LNG

Science does not support lifting fracking moratorium

Protections put in place should be relaxed only if further findings emerge providing evidence no harm will result

By Jim Emberger – Special to Brunswick News – Published Oct 5, 2024

A recent Narrative Research poll, commissioned by Brunswick News, on lifting the fracking moratorium noted that the second largest group of poll respondents (19 per cent) replied “I don’t know” to the questions.

That likely illustrates that the success of the moratorium. For ten years it has, ironically, removed the shale gas issue from civic and media discussion.

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It’s time: make the fracking moratorium permanent

Commentary by Jim Emberger
Originally published on NB Media Co-op
September 30, 2024

This election marks the tenth anniversary of the 2014 election, when voters turfed the Progressive Conservative government of the day, primarily over the issue of fracking for shale gas. This followed years of New Brunswick’s largest protests, petitions with tens of thousands of signatures, province-wide educational tours, expert witness testimony, peaceful blockades, a citizen lawsuit, and, unfortunately, a violent police raid on peaceful Indigenous protesters.

The new government assembled a non-partisan citizen commission, which took public testimony, and reached conclusions leading the government to declare an indefinite moratorium on fracking.

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Premier’s pursuit of shale gas is perverse

[February 2, 2024, NB Media Co-op Commentary by Jim Emberger]

Premier Blaine Higgs’ continuing desire to exploit shale gas and LNG can only be described as “perverse,” which the dictionary defines as “showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.” Higgs referenced LNG development during his State of the Province address on Jan. 25.

“We have so many advantages with our direct access to the U.S. and international markets along with our rich natural resources including wind, minerals, water, forestry, and natural gas,” he said. “That’s where I believe we have a tremendous opportunity to punch above our weight and really impact global emissions.”

His obstinate, decade-long pursuit of shale gas, can reasonably be called obsessive. It begins with his continuing promotion of gas even after citizens voted out the Alward government, which ran on the issue.

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47 groups call on New Brunswick government to turn page on fracking, focus on building healthier, affordable, sustainable electricity system

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Le français suit]

May 8, 2023

Traditional territory of the Wabanaki Peoples/Fredericton — Yesterday, a solidarity statement was sent to every MLA in New Brunswick, calling for the government to immediately halt its drive to bring a shale gas industry to the province.

The statement, from the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, the Sierra Club Atlantic Region, and the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance (NBASGA), was accompanied by the endorsements of 44 organizations from across the province, nation and world.

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Time for realistic N.B. plans for economic, environmental benefits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Le français suit]

Traditional territory of the Wabanaki Peoples/Fredericton — The Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB) and the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance issued the following statement with respect to Repsol SA’s announcement that there is no business case for building an export liquefied natural gas plant at the Saint John LNG location.

Premier Blaine Higgs pushed a private-sector company, Repsol, to convert its Saint John LNG (liquefied natural gas) import terminal into an export terminal for energy security, economic development and energy transition. The company now says, after completing a feasibility study, that there is no business case.

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Court of Appeal ruling marks major victory for access to environmental justice in Nova Scotia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Court grants public interest standing to environmental groups in case related to Goldboro LNG

HALIFAX/ TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE MI’KMAQ PEOPLE – Environmental groups are celebrating a decision released yesterday by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal they say will help safeguard access to justice in environmental cases in the province. The ruling overturns a decision by a lower court that denied Ecology Action Centre and the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance (NBASGA), represented by Ecojustice, public interest standing to challenge the provincial Minister of Environment and Climate Change’s approval of a highway realignment central to the proposed Goldboro LNG (liquified natural gas) project.

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LNG export terminal would carry great risks

Saint John LNG Jetty, photo Kâté Braydon, Environmental Defense Canada

Opinion by Jim Emberger | Telegraph Journal, August 13, 2022

Editor’s Note: As part of our In-Depth series, we invited a proponent and an opponent of the LNG export terminal in Saint John to make their case. Below is Jim Emberger’s argument against the project. Read Michelle Robichaud’s piece here.

The economic and climate costs of developing an LNG export facility in Saint John are real and significant. Benefits, if any, will come at great risk.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently stated, “Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.”

He was summing up the warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, and climate scientists everywhere. Developing new fossil fuel projects will hinder any chance of meeting the climate targets necessary to save the world from dire consequences.

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Stop the Gas

Environmental organizations representing millions of Canadians call on the federal government to reject new East Coast LNG export facilities due to climate-wrecking emissions and risks of stranded assets 

[Le français suit]

Halifax, NS – Ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Canada to discuss a potential  LNG deal, environmental organizations representing millions of Canadians are launching an initiative called StoptheGas to call on the federal government to reject proposals for new East Coast gas export facilities due to climate impacts and economic risks.

“On the world stage, Canadian politicians deliver passionate speeches about climate action, but their words will be revealed as empty promises if the federal government approves new fossil gas infrastructure on the East Coast that will facilitate climate-damaging emissions. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, ‘investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness,” says Kelsey Lane, Climate Policy Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre.

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Stoppons le Gaz

Des organismes environnementaux demandent au gouvernement fédéral de rejeter les projets d’installations d’exportation de GNL sur la côte Est

[English version here]

Montréal (Québec) — À l’approche de la visite du chancelier allemand Olaf Scholz au Canada en août pour discuter d’un accord potentiel sur le gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL), des organismes environnementaux représentant des millions de Canadien(ne)s lancent l’initiative Stoppons le Gaz (https://www.stopthegas.ca/fr) dans laquelle ils demandent au gouvernement fédéral de rejeter tout projet d’exportation de gaz sur la côte Est en raison des risques climatiques et économiques.

« En dépit de ce que veut faire croire l’industrie des énergies fossiles, les projets d’exportation de gaz ne représentent absolument pas une solution à la situation énergétique en Europe causée par la guerre en Ukraine, puisque les besoins énergétiques de l’Europe seront en grande partie résolus des années avant que toute nouvelle infrastructure canadienne de GNL soit opérationnelle », déclare le porte-parole d’Équiterre, Émile Boisseau-Bouvier.

Plusieurs projets sont envisagés dont deux, le projet Goldboro LNG de Pieridae Energy et le projet Saint John LNG de Repsol, qui pourraient entraîner une augmentation des volumes de gaz transitant dans le réseau de Gazoduc TQM qui traverse le sud du Québec.

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Environmental groups appeal public interest standing decision in case related to Goldboro LNG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nova Scotia court denies standing to environmental groups to challenge Minister’s project approval

[Le français suit]

HALIFAX/ TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE MI’KMAQ PEOPLE – Ecojustice, on behalf of our clients, is appealing a recent Court decision which denied our clients public interest standing in a case challenging the Nova Scotia Minister of the Environment and Climate Change’s approval of a highway realignment central to the proposed Goldboro LNG project.

Ecology Action Centre and the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance (NBASGA), represented by Ecojustice, launched a judicial review in July 2021, challenging the approval for the rerouting of Highway 316 in Nova Scotia. The groups raised concerns about the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions the project would enable as well as risks of environmental contamination due to abandoned gold mines in the area.

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