While one hand applauds climate change accountability, the other continues the path of fossil fuel expansion

Posted on by Laila

Some days, it is hard to reconcile the words being spoken by political leaders with the reality that we are actually in. Case in point is yesterdays announcement by Andrew Weaver and George Heyman on climate change accountability:

“People across this province, and especially young people, are demanding we take the climate crisis seriously and that we make sure everyone works together to secure a stronger, cleaner future,” Heyman said in a news release. “That’s why we will work with communities, people and industry to put in place targets for each sector. What’s more, we’re mandating that the steps we’re taking are reported to the public every year, by law.

 

This will likely anger some,  but how can we applaud this legislation which makes it look like the province is doing something *amazing* with respect to climate change accountability, at the very same time the reality is that:

All these LNG facilities mean a massive increase in tanker traffic through our coastal waters, right from Howe Sound, through Roberts Bank and from the north coast. And we only ever hear about oil tanker traffic…not all these damn LNG supertankers. 68 a year minimum out of the Fraser river alone, not counting Kitimat or Woodfibre – I’m not even going to go look and see what their capacity will be. And did I mention its always been heavily subsidized?

This is EXACTLY what Greta speaks about. Our talk, is not matching our actions.

We applaud leaders and governments for small things like this announcement…but when we look beyond the press conference, the smiles and platitudes about stepping up for the youth, this is what we actually see.

  • We see no community led solar projects being encouraged by government to take load off the grid and help smaller  communities become self sufficient and resilient in emergencies, especially in times of fire or storms. ( some communities on Van isle were without power for weeks last year after a major storm)
  • We see no efforts to legislate or create bylaws at municipal levels to include solar, which is when its cheapest to incorporate and makes minimal difference to home price ( and would be a big selling feature ) * This is where I would encourage the use of our own BC gas for stoves and high efficiency furnaces, as being without heat and the ability to cook in an off season power outage is crippling to famililes.
  • We see no solar powered townhome or condo developments where units buy back and forth with each other. God forbid we not by into the narrative by Hydro that we have abundant water resources ( remember the post I did on drought this summer, when some reservoirs were too low to produce electricity? Read this in depth look at impact glacier loss and lower snowfalls are likely to have) 

Hell we cant even get legislation on things that should be mandatory to any new industrial build, like green roofs to reduce heat retention and release in hot summers ( reduces median temps in urban areas), features like roof wind turbines in windy areas, and rain gardens ( to control runoff instead of going into our storm drains or flooding streets)

The possibilities are endless, and they do not need endless study to enact. Just do it. Where is the actual political will to stand up and say the damn truth? Why are average residents being forced to take up the slack so industry can profit and pollute?

None of these targets will mean a thing when the world passes us by as we quickly build new LNG facilities while the price drop of solar, wind and other tech has come down so much other countries are embracing it like no ones business.

We applaud Greta for speaking blunt truths, but what good is the applause when the truth is that while this legislation was brought forth in one hand, the other hand of government still carried on with a plan that relies on greenwashing  a heavily subsidized LNG industry and fracking. There are some serious climate change extremes happening globally.

Permafrost is thawing all over the Arctic, in Siberia its making roads buckle and infrastructure crumble and in the Yukon and Nunavet its damaging homes, roadways and making lakes implode and collapse.  ( Google images search term: ” permafrost melting damage” for an eye opener)

Here’s the thing. Extremes and weird weather events are increasing here in BC and across Canada. Polar vortex. Floods. Fire. Extreme drought and heat waves. Home insurance rates are increasing because of increased claims. Some underwriters aren’t covering certain types of damage anymore. Climate change doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, but its the poor and mid income victims that will bear the burden when these events hit.

Its our governments who will have to fork out emergency relief funds,house people who have lost homes and rebuild critical infrastructure. That’s why addressing climate change is also a social justice issue, so mitigating it and acting faster to enable resilient communities is a must. And yet we continue down the same path here in BC despite it all.

That’s why I will applaud nothing with respect to this latest announcement.

Not while 2km squared gravel well pads are being laid to frack gas, the Peace is being logged to mitigate methyl mercury when the valley is flooded, and Canada’s north is melting.

39 thoughts on “While one hand applauds climate change accountability, the other continues the path of fossil fuel expansion”

  3. You’re a hard hitter and right on the money about what you say and how you put it . Some of those politician’s are such shameful little hypocrites. Always playing their sick little political games for political gain with reckless abandon. That’s all these ……. understand.

