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The “Our Future is Now” marketing campaign calls on the British Columbia authorities to take a position as a substitute in choices higher for the setting, well being, and taxpayers’ wallets
VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This week, in response to the quite a few pro-oil and fuel commercials in assist of the LNG trade that have been deemed inaccurate, deceptive and distorted scientific knowledge, a brand new tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign has launched explaining the issues with a not-so-funny matter: liquified pure fuel (LNG) enlargement in British Columbia.
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Our Future is Now is geared toward elevating consciousness of the local weather, well being, financial and environmental dangers of LNG and calls on the B.C. authorities to decide on a greater path ahead for residents’ well-being, security and safety. Numerous organizations are taking part within the marketing campaign, together with My Sea to Sky, Sierra Membership BC, Stand.earth, Environmental Defence Canada, For Our Children and the BC Local weather Emergency Marketing campaign. It was funded by involved residents.
“Increasing LNG in British Columbia merely doesn’t make any sense when analysis reveals it may be as soiled as coal,” says Tracey Saxby, Co-Founder and Government Director of My Sea to Sky. “As an alternative, the federal government must be investing in renewable vitality and different industries which might be a greater wager for our surroundings, economic system, human well being and future generations.”
The advertisements, which can seem on social media, YouTube and in newspapers embrace humorous scenes, corresponding to a mom asking her son a couple of fart odor in a room along with her son replying that it’s “the stink of LNG robbing my future.” Nonetheless, the overlying message of all of the advertisements is that LNG enlargement in B.C. isn’t humorous in any respect and is a big danger for taxpayers, our well being and the setting.
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Eight LNG tasks are in varied phases of growth, primarily in British Columbia. LNG Canada Part 1, the biggest mission, is ready for completion in 2025, whereas Woodfibre LNG is projected to complete in 2027, each are situated in B.C.
Gasoline manufacturing and liquefied pure fuel (LNG) enlargement in Canada pose important environmental, well being and financial dangers. Because the world’s fifth-largest fuel producer, Canada’s LNG trade contributes considerably to local weather air pollution. The mixed emissions from LNG Canada Part 1 and a pair of, Cedar LNG, and Woodfibre LNG are projected to far exceed B.C.’s emission discount targets for the sector. Furthermore, the fracking course of used to extract fuel requires monumental quantities of water and vitality, generates poisonous waste and threatens wildlife habitats.
“The fuel that fills LNG terminals and tankers on Canada’s west coast will come from a fracking discipline within the Peace River basin often known as the Montney Shale Formation which local weather scientists have recognized as Canada’s largest carbon bomb,” mentioned Sven Biggs, Stand.earth’s Canadian Oil and Gasoline Program Director. “Doubling the variety of fracking wells in B.C. to produce LNG terminals will likely be a local weather and environmental catastrophe.”
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Gasoline extraction and burning poses important danger to human well being. Fracking is linked to preterm start, start defects and low birthweight in addition to childhood leukemia, respiratory and cardiovascular challenges and untimely demise. Using fuel stoves pose yet one more well being danger as they launch benzene which ongoing publicity to may end up in blood cancers. In a examine of 17 Canadian and U.S. cities, Vancouver was discovered to have the very best ranges of benzene in houses.
Regardless of these considerations, the LNG sector has acquired over $6 billion in tax breaks and authorities funding, an funding which will yield a special return than anticipated. Greater than $5 billion of this went to LNG Canada alone. With an enormous improve in international LNG export capability anticipated by 2030, there’s a danger of oversupply coinciding with reducing demand because the world transitions to cleaner vitality sources. Most Canadian LNG tasks, aside from LNG Canada Part 1, will not be but operational, placing them at excessive danger of turning into uneconomic deadend investments inside 5 to 10 years.
Moreover, the Worldwide Vitality Company’s Web Zero report makes clear there could be no new fossil gas developments if the world is to keep away from the worst impacts of local weather change. But Canada intends to develop fuel manufacturing by 24 per cent above 2022 ranges over the following twenty years, with a lot of the new tasks situated in BC. To restrict warming to manageable ranges, fuel manufacturing ought to have peaked in Canada in 2023 and must drop 68 per cent by 2050, in line with the United Nations Surroundings Programme.
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British Columbians strongly favour a $36 billion funding in increasing the electrical energy grid and prioritizing renewable vitality over LNG growth, recognizing the necessity for a complete vitality technique. Warmth pumps, electrical automobiles, energy-efficient buildings, and renewable vitality are the options that may save British Columbians cash whereas creating jobs with out polluting the setting and driving local weather change.
“These initiatives current a extra promising and sustainable future for British Columbia in comparison with LNG enlargement, specializing in long-term prosperity reasonably than continued reliance on fossil fuels,” says Jens Wieting, Sierra Membership BC’s Senior Coverage and Science Advisor.
To study extra in regards to the Our Future is Now marketing campaign, please go to OurFutureisNow.ca.
For extra data or to rearrange an interview, please contact Allison Murray (allison@murraycommunications.org) or Cara Pike (cara@socapstrat.com).
People from these organizations can be found for feedback:
My Sea to Sky
Sierra Membership BC
Stand.earth
CAPE
For Our Children
Environmental Defence
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