Eco Experts debate path for Edmonton

Should Edmonton make drastic changes to water consumption practices or pursue local food security? Is urban sprawl or air quality the top issue for Edmonton's future? Do we need to prepare for depleting oil resources or preserve biodiversity? And what role do Edmontonians have in setting policies to ensure a sustainable community beyond 30 years?

Local, national and international leaders in environmental science, research, and policy development tackled these questions and presented their ideas for Edmonton's long-term sustainability plan in a public panel discussion.

An expert panel discussed the issues most important for Edmonton's environmental strategic plan. The Way We Green project is gathering expert and public input through 2010 for input into a plan that will guide city decisions and chart a course to sustainability for generations of Edmontonians.

Expert Panel:
Debra Davidson is Associate Professor of Environmental Sociology at the University of Alberta. Dr. Davidson's work focuses on social responses to climate change, particularly community-level vulnerability and adaptation.

David Schindler holds the Killam Memorial Chair and is Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. His internationally renown work on water ecosystems has been widely used in formulating policy around the world.

Daniel Smith is an emeritus Professor of the Environmental Engineering and Science Program at the University of Alberta Dr. Smith is one of three Principal Investigators of the Forest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance, a project studying the impact of forest management practices on water quality.

Guy Swinnerton is an emeritus professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta. He has spent 40 years working with parks and protected areas focusing on the protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage within lived-in and working landscapes.

Pong Leung is the Principal Advisor to The Natural Step Canada. In his role as Principal Advisory, Pong supports communities, businesses and other organizations with integrated sustainability planning and education.

Moderator:
Ed Struzik, Edmonton Journal Sunday Reader editor and contributor; author of The Big Thaw: Travels in the Melting North; a fellow at the School of Public Policy Studies, Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen's University; and commentator on the affect of climate change in Canada's arctic.