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    1. Thanks for the words of support..( I think?!)

      It’s frustrating for me to see whipped mla’s who know full well how wrongheaded this LNG expansion is, go along with it. There are some really exceptional ndp mla’s and I know they dont support this but wont go against the party line.

      It’s really,really disheartening. BC cant afford to have the BC Liberals back. Yet I worry if the ndp dont pick it up on the enviro file that they will have zero chance again in a province that voted BC Lib majority for 16 years.

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        1. Looks like the UK has their act together. They seem to be concerned about the serious dangers to the public. Here in BC and Canada, we have a leadership of negligent two faced buffoons.

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        1. I just got to sleep in for the first time in a year and had that delicious creamy egg Italian coffee with ‘steakon’ for breakfast, so it’s a super weekend…..

          Steakon = super thick bacon you cook on the grill…😋 like a steak. Carnivores dream

          I hope your weekends amazing too!

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  4. Laila,

    Not only the Guardian cited the UK ban on fracking.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/fracking-supension-cuadrilla-earthquake-lancaster-uk-a9181796.html

    “Opponents say it causes earthquakes (this is the reason the government has cited for its U-turn), damages the countryside and keeps the UK hooked on fossil fuels which is not in keeping with meeting climate targets.”  

    “Protests have resulted at sites across the country and are estimated to have cost public bodies at least £32.7m since 2011.”

    “The practice is widespread across countries such as the UK, Canada and Argentina where there is more space and looser restrictions.” 

    “But the industry never really got off the ground in the UK where there are much tighter rules about  seismic activity – drilling must stop for 18 hours after any tremor over 0.5.” 

    “At one point, there were 57 tremors during 60 days of fracking.”
     
    “For many fracking has become symbol of the government saying one thing about wanting to tackle climate change but doing something quite different.”
     
    “However, the straw that broke the camel’s back were the findings of a report by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) which found it was not possible to accurately predict the probability or magnitude of earthquakes linked to fracking.”

    Then there’s the BBC 

    “The indefinite suspension comes after a report by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) said it was not possible to predict the probability or size of tremors caused by the practice.”

    “Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said it may be temporary – imposed “until and unless” extraction is proved safe.”

    “Labour, Lib Dems and the Green Party want a permanent ban.”

    But somehow no one working at the BC legislature ever reads the UK press? How about the NYT? Bloomberg? Financial Post?

    https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/fracking-banned-in-u-k-after-concern-about-earthquakes-climate

    Like

    1. Trust me, we all know they know and we all know they are fine to continue by trying to mitigate risks as much as possible.

      Except this risk. The one this BC government purposely exempted from their review of fracking.

      https://thenarwhal.ca/words-sacrifice-zone-caleb-behn-how-b-c-failing-first-nations-fracking/

      ” fracking, earlier this month, it came as a shock to many that it wouldn’t examine human health impacts.

      The announcement coincided with the release in the U.S. of the most authoritative study of fracking’s threats to human health ever published, which found “no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health.”

      For Caleb Behn, the government’s announcement marked a loss of hope in the less than one-year-old NDP government.

      “They’ve shown themselves ready to sacrifice us and the unborn who will come after us in this territory,” Behn told DeSmog Canada.

      Behn is Eh-Cho Dene and Dunne Za/Cree from Treaty 8 in northeastern British Columbia, the epicenter of B.C.’s fracking operations. He was the focus of the 2013 documentary Fractured Land.”

      And this: https://thenarwhal.ca/potential-health-impacts-of-fracking-in-b-c-worry-dawson-creek-physicians/

      ” ‘I have some patients whose symptoms I can’t explain,’ physician Ulrike Meyer says, describing nosebleeds, rare cancers and respiratory illness among a dearth of data.

      through fracking.

      And while plans to further develop gas plays in northeastern B.C. are celebrated at the government level as ensuring an economic windfall, Meyer says a wave of health impacts are sweeping the region without adequate monitoring and research.

      Health impacts of fracking not comprehensively studied

      A recent independent scientific review of fracking commissioned by the B.C. government seems to shore up Meyer’s concerns.

      The report concluded that not only is our understanding and monitoring of its effects on surface and groundwater sorely lacking, but the province is also profoundly ignorant of fracking’s possible public health risks. (The independent scientific review did not include an examination of the public health implications of fracking.)

