more than 60 per cent of british columbians support lng expansion: poll
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nearly two-thirds of british columbians support the development of more lng export facilities in the province, according to a new poll.
the poll found 62 per cent of british columbians were in favour of adding more lng facilities in b.c., while 19 per cent of respondents were opposed. another 19 per cent didn’t know.
the b.c. energy survey poll was conducted by ipsos for the energy futures institute, a think-tank.
“i think the economic threat people feel from president donald trump has made them sit up and pay attention to, ‘what other options do we have?’ ” said barry penner, chairman of the institute.
“british columbians are familiar with natural gas. many of them use it every day in their homes for heating, for space heating, for water heating, and many people use it for cooking,” penner said.
the results come on the heels of an announcement last week from the federal government that kitimat’s lng export facility would be included as part of ottawa’s efforts to fast-track several “nation-building” projects.
the completion of the phase 2 expansion of the kitimat facility would double lng canada’s production capacity and make it the second-largest liquefied natural gas facility of its kind in the world, prime minister mark carney said when announcing federal support for the project.
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“this will directly help transform our country into an energy superpower,” carney said at the time.
advocacy groups, environmentalists and some indigenous leaders are less enthusiastic.
“lng canada is not only a massive source of greenhouse-gas emissions but also drives destructive fracking, further threatening our lands, waters and communities — emissions do not recognize territorial boundaries,” grand chief stewart phillip, president of the union of b.c. indian chiefs, said in a statement when the project was announced.
“in a region already strained by doctor shortages and limited resources, lng expansion will lead to ever-mounting health impacts, pushing our ability to care for patients past the breaking point,” sally harvie, a radiologist in smithers, said in a statement released by the canadian association of physicians for the environment.
penner acknowledged pushback from indigenous leaders but stressed that it wasn’t unanimous.
“while it’s true some indigenous voices have expressed opposition to natural gas development, all the major projects have strong support from first nations, including those that are most closely located to the projects,” he said.
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support for more lng facilities was highest outside of metro vancouver and vancouver island and lowest on the island, where 53 per cent of respondents were in favour and 28 per cent opposed. support was also split by gender and age, with three-quarters of men supporting lng expansion but only half of women.
the poll also showed just over half of british columbians support delaying the timelines for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the province, with 54 per cent in favour and 31 per cent opposed.
b.c.’s current targets include a 16 per cent reduction from 2007 levels by 2025 and a 40 per cent reduction by 2030. the province is likely to miss these targets, according to b.c.’s latest climate change accountability report.
nearly two-thirds of british columbians also want to be able to choose between natural gas and electric heat, the survey found.
the findings come as the province is considering new rules on the use of natural gas in new homes. several municipalities have already banned or restricted natural gas in new buildings.
the survey sampled 801 british columbians between july 31 and aug. 6. accuracy was measured using a credibility interval and is considered accurate within four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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