{"id":14390,"date":"2020-10-11T14:35:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-11T18:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=14390"},"modified":"2020-10-11T15:02:47","modified_gmt":"2020-10-11T19:02:47","slug":"election-2020-should-bc-keep-giving-fossil-fuel-companies-subsides-and-tax-credits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/election-2020-should-bc-keep-giving-fossil-fuel-companies-subsides-and-tax-credits\/","title":{"rendered":"Election 2020: Should BC keep giving fossil fuel companies subsides and tax credits?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roy L Hales<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the absence of major action to reduce emissions, global temperature is on track to rise by an average of 6\u00a0<\/em>\u00b0<\/em><\/strong>C (10.8\u00a0<\/em>\u00b0<\/em><\/strong>F), according to the latest estimates. Some scientists argue a \u201cglobal disaster\u201d is already unfolding at the poles of the planet; the Arctic, for example, may be ice-free at the end of the summer melt season within just a few years. Yet other experts are concerned about Earth passing one or more \u201ctipping points\u201d \u2013 abrupt, perhaps irreversible changes that tip our climate into a new state. But it may not be too late to avoid or limit some of the worst effects of climate change.\u201d \u2013\u00a0NASA<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Many scientists believe we have\u00a0seven years<\/a>\u00a0to avert the worst ravages of the impending\u00a0Climate Crisis<\/a>. Even if they are wrong,\u00a0it is clear that British Columbia must transition to cleaner energy sources. Should the\u00a0BC government continue to pay out\u00a0close to $1 billion a year in fossil fuel subsidies and tax cuts<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Advanced Education in Premier Christy Clark\u2019s administration, visiting the University of the Fraser Valley\u2019s Abbotsford campus in 2015 \u2013 courtesy University of the Fraser Valley<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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BC Liberals response<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0BC Liberals<\/a>\u00a0directed me to their website, where it says, \u201cA BC Liberal government led by Andrew Wilkinson will support building the Trans Mountain pipeline<\/a>\u00a0to provide you with a secure, affordable, and reliable fuel supply.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: Pipelines by Ted Potters via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)<\/p><\/div>\n

LNG<\/a>\u00a0is about 90% methane, which\u00a0Environment and Climate Change Canada admits<\/a>\u00a0\u201ctraps more than 70 times more heat over a 20-year period than the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.\u201d<\/p>\n

However the BC Liberals claim that, \u201cOur natural resources like LNG are part of the solution<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 not the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

NDP position on LNG<\/h2>\n

The NDP also propose to develop LNG, but promise<\/a>\u00a0to\u201creduce\u00a0methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations<\/a>\u00a0by 45%.\u201d They also propose to use some carbon tax revenues for \u201cincentives for cleaner operations and projects that will reduce emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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An LNG tanker courtesy Ron Gilbert via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What the (Clark) Liberals didn\u2019t do<\/h2>\n

NDP candidate\u00a0Michele Babchuk<\/a>\u00a0contrasted other aspects of their climate policy with that of the BC Liberals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no argument that the climate crisis is the global challenge of our time. We see more and more fires and natural disasters and we owe it to future generations to do our part,\u201d she began.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BC Liberals convened a\u00a0Climate Leadership panel<\/a>, then ignored nearly all of their recommendations. They abandoned action on climate pollution and gave up meeting climate targets. They had no plan to increase carbon pricing rebates for people as a federally mandated carbon pricing increase.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t let the BC Liberals set us back again.\u201d<\/p>\n

CleanBC<\/h2>\n

\u201cLet me tell you, John Horgan\u2019s\u00a0CleanBC<\/a>\u00a0strategy is the most ambitious climate plan on the continent. Developed with\u00a0Dr Andrew Weaver<\/a>\u00a0and passed as the\u00a0Climate Accountability Act<\/a>, to legally require government on emissions targets:<\/p>\n