I started in opposition to Woodfibre LNG. It was a gutteral reaction to the imposition of a plan where our community has little say. After months of gathering information, I have formed opinions on energy extraction and transportation.
My job as a municipal councillor leaves little room for anything other than opinion; the LNG initiative is a provincial “plan” and like 50 per cent of Canadians, we heat our home with fracked gas. When the provincial energy reaper comes knocking on municipal doors telling us it’s our turn to have infrastructure for resource exporting, it brings contentious issues of climate and energy to the forefront.
We have used up easily accessible natural resources. We are now extracting contentious resource reserves waiting for science and technology to catch up with these controversial methods. As a society, we clearly grasp the need to transition to renewable resources.
Renewables count for less than five per cent of our national energy. It may be 50 to 100 years before we get off our dependence on fossil fuel. We need both a transition and national energy strategy. Nothing happens overnight, and nothing will bring us to 95 per cent anytime soon. The faster you want it to happen the more expensive it is. Canadians use 1.4 million terajoules of energy in their homes and that is rising. Obama has implemented a coal clean up, yet has increased shipping coal to China along with associated carbon emissions. China, although investing in renewables, is building 40-50 new coal plants a year. Their industrial revolution will require every bit of energy to supply global manufacturing needs. The U.S. will no longer require our gas; Canadian surplus going to China will open up new markets. Globalization was intended to open up markets, but instead forces us to compete against countries that have less than adequate human rights records, and incredibly poor environmental policy.
We must not separate ourselves from the responsibility of moving towards self-sustainability and energy efficiency. We need to look at an energy utility to help Squamish become energy independent. Funds are necessary for mitigation of climactic abnormalities and events. Currently, growth is happening faster than it is possible for municipalities to adjust infrastructure. We need better benchmarking and data collection to help make evidence-informed decisions. We can learn from what other cities have tried, and make sure policy aligns with
our values.
The Woodfibre LNG plant will go through strict provincial and national regulatory policy before it builds in Squamish. Keeping within our boundaries on a properly zoned site allows us to keep some control and maintain benefits in the form of tax and employment. If it goes elsewhere, the impact to climate remains the same, but we lose the benefits. There is much to learn. I remain open to the district staff committee on LNG comments. I prefer to engage public on local municipal issues that will mitigate climate impacts, like transit. I consider my job to do everything I can to ensure Squamish gets the best possible deal from this project, if it goes through.
