As our provincial leaders proceed with negotiations regarding the development of LNG in BC for export to China, I have the following concerns.
1. The devastation that will occur to our environment.
2. My belief that China will not want our LNG for long, as they develop their own, green sources of energy. At this time China is a leader in the global total spent on renewable energy. Will China require help from Canada for long? I foresee the proposed infrastructure destroying the environment only to stand obsolete and useless soon after the destruction.
3. Paradigms shift, and it seems emerging economies, which are currently spending more than rich nations on renewables, are set to leapfrog over us, arriving at wind and solar while skipping our stage of dirty oil. Would we not be wise to hasten our own development of clean energy?
4. My belief that funds would be better spent on this development and on training our workforce in the emerging technologies of the future.
It takes courage to change, but if the evidence is against investment in LNG I very much hope that our government will consider our legacy for our grandchildren. We struggle to communicate our concerns to them and hope that they will move into the future rather than clinging onto old paradigms, thus painting themselves into a corner as did Stephen Harper.
Marylee Banyard, Nelson