Doctors, nurses post billboards near B.C. ferry terminal to warn of harmful impacts of liquefied natural gas
A group of B.C. doctors and nurses, who are concerned about the impacts of natural gas and fracking, have purchased billboard space to spread their message.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment have put up billboards near the BC Ferries’ Tsawwassen terminal, drawing attention to the fact that the company powers five of its 35 ships on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“Natural gas has significant health impacts for those living close by the wells and for our global environment,” said Dr. Kevin Liang, a University of British Columbia family medicine resident and a member of the physicians for the environment society.
“(The concern) comes from seeing our patients being affected by climate change every single day – I’m a family medicine doctor in training, I'm a year away from being fully licensed, I'm already seeing the impacts of climate change, particularly this summer,” he said.
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is a technique used to extract natural gas from shale rock.
“During the extraction and transportation processes, fracking and its infrastructure also pollute the air, land and water in the Peace region, use vast quantities of freshwater, overtake B.C.’s valuable farmland and worsen the health of families, farmers and Indigenous peoples locally and downstream,” reads a joint statement from the associations.
Liquefied natural gas pumped from wells across northeast B.C. fuels gas stoves, home heating and some B.C. ferries, but it is an “outsized climate-change culprit,” the statement continues.
The billboards are part of an advocacy and education campaign called Unnatural Gas, which seeks a moratorium on fracking expansion, a just transition for workers, a ban on natural gas hookups for new buildings starting in 2023 and an end to fossil fuel subsidies.
In an emailed statement from BC Ferries, public affairs director Deborah Marshall said the company would not comment.
“We don’t have any comment on the billboard,” she wrote.
Industry proponents have argued that natural gas is an environmentally-friendly alternative to coal, and that extracting and exporting natural gas to Asia would lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, critics, environmentalists and policy experts have long disagreed.
“LNG is energy intensive to move, requiring about 20 per cent of the gas to be consumed in the liquefaction, transport and regasification process,” reads a 2015 report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
“Coupled with life-cycle emissions of methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, BC LNG imports to China would exacerbate emissions over at least the next 50 years compared to building state-of-the-art coal plants,” it continues.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Angela Jung.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates 'I never took part in beheadings': Canadian ISIS sniper has warning about future of terror group
An admitted Canadian ISIS sniper held in one of northeast Syria’s highest-security prisons has issued a stark warning about the potential resurgence of the terror group.
'Absolutely been a success': Responders looks back at 988, Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, one year later
In its first year, responders for Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, known as 988, have answered more than 300,000 calls and texts in communities nationwide.
Prime Minister Trudeau meets Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday evening to meet with U.S.-president elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, sources confirm to CTV News.
Nova Scotia PC win linked to overall Liberal unpopularity: political scientist
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is celebrating his second consecutive majority mandate after winning the 2024 provincial election with 43 seats, up from 34. According to political science professor Jeff MacLeod, it's not difficult to figure out what has happened to Liberals, not just in Nova Scotia but in other parts of Canada.
'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!': Details emerge in Boeing 737 incident at Montreal airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Hit man offered $100,000 to kill Montreal crime reporter covering his trial
Political leaders and press freedom groups on Friday were left shell-shocked after Montreal news outlet La Presse revealed that a hit man had offered $100,000 to have one of its crime reporters assassinated.
Questrade lays off undisclosed number of employees
Questrade Financial Group Inc. says it has laid off an undisclosed number of employees to better fit its business strategy.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Billboard apologizes to Taylor Swift for video snafu
Billboard put together a video of some of Swift's achievements and used a clip from Kanye West's music video for the song 'Famous.'