Oilsands companies fund U of A biodiversity research
A group of oilsands companies looking to improve the industry’s environmental performance in the northeast boreal forest put up $1.75 million for two new research chairs at the University of Alberta.
The new research effort will go beyond monitoring the environmental impact of the oilsands on the landscape and come up with concrete strategies and policy recommendations to save declining wildlife, protect forests and plant species and restore land disturbed by open pit mines and expanding in situ pipelines and wells.
“We’re looking for a better solution to manage the impact on the landscape,” said Lloyd Visser, speaking for the Canadian Oilsands Innovation Alliance, a group of 13 oil companies looking to “accelerate environmental performance.”
“We are the leading funder because we believe knowledge is necessary so we can make the best decisions on the landscape,” said Visser, an executive with oil giant ConocoPhillips.
The two chairs, dedicated to biodiversity conservation, received a total of $4.1 million for five years, including $725,000 from the U of A, and $1.12 million from two government research agencies under the Alberta Innovates banner. The engineering research council also kicked in $530,000.
The research positions were awarded to well known ecologist Stan Boutin, an expert in declining woodland caribou and a founder of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, and Scott Nielsen, conservation biologist.
The push for better environment solutions is driven by growing international pressure and also the need to come up with better practices ahead of the rapid expansion expected in years ahead, said Boutin.
“While overall in biodiversity in the northeast, we’re in good shape. But for some species we have to react quickly because they are in bad shape,” said Boutin, adding that the partnership took four years to develop.
Protecting landscape cut up with seismic lines, pipelines, well pads, and open pit mines, is “one of the most pressing biodiversity challenges in Canada,” said Nielsen, adding he’s looking “for solutions to recover our biodiversity.”
Boutin also stressed he hopes to recruit more scientists to the task and researchers will look at a wide range of solutions.
He said he’s confident academic independence is protected in the agreements.