by Deborah Carr
President, New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance
There are few people in public service who hold my respect as much as Dr. Eilish Cleary, our former Chief Medical Health Officer. To say I’m shocked and saddened at her death is an understatement. We had some wonderful conversations. She was one of my heroes.
Commentary by Jim Emberger; Telegraph Journal, Daily Gleaner, Times Transcript | March 11, 202
In a recent commentary in the Telegraph Journal, the Fraser Institute’s Alex Whalen suggested that the recent merger of gas company Chesapeake Energy and SWN could be a sign that New Brunswick should reconsider its moratorium on shale gas. He touted its economic potential.
That same day Reuters’ news reported: “Chesapeake Energy announced plans to cut production by 30 per cent in 2024 in response to a market that is “clearly oversupplied”. Chesapeake, which will become the country’s largest gas supplier after its merger with Southwestern Energy, is following others, including Comstock, Antero and EQT, announcing cuts to drilling or production plans.”
[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.
In the fall of 2023, the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance responded to a call for comments on a draft of the Federal Government’s Clean Electricity Regulations. The following is our submission:
It has been a summer of: record hot temperatures (and a winter of record high temperatures in the global south), record droughts, record forest fires, record heat waves, record rainfall and flooding, ocean heat waves, and record hurricanes and storms. These records have not been simply broken, but shattered, and occurred on every continent.
Once again we had water crises of major rivers and the Panama Canal being too low to support normal commercial traffic, or to cool nuclear plants. Glaciers melting in Switzerland, the Andes, the Himalayas and more, affected tourism, agriculture and caused floods and landslides.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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.
Jim Emberger | Commentary | TJ.news | 24 April 2023
(Short form ‘Letter to the Editor’ follows)
Premier Higgs likes to project the image of an experienced business leader, but his current effort to resurrect shale gas reveals that he more closely embodies his other reputation as a, “Data, my ass,” decision maker.
There is unequivocal data in the latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change, which shows that we cannot develop any new fossil fuel source if we hope to escape the dire consequences of a warming climate. This data was researched by virtually the entire global community of climate scientists and institutions.
Premier Higgs is pressuring Wolastoqey and Mi’kmaw leaders in NB to allow fracking by threatening to withhold funding, and promising future, speculative funding derived from fracking in the province, and NBASGA is seeking signatories to a Solidarity Statement calling for the government of New Brunswick to cease attempts to coerce consent to fracking in traditional and unceded territories of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq people in the province.
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.
Only a few weeks ago, we were decrying the fact that even now, in the year of its 10th anniversary, the RCMP raid at Elsipogtog remained an open wound for the community, and for all allies of the shale gas movement who fought for justice and resolution.
Now, we regret to share the passing of one of the most recognizable figures of that time, Warrior Chief John Levi of Elsipogtog First Nation.