Re: “Province’s LNG emissions law toughest in the world: minister,” Oct. 21.
The B.C. government has set the “toughest standards in the world” by setting an intensity benchmark of 0.16 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of liquefied natural gas. This is a benchmark, not a strict limit. If the company does not achieve 0.16, then “legislation will permit companies to purchase greenhouse gas offsets and contribute to a technology fund to reach the benchmark.”
How much will the greenhouse gas offsets be? Will they be significant enough to pay for the technology? Who will do the technology, the company or the government? If the company, does the government give the technology money back to the company to fix their own shortcomings? Not a great deal!
The carbon offsets and technology fund gives too much room for playing games: how much to charge, who gets the fund and develops the technology, how long will it take, might the reduction of Asian coal be used as an offset.
We must get serious about climate change. We must calculate and charge the buyer for all greenhouse gases lost during the whole life cycle of natural gas — the drilling and fracking, compression and pipeline transportation, at the LNG plant, rail or ocean tanker transportation, losses at final destination.
We must also include costs of deterioration of ecosystems, land and water affected during all phases of the LNG life cycle, following the principle “polluter pays.”
We should accept nothing less — the health and well-being of the planet and humankind is at stake.
John K. Jeglum
Victoria
