Live Earth Day: Eastmain1.org Web launch

On Live Earth Day, Saturday July 7, 2007, a Canadian scientific team will officially launch Eastmain1.org, a Web site devoted to a large-scale, first-time ever research on net greenhouse gases emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs.

It has long been known that hydroelectric installations located in boreal regions, such as those in Northern Quebec, are among the generating options that produce the least amount of greenhouse gases. But in today's context of climatic changes, it is increasingly important to ascertain precisely to what extent these reservoirs produce greenhouse gases, and how well this generating option can be included in sustainable development policies.

Co-financed by Hydro-Quebec Production and the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS), this comprehensive scientific research program brings together researchers from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), McGill University, Hydro Québec and Environnement Illimité. Called EM-1 Project (for Eastmain-1), this study, which will span several years, aims to accurately measure net greenhouse gas emissions from the Eastmain-1 reservoir in order to compare them with greenhouse gas emissions produced by the natural environment before the reservoir was created.

 "Several factors make this scientific research unique", says research coordinator Alain Tremblay, Ph.D., from Direction Barrages et Environnement at Hydro-Quebec Production. "First of all, it began before the creation of the reservoir, making it possible to calculate the reservoir's net greenhouse gaz emissions by comparing them with those from the natural environment; second, the research is the result of a multidisciplinary effort that is unprecedented in this field; finally, part of the research involves building a model that will allow us to assess greenhouse gas emissions for a whole century, and this is vital for climatologists."

Located 800 km north of Montreal, the Eastmain-1 power plant comprises three turbine-alternator groups, for a total capacity of 480 MW. The reservoir surface area is 603 km2 and it has one main dam and 33 smaller dams. The flooding, which began in November 2005, was completed in May 2006; the preliminary results from the many tests carried out before and after the creation of the reservoir are beginning to be known, and they will be published on the Web as site as they are completed.

Built by Montreal Web agency multiple-media.com, the Eastmain1.org Web site describes - among other things - the various aspects of the research and the scientific team, and it hosts the preliminary scientific publications from the project. One can also view a film directed in 2005 and 2006, which describes the objectives and first stages of the project. The site will be updated regularly with both scientific and layman's content that will keep visitors informed of the progression of this unparalleled research project.

The partners
The various partners involved in this net greenhouse gas emissions research project are the UQAM Biology and Geography departments, the UQAM-McGill Geotop laboratory, the McGill Department of Natural Resource Sciences, the McGill Department of Geography, and Environnement Illimité, an independent research company. Other partners are multiple-media.com, for the communications and films about the research, Chlorophylle, and 3M Trim-line for gear and clothing.