta could triple by 2020, to four million barrels a day. As a result of this increasing oil sands production, a major industrial expansion of bitumen upgraders is underway northeast of Edmonton. This so called "Upgrader Alley" is expected to handle early half the oil sands production, right on Edmonton’s doorstep.