Fossil fuels can't cure climate change

Gwyn Morgan is recycling an old trope in his opinion piece, the notion that the world ought to use Canadian natural gas to replace coal. The idea had the overt backing of the Canadian government while Morgan was CEO of Encana. What has changed since then?

For one thing, measurements of methane leakage. Study after study has shown that methane leakage is higher than industry has been reporting; universities in Canada and the U.S. have warned of these leaks, never failing to remind us that methane is 84 times as potent as CO2.

Another thing that has changed is the rapidly rising effect of extreme weather — for instance the drought and wildfires in Alberta.

And what of the South Asian countries Morgan hopes will be eager new customers for natural gas? Hundreds of millions of people are dealing with a deadly heat wave that has shut schools, caused crops to fail and forced outdoor work to pause. Will these countries look at the warnings of climate scientists coming true in their own lives, and at the rapidly falling price of renewables and clean technologies, but then say “Nah, we're going to stick with fossil fuels”?

The energy transition has accelerated dramatically in the past five years; if the world chooses to act strongly against the climate crisis, it will ramp up faster still. And what role will Canada play in moving away from fossil fuels?

Roger L Gagne, Calgary