Update August 15, 2023 – Enbridge relied on faulty study to pitch Ontario gas network expansion
By John Woodside – National Observer
A key study used by Enbridge in its application to expand its Ontario gas network erroneously inflated the cost of switching from gas to electricity to heat buildings by billions of dollars.
Enbridge is currently in hearings before the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) seeking approval for a customer rate hike to fund a massive gas network of new pipes across the province. – read the story here
Open Submission to Hidden Valley Gas Expansion Project
July 5, 2022
Muskoka – Enbridge Gas Inc is preparing a major gas pipeline expansion in the Hidden Valley area of Huntsville. As one of the ‘interested and potentially affected parties” and as a “stakeholder” in the future, Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) is compelled to respond to this expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in Muskoka.
“Since the climate impacts of this gas expansion are not being considered, Enbridge Gas’ statement that it is ‘protecting the health and safety of all individuals affected by our activities’ comes across as hollow greenwashing,” says CAM spokesperson, Sue McKenzie. – more
Does Ontario need
NEW Gas Plants?
According to the IESO’s 2021 Annual Planning Outlook, Ontario’s
gas plants will be responsible for 19% of our electricity generation in 2030 and 25% of our
electricity generation in 2040. As a result, our gas plants’ greenhouse gas pollution will rise by
375% by 2030 and by more than 600% by 2040 relative to 2017. If this occurs Ontario will lose
almost half of the pollution reduction benefits that it achieved by phasing-out its dirty coal plants.
Ontario can move to a
100% renewable electricity
future in three simple steps:
Phase out polluting gas power
Get back to using energy efficiently
Restart our renewable energy efforts
One in eight cases of asthma in US kids caused by gas stove pollution: Study
Jan 6, 2023 – the Guardian
About one in eight cases of asthma in children in the US is due to the pollution given off by cooking on gas stoves, new research has found. Around a third of US households have gas stoves in their kitchens, with the gas industry long touting the method as the cleanest and most efficient way to cook food.
However, research has repeatedly found the emission of toxic chemicals and carcinogens from gas stoves, even when turned off, is creating a miasma of indoor pollution that can be several times worse than the pollution experienced outdoors from car traffic and heavy industry. Read article.
Methane reduction is vital to achieving a 1.5C future
Oct 14, 2022 – The Guardian
Methane comes from many places, with less than half from natural sources such as wetlands and the rest from human activities: mainly agriculture, oil and gas production and landfill sites.
Fossil fuel emissions are the easiest to curb yet plans to expand the sector are in the pipeline
Energy Transition
Hosted by the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (OCEC), this webinar lays out the route to an energy transition without fossil fuels, and it will leave you feeling hopeful. If you are short on time, be sure to catch the segment presented by Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson, in which he explains that we already have everything we need to make the transition. His portion runs from 0h:17m to 1h:01m. The webinar is 1h:46m in total and is available on demand.
Update – June 25, 2023 Mark recently testified at the young people v. Montana historic climate trial.