Natural gas is natural, and the safe and responsible development of natural gas benefits Canadian workers and the environment.
Global energy demand will increase dramatically in the coming years. Why would Canada not use its world-leading expertise to ensure that the energy demand is met in a responsible way?
Natural gas currently employs 250,000 Canadians in every province and is expected to help 650,000 workers put food on their tables by 2035. Shouldn’t we be supporting these Canadian workers?
Counter-Point It is common consensus that a methane leakage under 3.2% still maintains a climate benefit over coal. Estimated leakage rates are between 1.2% – 2.3%
Dr. Robert Horwath has been discredited multiple times for his studies on natural gas, as this recent study shows and explains “there is no large increase of total methane emissions in the United States in the past decade”
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.
Canadian natural gas industry has consistently reduced flaring of methane due to technology advances. They’ve reduced flaring by over 63% in Alberta alone!
https://www.canadasnaturalgas.
Technological developments like Canada’s Advanced Methane Detection, Analytics and Mitigation Project are slated to reduce Canada’s leakage by 45% while continuing to provide reliable energy from Canadian hydrocarbons.
https://www.ptac.org/advanced-
Counterpoint: According to the Impact Assessement, GNL Quebec is expected to save 28 million tonnes of GHGs worldwide every year bringing more responsibly produced western Canadian natural gas to the world.
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p80115/129690E.pdf
Like British Columbia, GNL Quebec will use 100% hydroelectricity to produce more best in the world Canadian LNG.
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-gas-in-todays-energy-transitions
This direct quote from the Canada Health Guidelines is consistent with independent research that says modern gas stoves with proper ventilation are safe. It is interesting to note that faulty wiring is the number one cause of household fires.
“Data from Canadian indoor air studies indicate that the concentration of NO2in most electric stove homes will rarely exceed this level and that this concentration is also attainable in gas stove homes when adequate stovetop ventilation is used.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/residential-indoor-air-quality-guideline-nitrogen-dioxide.html
Despite headline-grabbing claims that gas stove use can increase the risk of respiratory issues such as asthma, this independent study found that most studies have been inconclusive for both children and adults and not found there is increased risk.
https://thorax.bmj.com/content/57/11/9
According to this independent study done by environmental consulting company Mantle 314, projects like Woodfibre LNG could decrease global emissions enough to take 700,000 cars off the road or 76 years worth of Squamish’s emissions per year.
https://woodfibrelng.ca/about-woodfibre/sustainability/ghg-emissions-impact/
Title: A Changing Tide: British Columbia’s Emerging Liquefied Natural Gas Industry Author: Len Coad, Daniel Munro, Prince Owusu, & Allison Robins Publisher: The Conference Board of Canada. Date: February 29, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: A Changing Tide: British Columbia’s Emerging Liquefied Natural Gas Industry quantifies the potential economic and labour market impacts associated with
Title: Quantifying methane emissions from natural gas production in north-eastern Pennsylvania Author: Barkley, Lauvaux, Davis, Deng et al. Publisher: Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. Date: November 2017 Full Study Here Summary: Using the model optimization approach, the weighted mean emission rate from unconventional natural gas production and gathering facilities in
Title: Gas Opportunities for Atlantic Canada Author: Andrew Pickford Publisher: Atlantic Institute for Market Studies Date: February 2016 Full Text Article Summary: The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) has produced a report on the potential for Atlantic Canada to capitalize on the golden age of gas. The report, authored by Andrew Pickford, examines
Title: LNG and Coal Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Author: Pace Global Date: October 2015 Full Text Article Summary: This report highlight important differences between the emissions generated from LNG and coal for power generation, namely that: Existing coal technology for the five LNG export markets analyzed in this study was found
Title: Safety First: Intermodal Safety for Oil and Gas Transportation Author: Kenneth P. Green & Taylor Jackson Publisher: Fraser Institute Date: 2017 Full Text Article Summary: A contentious road lies ahead for the construction of three recently approved oil pipelines (Trans Mountain, Line 3, and Keystone XL). Given continued opposition to oil and gas
Title: An International Comparison of Leading Oil and Gas Producing Regions Author: WorleyParsons Date: January 2014 Full Text Article Summary: The purpose of this study was to compare Alberta, Canada with other locations around the world in terms of their environmental policies, laws and regulatory systems. Other locations that were compared with Alberta
Title: Evaluating Energy in the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Initiative: The “De Facto” Ban on Natural Gas Author: Karen Graham Publisher: Resource Works Date: September 2017 Full Text Article Summary: The author finds that there is a “de facto” ban on natural gas being imposed under the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Initiative.
Title: Safety First: Intermodal Safety for Oil and Gas Transportation Author: Kenneth P. Green & Taylor Jackson Publisher: Fraser Institute Date: 2017 Full Text Article Summary: A contentious road lies ahead for the construction of three recently approved oil pipelines (Trans Mountain, Line 3, and Keystone XL). Given continued opposition to oil and gas
Title: Clearing the Air: How Canadian LNG Exports Could Help Meet World Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals Author: James W. Coleman and Sarah Marie Jordaan Publisher: C.D. Howe Institute Date: August 24, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: With a glut of natural gas in North America, Canada’s natural gas sector is looking to reach new
Title: LNG: CANADA’S GLOBAL MARKET OPPORTUNITY Author: JWN, Evaluate Energy, Daily Oil Bulletin Publisher: JWN Date: August 23rd – 2019 Full Text Article Summary: This report examines how Canadian gas supplies — delivered to worldwide markets through LNG export terminals on theWest Coast and the East Coast — can help
Title: Health and Well-ness: Analysis of Key Public Health Indicators in Six of the Most Heavily Drilled Marcellus Shale Counties in Pennsylvania Author: Susan E. Mickley, MPH Freelance Health Research Consultant Lehigh Valley Publisher: Energy In-Depth Date: December 2017 Full Text Article Summary: Summary: This report reviews mortality rates by selected major causes of
Title: Natural Gas Author: First Nations LNG Alliance Publisher: First Nations LNG Alliance Date: May 2018 Full Text Article Summary: -If we compare wood, coal, diesel and natural gas, natural gas has the highest energy density.
Title: The Relative GHG Emissions of Conventional and Shale Gas Production Author: Trevor Stephenson, Jose Eduardo Valle, & Xavier Riera-Palou (2011). Publisher: Environmental Science & Technology Date: 2011 Full Text Article Summary: Recent reports show growing reserves of unconventional gas are available and that there is an appetite from policy makers, industry, and others to better
Title: Clearing the Air: How Canadian LNG Exports Could Help Meet World Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals Author: James W. Coleman and Sarah Marie Jordaan Publisher: C.D. Howe Institute Date: August 24, 2016 Full Text Article Summary: With a glut of natural gas in North America, Canada’s natural gas sector is looking to reach new
Title: The Role of Natural Gas in Powering Canada’s Economy Author: Pedro Antunes, Len Coad, and Alicia Macdonald Publisher: Conference Board of Canada Date: December 17, 2012 Full Text Article Summary: Demand for Canadian natural gas will double between 2012 and 2035, driven by production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Asian export markets and