      Fracking in northeast B.C. began in earnest in the early 2000s, but the reality of the industry’s impact hit Meyer afresh this past summer.

      “We got a notification letter about a multi-well pad extension on the hill in our neighbourhood on June 15, 2018. [My husband] hid it at first because he thought I would be upset.”

      As Meyer began to do initial research on the health effects of fracking she was distressed to learn that neighbourhood air-quality monitoring around operations was minimal or non-existent. No biometric data was collected from the local population before or after the multi-well pad was put in.
      – snip –

      explain,” she says.

      “There’s one, an older farmer in his mid 70s, who likes to dance. His farm was surrounded by a multi-well pad and open waste-water tanks. Shortly after the flares went up he developed episodes where he would suddenly pass out.”

      On one occasion this patient slumped over in his chair while playing cards with friends.

      “We adjusted his medications, did a Holter [heart monitor test], CT angiogram, brain scans and referred him to a specialist in Edmonton, but couldn’t come up with anything. When they were done with all the fracking activity and sealed the sites two years ago, his symptoms disappeared. He’s had no other episodes since.”

      For Meyer, other stories came from even closer to home.

      Her neighbour, who used to live in another part of town, developed severe nosebleeds after flaring began at nearby fracking operations.

      “At night when he was sleeping he would almost choke on the blood. His wife would wake him up because of the sound,” she says.

      Selling everything, including a prized renovated farm and his business, the neighbour and his wife moved to Arizona.

      “It took three months to stop. He came back three years later, re-bought his business and moved to my neighbourhood, where there’s no flaring.”

      His wife told Meyer she’s never bought so many pillows…”

      And please. Read that all. I have been consistant in stating not considering the health implications is criminal..its intentional ignorance of risk. Worse yet are those Horgan supporters now trying to mitigate concerns online by saying fracking and gas wells arent near populated areas, which isnt true at all.

      To be honest, unless it’s close to site c, seismic activity is the least of my concerns.

      Odd cancers, nosebleeds, chemicals in breast milk and urine of pregnant women? That’s my concern. And it should be everyones concern.

      No one is listening to these people, or these doctors.

      And no one is pushing this government or particularly Michelle Mungall, who is a new mother, about this. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171113095435.htm

      Why?

      This should be front page of the Sun and Province.

      Who is looking out for these people?

      Before the last provincial election, I shared a story of what happened while Horgan was in opposition couple years earlier. I was riding his back over his well known love of all things fracking even back then, because he was the only one really supporting the gas industry on the ndp side in a known way. His staff emailed me and set up a time for a call, and Horgan called me. We talked for quite a while about the concern of fracking and he promised if elected the ndp would do a scientific review and if the science wasnt supportive or wasnt there, they would call a moratorium until such time it was.

      Well, they lost that election under Dix. But it showed character that Horgan reached out to a critic. However, they did under Horgan, call a review and turns out the science isnt there to support the industry claims https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/03/27/BC-Fracking-Report-Apprehension-Insufficient-Unknown-Concerns/

      So did they call a moratorium?

      No. As detailed in this post, full steam ahead while trying to mitigate some concerns…and ignoring the health risks.

      https://thenarwhal.ca/b-c-government-quietly-posts-response-to-expert-fracking-report/

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        1. I’m from the east coast.
          We had a family cottage that was built in the 1930’s by my grandfather on a small(about 100 acres) tidal island( during high tide its an island….low tide its an isthmus) in a bay in PEI.
          My parents decided to finally sell in the mid 1980’s when, after on particularly bad winter storm season……half the island washed away.
          The new owners have spent thousands upon thousands building retaining walls, trucking in sand, etc etc etc.
          And its the same all over the Island.
          Erosion will start affecting land sales along the water. Big time.
          The next 25 -50 years should be interesting.

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        2. Not even that long. It’s happening now in areas here. I’ve seen storms here already on the east side of the Island that taken out huge swaths of beach and beach cliffs. There are some homes on the cliffs at the point you couldnt pay me to take because of how fast the cliff bases are falling.

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  6. https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/focus-magazine-sept-oct-2019/fabricating-jobs-and-hastening-climate-catastrophe-r10/

    Regarding Russ Francis piece on Fracking in FOCUS Magazine concerning where all those wonderful jobsjobsjobs have gone….

