To the editor:
In the April 10 edition of the 100 Mile House Free Press, the guest editorial by Jim Shepard and the column by regular contributor Tom Fletcher deserve a comment.
In a nutshell, both writers are still living in yesterday’s world. Today’s world requires at least a nod in the direction of climate change and increasing energy costs.
In the case of Mr. Shepard, the refinery in Kitimat does not address the pipeline issues carrying the diluted bitumen to the Coast. Neither does it speak to the issue of refining the intensely carbon rich bitumen.
Unless this refinery has developed a carbon capture and disposal system, the danger to world climate is simply too high.
In Mr. Fletcher’s column, he dismisses the Green Party of BC platform as pie in the sky without even a nod to climate change despite the fact that Green candidate Andrew Weaver is one of the world’s leading climatologists.
It may be that the Green party is utopian, but someone has to start somewhere to address issues that will effect every generation from here on.
Neither column addresses issues arising from increasing energy costs.
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) dreams may very well remain dreams if input costs to find, develop and ship energy sources to the end user continue to climb.
From a purely selfish point of view, why would I want to see resources developed and sold out of Canada when I want my children and grandchildren to be able to heat with natural gas a hundred years down the road?
Am I so self-centred that I cannot think ahead even a couple of generations?
I would very much like to see both contributors address issues of energy costs and climate mitigation in some future column.
Jack Witty
108 Mile Ranch
