Coal-export plan fires up anxiety about climate
I am seriously concerned about the Port Metro Vancouver’s plan to allow the export of millions of tonnes of U.S. coal—the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel—to Asia through our salmon-bearing Fraser River via the Strait of Georgia to Texada Island [“Fraser Surrey Docks outlines coal transfer precautions as opposition continues”, web-only]. Most immediately, this is directly harmful to the health of residents and wildlife of the surrounding communities due to the contents in coal dust: arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium, nickel, selenium, and other toxic heavy metals.
Once we take into account negative impacts on our strongest local industries—fishing, tourism, and agriculture—the proposed gain in jobs is a moot point.
Above all, scientists the world over continue to affirm that the planet cannot afford increased emissions from fossil fuels as we near the “tipping point” of a 2° C increase in global temperatures. Yet we are expected to believe that positioning our port to be the largest exporter of coal in North America is a good idea?
As a province priding itself on its clean hydro energy, we are in a unique position to advance research and development of alternative energy sources and act as an example. I am tired of seeing our beautiful nation relegated to a dumping ground for dirty U.S. companies.
Our survival cannot be disjointed from the health of our surrounding watersheds. Must we wait for a veritable food, industry, or clean-water crisis before we understand this?
This decision by Port Metro Vancouver—a federal body mandated to act in our interests—is not one to be made without an open debate with the public. I will not let this archaic and flawed project continue to fall beneath the media radar. We need to talk.
> Lauren Kaljur / Vancouver
Comments
2 Comments
chris123
Jun 14, 2013 at 1:55am
Well said
Ziggy Eckardt
Jun 18, 2013 at 12:30pm
Great letter, Lauren!
Except for a few minor details... In this province our income relies far heavier on our natural resources than you seem to be aware of. It is a good thing, also, that the scientists you like to quote have promoters like yourself. Evidence of their predictions are less and less reliable. Only 0.12% of all CO2 emissions are manmade and the theory of CO2 driving the climate is very much disputed. Canada is responsible for only 4% of the global total, anyway, so a few trainloads of coal per day will not even come close to making a dent into your fictional "tipping point"! Mother Nature seems to have ignored massive increases in manmade CO2 emissions, or adjusted natural emissions to the extend that global warming has been on hold for the last 18 years, just in case you missed that little detail (22 years if you go by more accurate satellite measurements!). You may want to ask them what happened to the 5 metre sea level rise we should see by now. (It was 15 cm. Same as last century and the one before.)
I was particularly impressed with your ability to scare West-End readers by listing all the unhealthy items contained in coal. My, my, what fragile whimps we have become! Can you imagine? To provide you with your comfortable West-End living conditions some misguided people actually work voluntarily in a coal mine. And, guess what? Knowing how unhealthy city life is... they feel sorry for you!...
To people like those you are addressing it must truly look miraculous, that even though we do all these unhealthy things (now we even mess with the natural growth of our food...) our life expectancy has doubled during the past 200 years.
Yes! Great letter. (But don't work in a coal mine!...) And your alternate energy sources will be invented when we come close to the end of oil and coal and that stuff has become much more expensive as a result.
Being positive, would you not be happier in a country like Spain? They might better meet your expectations as far as switching to windmills is concerned. Mind you, their youth unemployment rate has also risen to 55% as a result!...