    Well… It appears that the UK’s recently announced “fracking moratorium” stories are not quite as detailed as would be helpful.

    So what? If Canada’s corporate media is your only source on that story you may not have read enough to understand what happened over ‘ome.

    Here’s a key detail…

    https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/11/04/uk-government-implements-fracking-ban-now

    “Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already issued measures that amount to moratoriums on fracking.”

    So? The UK moratorium was not a surprise anti-fracking one-off, a fluke decision that appeared from nowhere. It had backing. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, had already taken the lead in recognizing fracking hazards, leaving pro-fracking UK Tories (now facing an election) to either defend the practice or stall it.

    Whether deliberately or not, Canadian media, so often forgetful of detail, has helped pro-fracking politicians [federal and provincial] avoid having to answer several awkward questions.

    “The UK has placed an immediate moratorium on fracking, correct? Offering Sufficient Cause, fir doing so, correct? Why hasn’t Canada done the same using the same information?“

    “The UK has very stringent fracking standards. By comparison Canada appears indifferent to the same concerns. Why the difference?”

    What the UK Government said?

    “The business and energy secretary, Andrea Leadsom, said today:”

    “Whilst acknowledging the huge potential of UK shale gas to provide a bridge to a zero carbon future, I’ve also always been clear that shale gas exploration in the UK must be carried out safely. In the UK, we have been led by the best available scientific evidence, and closely regulated by the Oil & Gas Authority, one of the best regulators in the world.

    “After reviewing the OGA’s report into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, it is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community.

    “For this reason, I have concluded that we should put a moratorium on fracking in England with immediate effect.”

    How can two countries arrive at opposite conclusions about whether fracking is sufficiently safe?

    Please advise.

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    1. Simple answer.

      We didnt arrive at different conclusions than these other governments.

      It’s just that our current government has decided the risks were worth it, promised to do a few items to make the public feel better and continued.

      The governments own report detailed there wasnt enough known to assert that fracking actually is safe, and clearly detailed the health issues listed above in my earlier comment. This was the governments response which totally ignored those alarming health issues happening, as they deliberately left health impact out of the scope of the review itself.

      https://thenarwhal.ca/b-c-government-quietly-posts-response-to-expert-fracking-report/

      I’d like to ask why this government is acting with as much arrogance on this issue as the last?

      Why the careless disregard for these peoples health?

      And why wont the very people who rallied beside me against this against the last government, stand against it now? Many enviros are, but this is an issue I hope some ndp members bring up at their convention in Victoria coming up

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  7. Andrew Weaver and his Green [ YELLOW ] Party hypocrites can stick it. If he and his leadership circle had any morality and integrity they would have went all out and given Horgan a firm timeline and kick in the pants, to put a moratorium on fracking and if not, down you come. But instead of holding firmly to their beliefs and principals, they soiled themselves with stunning hypocrisy and opened themselves up to political extinction because they threw those principals out the window in the eyes of many. They would have been more powerful and respected for the next election. Now i would be amazed if they get one seat next time around. They deserve to go down for being such true two faced politicians. Weaver could have shown his metal if he really did hold Horgan to account with a real threat to bring his government down. Things would have been much different now . Weaver could have caused an early dawn of change. But he didn’t. It was squandered on his political gaming with Horgan. What a massive failure and lost opportunity. Huge amounts of jobs and industry and along with it huge revenues could have began a transitioning towards real green energy and renewable resource. It’s all gone backwards now. All so tragic.

    Horgan is a hypocrite too like most politicians who look at the size of their special interest pool and the corners where the most votes might come from. Big Unions and Big Corporate lobby world who of course would have the common interest in that industry. The health of the people in the fracking zones, environmental welfare and the sun shining the next day and the future means zero. Political ambition, where the wind blows for votes and holding onto power outweighs whats plain right. The BC wild west it seems isn’t only about money laundering. Does it matter who runs government. Maybe I’m wrong in my belief, but for now, i’m sticking to it.

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    1. Well heres the catch 22.

      They bring down govt, we may very well end up in a minority situation again or with the BC Libs back in power.
      Despite the good things the NDP have done, I still dont think they can win a majority.

      So what’s your solution?

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      1. Sacrifice power and glory for integrity and principle. Come back and fight another day with principals and political integrity intact and hold both sides to account with good power like Weaver and his team should have. Even on their own. Many a politician have gone down in flames of disgrace for their own self made situation that could have been avoided with sacrifice. All power and glory should be seen as fleeting anyways. It’s an empty vessel.

