In the column “Kirk LaPointe: Political absence at LNG2023 augurs ill for our reputations,” recently published in The Squamish Chief, Kirk LaPointe (publisher and executive editor of Business in Vancouver and vice-president, editorial, of Glacier Media) is pained that our provincial and federal politicians didn’t attend a recent LNG conference in Vancouver.
LaPointe muses: “You can believe in climate change, want the world to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, yet realize you can’t leave energy in the ground quite yet. But it can be embarrassing to live in a political environment in which these obvious dilemmas and conflicts on these issues aren’t acknowledged and aired.”
“Embarrassing,” indeed. LaPointe is correct to criticize our politicians for ignoring LNG love-ins, but for the wrong reason. Instead of feeling snubbed at their nonattendance, let’s consider what should really anger us about our politicians: In the middle of an unprecedented climate emergency, with record-breaking heat, drought and the most destructive wildfire season on record — dumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere is business as usual while our politicians are on holidays. And where is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? He’s busy trying to cajole Taylor Swift to perform more concerts in Canada.
LaPointe should at least find consolation in the pact LNG has brokered with our politicians. “LNG Canada has already received at least $5.34 billion in subsidies from the B.C. government in the form of financial breaks and incentives such as tax exemptions, tax reprieves and cheaper electricity rates.”
I don’t know about you, but after a gift like that, via the taxpayers’ pocket, I wouldn’t really care who attended my party.
By the way, on the need to air our “obvious dilemmas and conflicts,” LaPointe failed to mention that the very people whose jobs it is report on such a thing — an investigative climate journalist — was refused entry into their conference.
What does it tell us about an industry that bars journalists from its gatherings? What are they hiding? Perhaps how fracking increases risks of asthma, birth defects and cancer? Or how massive amounts of radioactive waste are brought to the surface by oil and gas wells?
Speaking of what we are bringing out of the ground, talk about ignoring obvious dilemmas and conflicts. Again, maybe LaPointe hasn’t noticed the weather this summer, thinking that the LNG industry can continue to grow and expand. But now we are told to be very careful how we use our precious water. So, guess what else the LNG industry brings out of the ground as it fracks: water, made toxic. In 2021, 5.2 billion litres was poisoned. Think of that next time you are told not to water your flowers too much.
Exactly why is industry frantically intent on extracting gas, oil, and coal from the ground, all the while ignoring the energy above ground? The sun, wind, and tides, and investment into research and greener energy technologies?
LaPointe concludes, “our team seems ambivalent and in denial.” More than you know, Kirk. More than you know.
Elijah Dann
Adjunct professor of philosophy at SFU
Squamish
