So about that favour BC is doing the world with clean BC LNG replacing all that ‘dirty coal’….

Posted on by Laila

As we all know, Canadian politicians are over in Paris talking all things climate change. How to reduce emissions, carbon tax, clean energy…etc etc.

All good and fine. Clark has been very clear in her desire to have clean BC LNG save the world from air pollution created by dirty thermal coal used to heat homes, cook and power plants in Asia and elsewhere.

This was her stance in August 2014:

https://lailayuile.com/2014/08/30/the-world-according-to-christy-clark-keep-your-ibuprofen-handy/

This was her stance November 2015:

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/christy-clark-says-b-c-s-lng-plants-will-do-the-world-a-clean-air-favour-1.1541305

Nothing has changed. BC will do the world a clean air favour to kick coal, and get on LNG.

Except this little bit of news came out yesterday,rather ironically since the Premier has been chatting up the world about replacing coal.

Surrey coal terminal gets new green light from port

A revised proposal to build a new coal export terminal on the Fraser River in Surrey has received approval from Port Metro Vancouver.

The port authority on Monday issued an amended project permit to Fraser Surrey Docks that approves the company’s altered plan to load coal directly onto ocean-going ships, rather than first barging coal to a transfer site at Texada Island as originally planned.

The terminal would bring up to four million tonnes per year of U.S. thermal coal by rail through White Rock, South Surrey and Delta, adding one extra coal train per day.

It’s kind of hard to save the world from ‘dirty coal’ with BC LNG… when you are exporting 4 million tonnes of thermal coal,mostly to Asia.

Did anyone mention that in Paris? No? Hmmm.

Will the province be announcing that we will no longer export US thermal coal to Asia in order to back up the claim of doing the world a favour?

Or will the province hope the world doesn’t notice that while we are speaking clean energy out of one side of our mouth, we are heralding the jobs created by exporting ‘dirty’ coal out of the other side?

All you need to do is follow the money….through Surrey Fraser docks, to the ships that will carry the coal to Asia,to the very familiar name that stands to profit immensely from all of it.  

And while you are following that money, follow these $$$ signs too,because if the Fraser Surrey Docks proposal does not stand up under the current challenges, you know exactly where all that coal will be going…. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/vancouver-magnate-bets-on-coal-exports-westshore-terminals/article27522884/

 

 

20 thoughts on “So about that favour BC is doing the world with clean BC LNG replacing all that ‘dirty coal’….”

  1. Lying by omission only requires no ethics, no morality and no conscience. Having the coal companies backing doesn’t hurt. She is eminently over qualified for lying. The woman is without shame proven again and again. And Pattison keeps buying up coal shares….and she keeps supporting it…? How did they even let her in the Paris talks?

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  2. It’s a hell of a lot worse that that. Because PostMedia are in partnership with Resource Works touting Woodfibre LNG and with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Products (CAPP) * many, evidently including the premier, don’t realize that LNG is now ranked as WORSE than coal.

    This is why BC’s emission forecasts, based on Christy’s continuing ignorance, are way out of whack. There is about to be a new deal berween Gazprom (Russia) and China, the place Christy visits regularly to sell our LNG which isn’t there, for new enormous new sales of natural gas to China.

    Not to worry, though, Christy and the Gumshoe will think of something, I’m sure.

    * If any want copies of the PostMedia deals, above, email me at rafe@rafeonline.com and I will send it immediately.

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  3. Good question. I have seen no reports on this massive contradiction. And that is just as appalling. There is no word from government at all, on our own transition from this portion of our economic activity,

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  4. And just to clarify… what is coming in those long coal trains from the US via Surrey/Delta coal lines is thermal coal, used for heating homes,cooking,power plants. It is not coking coal, which is used for steel making.

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  6. And why do you think the government wants to push threw the new “Massey Tunnel” bridge. It isn’t for the average joe. Nothing to do with traffic, well maybe just a bit, but the picture is much larger and it has nothing to do with cars.

    Follow the money, follow the money.

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    1. That is exactly why. The plan was always to twin the tunnels, not to build a bridge. The bridge is needed- at great height, along with dredging to allow the passage of these ships up river.

      And considering the coal is currently being shipped out of two other deep water ports, there is no need for Fraser Surrey Docks to do this. It can be done via the other ports. That is where following the money comes in via the other post included above. Doing it at Fraser Surrey keeps it all in the family.

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    1. I believe you are accurate about this.

      It’s ridiculous. We are increasingly seeing projects moving ahead without business plans and or oversight like my last post on Site C hypocrisy. There is no need to say blanket no to every project, it is about making sure the projects we invest in as a province are needed, are done and planned properly and not being done to fit some agenda like a failing jobs plan.

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  9. Each LNG Plant needs huge amounts of energy to chill, compress and to liquify the gas before transfer to ocean transport. That is why BC Hydro Site C is touted. So major contribution to Climate Change. NATURE does NOT negotiate.

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    1. Well according to reports, the LNG plants would be burning natural gas to power the plants… so that’s questionable. I did a post on the ever changing reasons for Site C. There have been many. I think right now the only real reason it is being done is to make sure the BC Jobs plan isn’t a complete failure….

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  11. LNG has about the same carbon footprint as coal. There is no climate benefit to replacing coal with fracked gas. Coal and un-natural gas needs to be replaced with conservation, wind, solar, geothermal etc.

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  12. When you consider the upstream effects as well as the downstream effects it turns out LNG is as bad if not worse than coal. Hard to believe I know.

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  13. Laila, I invite you and all of your readers to hear Dr. Eion Finn retired KPMG partner and Kvein Washbrook, this coming Monday, Dec. 14th 7 p.m., Kin House 5050 47th Avenue, Ladner and get the other side of the story.

    As a friend of mine keeps telling me, “it’s not what they are telling, it’s what they are not telling you that is the problem. e.g. LNG is stored somewhere around minus 212 degrees Celsius. Yes, that’s right. Zero degree Celsius is freezing.

    FortisBC keeps saying that you can put a match into it and it won’t light. That’s correct. But if you are holding that match and you accidentally touch the LNG, you will be immediately “freeze-dried!” If oxygen gets mixed into that LNG and a spark happens, you will be immediately “fried!”

    FortisBC is offering every member of the Tsawwassen band (370 people) $20,000/year for the next 40 years for permission to put an LNG plant on their territory!

    Tsawwassen’s territory is at the mouth of the Fraser River. It is built on silt. A good earthquake and a break in a pipeline or the plant and poof! End of the “Indian problem” and a whole lot of other people as well as the Toigo Tsawwassen Springs development and every household on the Tsawwassen ridge.

    What does Delta’s illustrious Mayor have to say about it? It’s great for Delta!

    This proposal is in addition to the expansion of the FortisBC’s plant on Tilbury Island and WesPac’s jetty proposal in the Fraser River to fill LNG tankers. WesPac points out that there are only 3 residences close by. They leave out all the businesses and all the employers and employees working in the Tilbury Industrial site. A site that our Illustrious Mayor points out is one of the largest if not the largest industrial site in the Lower Mainland.

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