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      2. Solution Part Two . Keep shaming and holding them all to account . All of them. All sides. No giving in. No giving credit because of a couple of good things usually done to to deflect from their self serving agendas for the special interest over the interests of the mainstream. Maybe in a decade or two the system here will be getting so corrupted and expensive, messed up and pissing enough people off to no end. because of the politicians living in their power hungry, self serving stupidity bubble and gated community mindset, that torches and pitchforks may be the solution or have to be the solution. I really hope not.

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  8. Laila..

    You write, “And why wont the very people who rallied beside me against this against the last government, stand against it now? Many enviros are, but this is an issue I hope some ndp members bring up at their convention in Victoria coming up “

    You think intelligent thought is likely to register any response among Partisans?

    Perhaps the best way to picture the downsides of Partisan Loyalty was identified decades ago. As a joke.

    It is night. A drunk searches for something under a street lamp. A passerby asks what he’s looking for.

    “My keys!” The passerby asks where he lost them. “Over there! In the dark!”

    Why not look for your keys where you know they were lost? “There’s no light over there!”

    Granted, chronic drunks already suffer from diminished capacity, but to be identified as a perfect partisan (and merit acceptance) a voluntary demonstration of diminished capacity is a vital passport to group approval.

    In politics and social life “Light” to illuminate what is most important only exists where doctrine dictates. It’s simple. It is the party’s duty, not the disciple’s option, to identify acceptable places to look for answers. An individual may admit to doubt, but cannot – witness Jody Wilson Raybould – disagree with Policy, however grossly it might be skewed.

    To enjoy the status, and frankly the illusion of membership, each partisan accepts the same self-limiting zero-sum outcome. To be accepted as faithful by your brethren your actions and words must reinforce a firm belief that what you are told is True and that is as good as it gets.

    Otherwise? You’re a heretic and merit the boot…

    To be safe? Surely it is wiser to opine that, well, look, perhaps over there in that other country, they do things differently. Never implying fault but, aren’t they odd over there?

    In what to me seemed a curiously naive Tyee editorial Andrew Nikiforuk does reveal details behind what alarmed UK politicians and what likely triggered them to halt fracking in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales..

    However what appears nowhere in Mr. Nikiforuk’s analysis is any real or implied criticism of John Horgan, the NDP hierarchy, or any argument a non-partisan might offer our leaders. As in “why not do something different?”

    See for yourself.

    https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/11/07/UK-Ban-Taking-Down-Fracking-Industry/

    Beyond the Tyee’s careful avoidance of policy controversy, here’s an example of once-proud-of-fracking Washington State deciding it was wrong..

    http://sdc.wastateleg.org/salomon/2019/05/08/governor-signs-prohibition-on-fracking-in-washington/

    “OLYMPIA – Washington will now prohibit the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for oil and natural gas exploration and production, according to legislation that Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law today.”

    “Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), sponsored Senate Bill 5145 to protect the state’s public safety, natural resources and environmental health from damages caused by fracking, a method of extracting oil and natural gas by injecting large quantities of fluid and chemicals into rock far below the earth’s surface, breaking up the rock and allowing the gas or oil to flow to the surface. In recent years, this practice has gained national attention for its effects on the environment.”

    “High water usage, potential water shortages, drinking water contamination, fuel and wastewater spills, methane gas contamination, and earthquakes are all among the effects causing concern across the country. Because fracking uses relatively new technology, its effects on human and environmental health are largely unknown. Experts are prevented from effectively anticipating and detecting those effects by an exemption from public disclosure requirements for fracking fluid’s chemical contents”.

    ““We are charged with preserving our environment for future generations; it is a cornerstone of our state’s identity,” said Salomon. “While fracking is not currently done in Washington, it is important that we acted preventatively here. If the use of fracking were to be established, oil companies and lobbyists would make it very hard to curtail.””

    Those folks in the UK and south of here. What’s gotten into them?

    Those people! They’re just so, um… odd!

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  9. http://energyfuse.org/lng-supply-tightness-in-2020s-but-glut-today/

    You ask why this industry is on life-support? The standard explanation for why BC must invest in LNG it’s ASIA!

    If anything supplying Europe would mean competing with the US and Russia. Not a hot prospect.

