The following letter to the editor regarding the Enbridge Gas expansion was submitted by Climate Action 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.
33 Ontario municipalities, including Bracebridge, have called for the phase-out of gas power in Ontario. Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the world that new investments being made in coal, oil and gas were “delusional” given their impact on climate change.
“Nothing could be more clear or present than the danger of fossil fuel expansion,” Guterres told the Major Economies Forum last month.
If you have concerns about this expansion in our riding, CAM urges you to submit your comments to the Hidden Valley Community Expansion Project Virtual Open House questionnaire by July 8, 2022. Your comments will be sent to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) as part of the Environmental Assessment Report on the project. See information about the project here.
Are these the same crowd that wasted a million of our tax dollars fighting the Bala Falls HYDROELECTRIC project? And everyone knows hydro is the greenest power, since it produces 24/7.
You can’t have it both ways, folks!
There are so many uninformed delusional people out there it sometimes gets discouraging. Natural gas is one of the cleanest means available for providing electrical power, heating homes, cooking etc. Maybe in 20-30 years solar and wind power will be able to provide more of our daily needs, but currently it cannot. There is potential in hydrogen power, but it will take many more years of experimental development before it could become a practical reality. Especially in northern regions, those living there will freeze, literally, depending on so called green technology. Even if efficiencies in power production keep increasing with solar/wind, batteries cannot store sufficient power safely to make them practical, fact. Batteries currently being produced create the dirtiest pollution imaginable, never mind what we do with them once their life span is reached. Read what is happening in Europe. Due to cutting back gas imports from pressure from the US they have had to restart up coal plants and are beginning to push nuclear energy, just so they can keep the lights on. We have the gas, lots and lots of it, it is clean, efficient, and available. Delusional, totally delusional what is happening!
And yes David, hydroelectric power is ideal when the geography and population (displacement) allows.