Canada best country for LNG

Dear editor: As countries build renewable energy, Canadian LNG is the best energy bridge.

China is building 700 coal plants (New York Times, July 1, 2017). And worldwide 1,600 coal plants are being built or planned to be built, resulting in huge carbon dioxide, sulfur emissions, and methane emissions.

Apparently, while the Chinese population can’t breathe or see through their pollution, they are quite willing to build coal plants in the rest of the world.

Also, China has 37 nuclear reactors, is building 20 more, with more planned after that. Meanwhile, after seven years, the Fukushima disaster is still assaulting the Pacific with tons of radioactive water every day. It's a mess. The population is on edge as they restart their remaining nuclear reactors.

Even though wind energy pricing has become cheaper than coal and nuclear, unfortunately we are not constructing renewable energy fast enough, and energy storage is still inadequate. So while renewable energy advances, the planet still needs an energy bridge, and the least polluting energy bridge is Canadian LNG.

Canadian natural gas isn’t perfect, but it is better than nuclear, coal, diesel and gasoline. Natural gas usage emits much less carbon dioxide and much less sulfur. If done properly, methane emissions are less also. There can’t be any gas flaring (burning natural gas into the air), and there can’t be methane leakage from the pipes. Canada has recently passed laws that will prohibit gas flaring and methane leakage. Canada may be the only country in the world to bring about this constructive legislation, meaning that from a pollution standpoint, Canada is best country to export LNG.

Canadian oil isn’t perfect either. But Nigeria, for the last 50 years, has had the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez oil spill every year in the Niger River delta. And Nigeria’s huge gas flaring is another pollution onslaught. The law enforcement in Nigeria is bleak, energy companies have cheated, and even worse, rebels routinely steal oil and damage oil pipelines.

So why does Eastern Canada import oil from Nigeria, and similar countries? And to get here, the oil tankers burn 5,000 gallons per hour of the dirtiest sulphur fuel in the world, bunker fuel. And then to pay for this moronic privilege, Canada goes into debt with our borrowed money financing questionable dictatorships.

Meanwhile, Canadian energy companies that could pay taxes, pay royalties, provide jobs and conform to the latest environmental legislation, are told that pipelines cause pollution.

Canada is a rare democracy — we have enforceable environmental laws.

Ironically, our naive NIMBYism is harming the planet as a whole.

Why is Canada the only environmental country on Earth that has suicidally landlocked its gift of natural resources? Why do the elderly in Canada scrimp on a miserly $1,800 per month while Canada goes further into debt? What future do our young people have? Why do we allow globalist minions to dominate our politics?

Build Canadian pipelines to reduce global pollution, and redirect energy royalties and energy generated taxes to accelerate Canadian renewable energy. Daine Garner

Peachland