    Industry projections suggest that…

    “Notably, prices in Europe are falling to the point where shipping LNG from the U.S. may not be profitable. And because JKM prices in Asia are just as low, some supply might need to be curtailed. Bloomberg New Energy Finance says that some gas exporters are using the period of weakness to shut down their facilities and conduct maintenance. In March, Cheniere Energy announced a round of maintenance at two of its LNG trains at its Sabine Pass facility, for instance. Bank of America Merrill Lynch also said that some cargoes were likely sitting in Asian waters, essentially acting as floating storage for a period of time.”

    Remember how “desperate” poor old China was supposed to be? Explicitly for BC LNG? Curious, it was as though no other competitors existed,.

    https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Asian-LNG-Glut-Stronger-Than-Chinas-Robust-Demand-Growth.html#

    “While China’s LNG demand growth is set to increase by 14 percent in 2019 over 2018 levels—between 30 billion and 40 billion cubic meters—it’s lower than the 2018 demand growth of 18 percent, according to data from the National Development Reform Commission. This demand growth is also likely to be lower than supply, which has increased dramatically over the last year as Australia, United States, and Russia increase production.”

    “New production for LNG this year is expected to surpass LNG demand by 2 percent, according to Reuters calculations. This lopsided equation is unlikely to improve LNG prices which have plummeted about 60 percent in the last six months alone.”
    “On the demand side of the equation, these low LNG prices are still above pipeline gas prices, and as the new Russia pipeline comes onstream to carry gas to China, demand for LNG may falter, CNPC’s Ling told Reuters last week, although this is still many months away from completion.”

    “The Russia to China pipeline, dubbed the Power of Siberia, is expected to come online in December 2019.”

    Where will China likely seek its LNG? According to McKinsey & Company? From Asia. See for yourself. Odd though, there’s no mention of Canada anywhere.

    https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/the-road-to-china-an-opportunity-for-russian-gas-to-play-out

    https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Pipeline-That-Could-Derail-Chinas-LNG-Boom.html

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  10. Looks like IntegrityBC’s Dermod Travis has created a short list of no-more-fracking stories.

    Given the near-dead silence from the corporate press on why Canada should reconsider allowing fracking, on Mr Travis’ site alone there seems to be a lot more bad news than might make the federal or provincial government comfortable that the question requires no more thought than stonewalling and a saturation ad campaign..

    Two reports in particular seem the most damning and forward looking….

    https://theprovince.com/news/national/canada-among-three-g20-countries-least-likely-to-hit-emissions-targets/wcm/b2447560-e22d-4497-a74f-893f54519e19

    “OTTAWA — Canada’s plan to meet its greenhouse-gas emissions targets is among the worst in the G20, according to a new report card on climate action.”

    =======================

    https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2019/11/07/bc-should-demand-miners-pay-cleanup-costs-up-front-indigenous-study.html

    “VANCOUVER—A report is urging British Columbia to get better financial guarantees that mining companies will pay for the mess they make.”

    “The First Nations who commissioned the study say that if the government doesn’t do it, they will.”

    “There’s clearly a recognition by the government and the courts that we have ownership and lands and we have jurisdiction and authority,” said Allen Edzerza of the B.C. First Nations Energy and Mining Council.”

    ““What this report is suggesting is that maybe they should exercise some of that authority.”

    “The province is reviewing the rules by which it ensures that taxpayers aren’t stuck with the costs of cleaning up or caring for abandoned mines. The report points to several recent examples of the government being left to pay the costs, including at least $500,000 at one old gold mine.”

    =======================

    https://theconversation.com/fracking-in-the-uk-was-doomed-a-decade-ago-tories-have-wasted-precious-time-on-a-fossil-fuel-fantasy-126639

    =======================

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49910646

    =======================

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/highly-stressed-parts-of-b-c-s-gas-fields-may-be-more-prone-to-fracking-quakes-scientists-finding-1.5347081

    https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/les-leyne-robust-isn-t-first-word-to-come-to-mind-on-b-c-s-fracking-rules-1.23670228

    =======================

    https://thetyee.ca/News/2019/11/13/BC-Fracking-Drilling-Credits/

    Meanwhile our pro-fracking governments remain blind and deaf… apparently with a lot of help from their friends.

