Right now the Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and the Federal Cabinet are considering a controversial oil and gas development off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador - Equinor’s Bay du Nord project. This is this government's first real test as to whether they are taking climate change seriously.
This project is in direct contradiction to global, national, and provincial climate targets and represents a doubling down of investment in the fossil fuel industry at a time when we need to be moving to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency instead. It also comes after a flawed environmental assessment process and findings from the DFO that Equinor’s environmental claims included ‘bias’ and ‘inappropriate conclusions.’
Oil production does not have a long term economic future and we need to invest in building NL’s green economy before it is too late, not heavily subsidizing a new fossil fuel project. The political will for change is more than present, but it needs your support.
Please take a moment to send your message to call upon our Environment Minister, Cabinet, and our Prime Minister to reject the Bay Du Nord project.
Letter:
Dear Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Federal Cabinet Members,
I, along with the following organizations, call upon you to reject the Bay du Nord project.
The Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)
The Bay St. George Climate Action Network (NL)
The Sierra Club Canada Foundation
Your cabinet has committed to new climate goals and supporting a just transition. Canada has signed on to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 and stop subsidies to fossil fuels in the next two years. Canada has also committed to protecting marine ecosystems and taking leadership in ocean conservation.
Equinor’s Bay du Nord project is in direct contradiction to our national climate targets and represents a doubling down of investment in the fossil fuel industry at a time when we need to be moving to renewable energy sources instead. It also comes after a flawed environmental assessment process and findings from the DFO (1) that Equinor’s environmental claims included ‘bias’ and ‘inappropriate conclusions.’
The assessment ignored many concerns about the project - which in addition to climate impacts, will involve deepest production wells drilled in Canada, 500 kilometers from St. John’s beyond the 200-mile limit. A blowout at the wellhead at this location could affect fishing grounds and international waters and - according to Equinor’s own estimates - would take 18-36 days to cap. Meanwhile, the estimated 300 million barrels of oil produced by the project has now ballooned to a possible 1 Billion barrels of oil - oil that will fuel the growing climate emergency.
The climate math is simple - we cannot develop these reserves of fossil fuels and meet global climate targets and doing so is a bad economic investment for Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Oil production does not have a long term economic future and we need to invest in building NL’s green economy before it is too late, not heavily subsidizing a new fossil fuel project. The political will for change (2,3) is more than present, but it needs your support.
Sincerely,
Sources:
1. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/01/26/news/dfo-finds-bias-inapprop...
2. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/friday-climate-chan...
3. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/newfoundland-and-labrador-...