Re: LETTER: FortisBC responds to a reader, March 25
Blair Weston of Fortis BC claims Fortis is doing a wonderful job by aiming to reduce our GHGs by 30 per cent by 2030. He also claims 15 per cent of our gas supply will be renewable natural gas by 2030.
What he does not mention is the plan of the BC NDP and Fortis BC to export very large amounts of natural gas. This plan will involve a several times increase in the amount of fracking in Northern B.C.
Fracking releases large amounts of methane, is known to cause earthquakes, and leaves large amounts of contaminated water.
It involves building the Site C dam to provide cheap electricity to the fracking companies (fossil fuel subsidy). It involves building the Coastal Gaslink pipeline (infringing on Indigenous rights).
It involves building a plant to change the natural gas to a liquid and load super tankers. The liquification and transportation process releases large amounts of methane.
It is good that we are planning to reduce our GHGs, from our local consumption in B.C., by 30 per cent by 2030. However, this is insignificant when we are planning to produce and export very large amounts of natural gas. It should be noted that methane released by natural gas traps over 70 times more heat, over a 20 year period, than an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.
Natural gas should not be used as a substitute for other fossil fuels as the methane released, in the short term, is much more harmful for global temperature increases.
David Cunningham
Nelson