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  12. TWO ITEMS…

    More bad news for fracking enthusiasts? California! How could you!

    https://time.com/5733547/california-fracking-permits-oil-crackdown/

    “SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom cracked down on oil producers Tuesday, halting approval of hundreds of fracking permits until independent scientists can review them and temporarily banning another drilling method that regulators believe is linked to one of the largest spills in state history.”

    “The state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources announced it will not approve new wells that use high-pressure steam to extract oil from underground. It’s the type of process Chevron uses at an oil field in the Central Valley that leaked more than 1.3 million gallons (4.9 million liters) of oil and water this summer.”

    “That process is different from fracking, which uses water and other chemicals at high pressure to extract oil. California has 263 pending fracking permits but has not approved any of them since July. That’s when Newsom fired California’s top oil and gas regulator after learning the state had increased fracking permits by 35% since he took office in January, angering environmental groups.”

    “Newsom, a Democrat, called the crackdown necessary to strengthen the state’s oversight of oil and gas extraction “as we phase out our dependence on fossil fuels and focus on clean energy sources.””

    https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2019/11/19/newsom-halts-new-dangerous-steam-injection-oil-fracking-california/4239409002/

    Adjusting policy to conform to ideology, or how adherence to partisan ideology protected Venice.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/14/europe/veneto-council-climate-change-floods-trnd-intl-scli/index.html

    “Veneto regional council, which is located on Venice’s Grand Canal, was flooded for the first time in its history on Tuesday night — just after it rejected measures to combat climate change.”

    “The historic Italian city has been brought to its knees this week by the worst flooding there in more than 50 years.”

    “And the council chamber in Ferro Fini Palace started to take in water around 10 p.m. local time, as councilors were debating the 2020 regional budget, Democratic Party councilor Andrea Zanoni said in a long Facebook post.”

    “Ironically, the chamber was flooded two minutes after the majority League, Brothers of Italy, and Forza Italia parties rejected our amendments to tackle climate change,” Zanoni, who is deputy chairman of the environment committee, said in the post, which also has photographs of the room under water.”

    https://earther.gizmodo.com/venice-regional-council-floods-after-it-kills-measures-1839861496

    “But the timing couldn’t be more absurd. Zanoni noted in his Facebook post that councilors had been voting on amendments to the region’s 2020 budget prior to the flood. He said the “budget does not contain any concrete action to counteract climate change,” and all amendments put forward to address climate change like boosting renewable energy, replacing diesel buses, and improving efficiency were rejected. The region has contributed relatively little to climate change, but then everything everywhere will need to shift to avert the worst of the climate chaos.”

    “As mentioned, the council is currently controlled by the regional wing of the League, Italy’s far-right party. While not as virulently into climate denial as conservatives in the U.S., the League hasn’t exactly done much on climate. Matteo Salvini, its leader, voted against ratifying the Paris Agreement. An analysis by German think tank Adelphi found the party’s European Parliament representatives voted against every climate and energy policy proposals put forth between 2014 and 2018, save one on energy performance for buildings.”

    Like

  13. Further considerations…

    1/ How does any government “hedge” against billions in losses when a hugely expensive boondoggle implodes? Should someone ask?

    2/ Who in government evaluates daily\monthly\annual RISK to determine whether expected revenue projections have changed drastically? When reality hits the fan who then informs government that the game has gone south, won’t ever improve, and it’s time to bail out? Too risky for subordinates to squeak out?

    What’s been odd in all this mania is that any intelligently run business has to assess the consequences of being inadequately prepared for downside RISK. Yet with LNG nowhere is anyone willing to concede that there’s any downside that can’t be handled.

    To your multiple points..

    Yes indeed, prices still are dropping, while the Asian market for LNG is growing… specifically for Asian suppliers.

    By now Asian countries have realized that to allow themselves to become colonies dependent on The West for crucial energy supplies was never smart National Security Policy. In short what Asians require to ensure their survival they also need to own.

    The West? Not so clever by half.

    If this bet-the-farm downward spiral continues it’s obvious that it’s the public who pays all the bills.

    What isn’t obvious is who among our leadership will step forward to assume responsibility for refusing to apply the brakes, refusing to pay attention to where the road ends, or react in time on seeing the economic cliff which terminates the ride.

    Like

  14. Here’s something for thought. Read the article in the 2019 edition of the Commom Ground free magazine. Bitumen : the dangerous give-away. The author of the story is a retired oil sands worker.and a long time union member. This article is mind blowing. Maybe. i would think.

    https://commonground.ca

    Like

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