To the Editor,
The LNG Canada project at Kitimat should be cancelled by the provincial government for the following reasons.
The decision by the provincial government to allow LNG Canada to proceed has given licence to a project that will result in millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases at a time when we need to be curtailing fossil fuel production rather than increasing it. We need to recognize that every new tonne of gas we extract is going to be burnt somewhere on the planet.
LNG Canada will necessitate continued fracking on a massive scale resulting in countless litres of water being poisoned, putting at risk the lives of nearby residents. Recent earthquakes in northern BC have been attributed to fracking.
Power from the Site C Dam which is going to be used to power the LNG industry could be better used to power a sustainable economy in BC and nearby jurisdictions.
The approval of LNG Canada at Kitimat has thrown a huge wrench into any plans we may have to meet our climate commitments here in BC. The government’s recent CleanBC climate action plan has many good features and is a rallying cry for British Columbians to take action. However, we are being hamstrung by the LNG project, causing each of us to have to work that much harder to curtail greenhouse gas production so that the shareholders of LNG Canada can profit from their investments.
The decision to allow LNG Canada was a mistake. In light of the dire consequences predicted in the latest IPCC report, this decision should be reversed. The jobs which might have been created in the LNG industry can be created instead in the new sustainable energy economy. The government must seize this opportunity to take the lead in assuring the future our children and grandchildren.
John Mayba,
Port Alberni
