Innovation Anthology #141: Director
The winner of this year’s Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence in the Research and Innovation category is Dr. Bill Gunter.
It’s the latest in a string of awards recognizing his groundbreaking research.
A distinguished scientist at the Alberta Research Council, Dr. Gunter pioneered the science for capturing carbon dioxide and storing it underground.
With global concern rising over carbon emissions and climate change, this new technology will have two environmental benefits.
First is that it will help reduce carbon emissions.
Second, since it’s an expensive technology, Dr. Gunter believes carbon capture and storage will help make renewable energy sources more competitive. It will bridge the transition from fossil fuels to alternatives.
DR. BILL GUNTER: How fast can you actually ramp the capacity up in terms of producing these alternative fuels? That, of course, takes a span of 50 to 100 years because at the same time, energy demands are increasing. So there’s really no solution to stop using fossil fuels abruptly. It has to be a gradual thing.
Dr. Gunter expects carbon capture and storage will prove very useful in developing countries where the use of fossil fuel emissions is increasing.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Bruce Rutley, PhD PAg,
Centre for Research and Innovation, GPRC, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
Alberta Research Council
Established as the first provincial research organization in Canada, the Alberta Research Council is 85 years old. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) develops and commercializes technologies to give customers a competitive advantage. A leader in innovation, ARC provides solutions globally to the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.
ARC performs about five per cent of the roughly $1.5 billion in R&D done in Alberta each year, and generates revenues of approximately $84 million per year. ARC operates from five sites across the province in Edmonton, Calgary, Vegreville and Devon and employs more than 600 highly-skilled people.
In January 2010, under the new Alberta Innovation Framework, the Alberta Research Council was restructured and incorporated into the new provincial agency Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.
Program Date: 2008-06-10