Attempts by activists to derail energy investment in Canada undermine an industry capable of delivering major economic and environmental benefits, says Shannon Joseph, chair of Energy for a Secure Future..Joseph makes her comments tonight on Hannaford, arguing that campaigns attempting (for example) to portray liquefied natural gas projects as health hazards can obscure the tangible benefits energy development has delivered to communities.This is particularly so of indigenous communities in northern British Columbia..Her comments come as LNG Canada works through early operations at its Kitimat export terminal, supplied by Coastal GasLink. Pipeline construction faced costly delays and court-injunction breaches; Joseph said activist groups are now using concerns about elevated flaring to frighten residents and build opposition to future LNG projects.The B.C. government and local officials describe the Kitimat valley as a heavily monitored airshed. Joseph said LNG Canada is flaring more than it would in steady operations, that the situation has been disclosed and monitored, and that company and official air-quality reports have not shown exceedances of provincial ambient objectives..“Canadians need to distinguish legitimate environmental and health concerns from political campaigns designed to stop development.”She acknowledged that LNG Canada is currently flaring more than it normally would but said the situation has been publicly disclosed. Kitimat’s mayor has said the airshed is “extremely highly monitored." Joseph said officials report no abnormal airshed impacts; the company says readings remain below provincial objectives.“The question people never ask,” Joseph said, “is what would have happened to communities and businesses if the project had never been built.”.Energy for a Secure Future’s research shows significant economic and social benefits from the LNG Canada and Coastal GasLink developments. More than 75,000 construction jobs were created, while hundreds of permanent positions remain after construction. First Nations involved in the project have also benefited through agreements and equity opportunities..Joseph said the own-source revenues of participating First Nations increased substantially during the development period, while high-school completion rates also improved.She warned that opposition campaigns can have consequences extending far beyond individual projects. If Canada develops a reputation as a country where major projects are cancelled, delayed or subjected to construction-site protests, international investors may choose to put their capital elsewhere.LNG Canada involved five international partners, illustrating the importance of foreign investment to projects requiring billions of dollars in capital, she said..Joseph also expects opposition to extend to a proposed oil pipeline if Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith succeed in advancing such a project.“I’m sure there will be a campaign. I’m sure there will be a lawsuit,” she said.She said First Nations that have participated in energy projects provide an important counterpoint to activist opposition, arguing that communities should rely on their own experience and the economic evidence when evaluating development..Joseph also defended natural gas on environmental grounds, saying it produces about half the greenhouse-gas emissions of coal when used for similar purposes such as electricity generation. Natural gas also produces less particulate matter, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides than coal, she said.She argued that exporting Canadian LNG could help countries such as India, China and Vietnam meet growing electricity demand while reducing reliance on higher-emitting coal.LNG Canada, Joseph said, is expected to have greenhouse-gas emissions roughly 60 per cent below the global average for LNG facilities and 35 per cent below some of the best-performing facilities.“LNG Canada has allowed Canada to actually be a major exporter of LNG in the world,” Joseph said, arguing that Canadian energy can contribute both to global energy security and improved living standards.With geopolitical instability threatening energy supplies, she said, Canada should be looking outward rather than allowing activist campaigns to prevent its resources from reaching international markets.The Hannaford show is uploaded at seven o'clock.
