The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment says British Columbians do not want tax dollars or subsidized electricity from clean sources in used to support liquefied natural gas production.
Dr. Bethany Ricker of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment says they’re pleased with the BC Government’s recent announcement about developing more sources of clean electricity, but says it should not be offered at lower cost to fossil fuel companies.
“We would like the government to make it clear that any benefit from this public investment in clean energy will not be handed over to the private LNG industry to power more fossil fuel extraction”
On June 4, BC Hydro released a call for expressions of interest from companies to expand clean-energy resources.
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and Environmental Defence say a recent survey by Léger Marketing found less than 2-in-10 Canadians want tax dollars used to support largely foreign-owned oil and gas companies to build more LNG infrastructure.
The Léger poll found healthcare is the number one public funding priority for British Columbians, with 93 per cent ranking it in their top three, while other priorities included housing, education, renewable energy and transit.
The poll also found 54 per cent of British Columbians support pausing further LNG development until an independent health impact assessment is conducted.
Dr, Ricker says the health impacts of fossil fuel combustion, including natural gas, it makes sense that British Columbians would not want their tax dollars given to an industry that causes significant harm to our health.
She says the negative health effects of burning fossil fuels include heart disease, asthma, pregnancy complications, as well as the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat events.
Dr. Melissa Lem, President of CAPE, says Canada and BC subsidize LNG developers with billions of taxpayer dollars at the same time that research finds fracking and gas operations are linked with serious health risks and diseases.
“British Columbians are already paying twice for this industry – once with their health as pollution triggers asthma and heart disease, and again with their wallets as our healthcare system strains under these preventable illnesses. Our governments must fund a comprehensive, independent health impact assessment of LNG and fracking activities in Canada before more lives are harmed and lost.”
Fracking and flaring have been linked to higher risks of COPD, asthma, preterm births and some cancers. Medical and scientific studies show that producing and burning fossil fuels causes significant human health implications, resulting in direct and immense impacts on healthcare costs.
The two groups say other LNG projects at various stages of regulatory approval or development in BC have received public funds.
