This year, we were thrilled to present thirteen Emerald Awards in eleven categories. The recipients are:
NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION
Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoological Society
Project: Husky Energy Endangered Species Program
Since 2003, the Calgary Zoo's Centre for Conservation Research's HEESP has been using science to save species that are at risk of extinction. Through effective collaboration with governments, non-profit organizations, specialists and communities, the HEESP is a role-model of environmental stewardship, scientific programs and youth engagement.
COMMUNITY GROUP
Evergreen Centre for Resource Excellence and Innovation
Project: Centre for Resource Excellence and Innovation
Founded in 2009, the Evergreen Centre for Resource Excellence and Innovation is a hub of research and experimentation for demonstration and piloting of new technologies for the Oil and Gas Industry. The Centre is built on a foundation of continuous improvement, excellence, and the sweat equity of its volunteer founders.
LARGE BUSINESS (2 recipients)Landmark Group of Builders
Project: Landmark Panelized Construction System
The Landmark Panelized Construction System (LPCS) is not only leading the home building process in Alberta, it's transforming it - making home building more efficient and effective while leaving a vastly greener ecological footprint. Panelization of floors, walls, and roofs, and the construction of key components like stairs and fireplaces, eliminate weeks of time from the building cycle. LPCS is home building, revolutionized. LPCS reduces greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 6.21 tonnes per home. And, because each piece of wood used is value engineered, LPCS produces an incredible 58% less waste.
ConocoPhillips Canada
Project: Phytoremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons
Phytoremediation is a practical way to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons in remote areas that have limited access to equipment and landfills. It conserves and reuses soils and employs biological systems (microorganisms and plants) to reduce PHCs and restore land to its original capability.
SMALL BUSINESS Executive Mat Service Ltd
Project: Hazardous Towel to Clean Energy
The use of cloth or paper towelling to wipe or absorb hazardous oils and solvents is widespread in Canadian industry and these oils and solvents are often referred to as volatile organic compounds. Towels contaminated with VOC's are deemed hazardous and cannot lawfully be sent to land fill. Executive Mat Service has developed a solution to the problem of what to do with these contaminated towels by using "Air Assisted Vapour Recovery Technology" to remove harmful VOC's from the towels. VOC's are condensed to a liquid and used as a fuel source within our operating plant. Cloth towels are laundered and made available for re-use. Paper towels are converted to thermal energy using our unique in-house gasification technology.
EDUCATION: SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM University of Calgary Solar Decathlon Team
Project: U of C TRTL Solar home
The University of Calgary TRTL (Technological Residence, Traditional Living) home is a fully sustainable house that was designed as a partnership between UofC students and the Treaty 7 Aboriginal community to enter in the 2011 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Incorporating technology and tradition, the 8.7Kw solar-powered home was built with longevity and cultural sensitivities in mind and exemplifying experiential, multidisciplinary learning inside and outside a classroom.
PUBLIC EDUCATION & OUTREACHParks Canada
Project: Waterton ESI Camp
The Waterton Ecosystem Investigators (ESI) Camp is a highly successful outdoor education camp based in Waterton Lakes National Park where students are taught about terrestrial ecosystems and learn how the different parts, including people, have shaped the landscape. Staff from Waterton Lakes National Park developed and deliver this program to an average of 450 students in the spring and fall each year.
EMERALD CHALLENGE: ALBERTA'S OIL SANDSBob Mitchell
Project: Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) - Innovation and Advancement for Sustainable Oil Sands Development
A key-player in Canadian energy policy for over 25 years, Bob Mitchell's influence is far-reaching in industry, academia, and government. In early phases of leadership and management Bob helped create Performance Measures, a field in which he now leads. On top of his regular duties as Senior Director of Climate Change for ConocoPhillips Canada, he unified a small group of major oil sands developers and lead the adoption of innovative and sustainable practices thereby raising the performance bar for the entire sector. This collaborative alliance is the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) which includes ConocoPhillips Canada, Nexen Inc., Shell Energy, Statoil, Suncor, and Total.
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONCity of Edmonton
Project: A Decade of Leadership to Pioneer New Approaches to Conserve Urban Biodiversity
The City of Edmonton has emerged as a global leader for the conservation of urban biodiversity by creating a dedicated office in 2002 with a mandate to find ways to conserve urban biodiversity and minimize conflict in the land development process. In the last 10 years, the Office of Biodiversity has developed new tools to design our city with biodiversity in mind, engaged our citizens in meaningful ways, and in the process attracted interest our approach from around the world. Because of this strategic change, Edmontonians now have over 4,000 ha of protected natural areas with over 60 natural areas alone outside of the river valley and ravine park system.
INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT (2 recipients)Larry Simpson
For Larry Simpson, connecting with landowners to find ways to protect the lands they have ranched- sometimes for generations - and come to love is highly fulfilling. For over 20 years, Larry has enabled conservations dreams to come true. Over 120,000 acres of native habitat along Alberta's eastern slopes - and over 185,000 acres across Alberta - have been conserved through Larry's work with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. His vision and passion have inspired and motivated hundreds of people to support and enable conservation in Alberta, and especially along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Tom Moore
Tom Moore's outstanding accomplishments of the initial and long term cleanup of the Slave Lake Fire Disaster of May, 2011 are above and beyond expectations. In his role as Manager of the local Waste Services Commission, Tom worked to minimize the environmental impact of the area by reducing reduce the waste going into the landfill, reusing as much material as possible, recycling, and minimizing the carbon impact on the environment.
YOUTH Tyson Bohnert
Project: Neighbourhood Environmental Stewardship
Tyson Bohnert, a young man of 15, hosted the Canyon Neighbourhood Nature Club for six years. Tyson has been recognized locally for his exemplary leadership and volunteer work, and has continued to broaden his stewardship experience from building a greenhouse to food forests, through Southern Alberta Youth for Environmental Educators (SAYEE), University of Lethbridge Campus Roots Garden, Southern Alberta Permaculture (SAP), and O.U.R. Eco-village, internationally recognized leader in Permaculture. Tyson now comes full circle to help his sister of six create and host an Neighbourhood Nature Club of her own while using his presentation and technology skills to help inspire the creation of more Neighbourhood Stewards and Nature Clubs, locally and abroad.
SHARED FOOTPRINTS AWARD Foothills Landscape Management Forum
Project: Berland Smoky Regional Access Development Plan
The Berland Smoky area is a diverse landscape with a number of competing economic, social, cultural and environmental values. To address industry's increasing demand for road access into the area, while at the same time accommodating other values, the Berland Smoky Regional Access Development (RAD) Plan was developed by government and the Foothills Landscape Management Forum (FLMF) drawing on work completed since 2005 by the FLMF. The Plan was approved by government in December, 2011 and meets the following objectives: a) manages the industrial footprint; b) provides guidance for primary and secondary access routing; c) remains transparent through a monitoring and reporting program; d) conforms to Integrated Land Management principles, and e) allows for new policy direction.
