My Sea to Sky and Others Address Misinformation About LNG with New Ad Campaign – Our Future is Now

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The “Our Future Is Now” campaign is calling on the government of British Columbia to invest in options that are better for the environment, health, and taxpayers’ wallets.

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This week, in response to several pro-oil and gas ads in support of the LNG industry that considered inaccurate, misleading and distorted scientific data, a new tongue-in-cheek campaign has been launched explaining the problem with a not-so-funny topic: liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion in British Columbia.

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Our Future Is Now It aims to raise awareness of the climate, health, economic and environmental risks of LNG and urge the BC government to choose a better path for the well-being, safety and security of its citizens. Several organizations participated in the campaign, including My Sea to Sky, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, Environmental Defense Canada, For Our Kids and the BC Climate Emergency Campaign. It was funded by concerned citizens.

“Expanding LNG in British Columbia just doesn’t make sense when research shows it can be as dirty as coal,” said Tracey Saxby, Co-Founder and Executive Director of My Sea to Sky. “However, the government should invest in renewable energy and other industries that are a better bet for the environment, the economy, human health and future generations.”

The ad, which will appear on social media, YouTube and in newspapers, includes funny scenes, such as a mother asking her son about the smell of farts in the room with the son replying that “the smell of LNG is robbing me of my future.” However, the most important message from all the ads is that LNG expansion in BC is not funny and is a huge risk to taxpayers, health and the environment.

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Eight LNG projects are in various stages of development, primarily in British Columbia. LNG Canada Phase 1, the largest project, is set to be completed in 2025, while Woodfibre LNG is expected to be completed in 2027, both in BC.

Gas production and expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Canada poses significant environmental, health and economic risks. As the world’s fifth largest gas producer, Canada’s LNG industry contributes a lot to climate pollution. The combined emissions from LNG Canada Phase 1 and 2, Cedar LNG, and Woodfibre LNG are projected far exceeding BC’s emission reduction targets for the sector. In addition, the fracking process used to extract gas requires large amounts of water and energy, produces toxic waste and threatens wildlife habitats.

“The gas that fills the LNG terminals and tankers on the west coast of Canada will come from the fracking fields in the Peace River basin known as the Montney Shale Formation, which climate scientists have identified as Canada’s biggest carbon bomb,” said Sven Biggs, Canadian Stand.earth. Oil and Gas Program Director. “Doubling the number of fracking wells in BC to supply LNG terminals would be a climate and environmental disaster.”

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The extraction and flaring of gas poses a significant risk to human health. Fracking has been linked to premature births, birth defects and low birth weight as well as childhood leukemia, respiratory and cardiovascular challenges and premature death. The use of gas stoves poses another health risk because the continuous release of benzene can cause blood cancer. In a learn out of 17 Canadian and US cities, Vancouver was found to have the highest levels of benzene in their homes.

Despite these concerns, the LNG sector has come to an end $6 billion in the elimination of taxes and government funding, investments that may yield different returns than expected. More than $5 billion of this went to Canadian LNG alone. With an increase in global LNG export capacity expected by 2030, there is a risk of oversupply coinciding with reduced demand as the world moves to cleaner energy sources. Most Canadian LNG projects, with the exception of LNG Canada Phase 1, are not yet operational, putting them at risk of becoming uneconomic. dead end investment in five to ten years.

Furthermore, the International Energy Agency Net Zero report explains that there will be no development of new fossil fuels if the world avoids the worst impacts of climate change. But Canada plans to expand gas production by 24 percent above 2022 levels over the next two decades, with most of the new projects located in B.C. To limit warming to a manageable level, gas production must peak in Canada in 2023 and must decline by 68 percent by 2050, according to United Nations Environment Programme.

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British Columbians are strongly in favor of investing $36 billion in it expanding the electricity grid and prioritizing renewable energy over LNG developmentrecognize the need for a comprehensive energy strategy. Heat pumps, electric vehicles, energy-efficient buildings, and renewable energy are solutions that can save British Columbia money while creating projects without harming the environment and contributing to climate change.

“This initiative offers a more promising and sustainable future for British Columbia compared to LNG expansion, focusing on long-term prosperity rather than continued dependence on fossil fuels,” said Jens Wieting, Sierra Club BC’s Senior Policy and Science Advisor.

To find out more about the Our Future is Now campaign, visit OurFutureisNow.ca.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Allison Murray (allison@murraycommunications.org) or Pike’s Method (cara@socapstrat.com).

Individuals from this organization are available for comment:

My Sea to the Sky
Sierra Club BC
Standing. the earth
CAPE
For Our Children
Environmental Defense

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