Premier Horgan and Honourable Ministers,
As concerned health professionals and residents across Canada, we are asking you to take the necessary steps to end hydraulic fracturing within British Columbia due to its harms to human health and our climate.
Hydraulic fracturing in the Peace region of northeast BC generates the vast majority of natural gas within our province. During the extraction and transportation processes, fracking and its infrastructure pollute the air, land and water in the Peace region, use vast quantities of freshwater, overtake BC’s valuable farmland and harm the health of families, farmers and Indigenous peoples locally and downstream. Research and local reports from physicians link increased rates of cancer, lung disease and negative pregnancy outcomes to nearby fracking; doctors, professionals and their families are moving away from the region due to concerns about the health risks.
In addition to its health harms, natural gas industry contributes substantially to global heating through leakage of methane—which has 86 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period—across the supply chain. This is why scientists say controlling methane is one of the most effective options for reducing global heating today.
Canada has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while BC has committed to reducing its emissions by 40% by 2030, and promised to achieve net-zero by 2050. If BC continues to support and subsidize the LNG industry, it will be virtually impossible for us to meet our 2050 targets.
The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report has made it devastatingly clear: If we do not rapidly reduce our emissions now, every child born today will face a world over 4°C warmer within their lifetime, causing severe heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires, spread of infectious diseases and mass migration. We see these effects in real time in the recent deadly heat dome that killed 570 British Columbians, and year after year of massively disruptive wildfires.
BC needs to take action now to protect the health of its residents. Investments in fracking and LNG have no place in a clean BC or a warming climate.
We recommend:
- A moratorium on fracking expansion. Because natural gas extraction harms the health of people living near fracking wells and intensifies the climate crisis, the BC government should stop all new fracking development.
- A just transition for workers. Support should be provided to workers and Indigenous communities impacted by LNG production to transition to a clean-energy economy, including financial support for retraining, and a guarantee of good, zero emissions jobs.
- Investments in zero-emissions buildings. Natural gas hook-ups should be banned in all new buildings by 2023, with buildings in the north given until 2025 to comply. Investments should be made in retraining programs for workers to build affordable zero-emissions buildings, and retrofitting all existing buildings for zero emissions.
- Ending fossil fuel subsidies. The provincial government should end all fossil fuel subsidies as defined by the World Trade Organization, including direct spending, tax breaks, transfer of risk, and public finance.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment invite the Government of British Columbia to take a decisive stance on human health and climate pollution reduction by ensuring that the necessary steps are taken to end fracking within BC.
Sincerely,
Individual Signatories
Emily Kantymir, nurse
Stephen Tyler, community member
Margaret Stegman, community member
Carrie Thurston, community member
Nancy Cody, nurse
Kate Logan, community member
Kat Brechtel, community member
Kaitlyn Philip, community member
Jocelyn Withell, nurse
Eli Masi, community member
PAULETTE CAILLE, community member
Tanelle Smith, community member
Angela Raber, community member
Kelly Luu, physician
Julie-Anne Le Gras, community member
Bronwen Brice, community member
Evan Brice, community member
Vic Brice, allied health professional
Mark Miller, community member
Rebekah Adams-Brush, community member
Joyce Green, community member
rob dainow, community member
Karen Crosby, community member
Ray Andrews, community member
Cristina Garofalo, community member
Joseph Keilty, nurse
Jos Anderson, physician
Robyn Newton, community member
Sylvia Krogh, community member
Laura Smith, nurse
Hsuan Tsui, community member
Tara Bryan, allied health professional
Hannelore Pinder, community member
Mary Williamson, community member
Janis Gilbert, community member
Mr. Rafe Sunshine, community member
Sebastien Hade-Hetu, physician
Jane Devonshire, community member
Diane Mayhew, community member
Charlie Richmond, community member
Laurence Gough, community member
Judith Stapleton, community member
Lynn Taylor, community member
Jim Beattie, community member
Andrée-Anne Cromp, physician
Erica Scott, community member
Candie Tanaka, community member
Fran Steacy, community member
T. CARROLL, community member
Nelson Ames, physician
Marilyn Miller, community member
Patti Powell, community member
Mandana Kaviani, physician
Margaret Komar, nurse
Marilyn Armstrong, community member
Teresa Brandvold, community member
Jeanne Montemurro, community member
Elaine Wilson, community member
Rodica Janz, physician
Gurpreet Salh, physician
Annie Lalande, physician
John Whistler, community member
Katie Archer, nurse
Patricia Irvine, community member
Kara Flannigan, allied health professional
John Curry, community member
David Beringer, community member
Grady Mydlak, community member
Jodie Brown, physician
Colin Stuart, community member
Terri Watts, community member
Kathie Woodley, community member
carmen williams, allied health professional
Tom Cullen, community member
De-Ann Sheppard, nurse
Dalia Margalit-Faircloth, community member
Katrina Verschoor, nurse
Lauren Galbraith, physician
Jane Heyman, community member
Vicky Simlik, community member
Mary Lynn Lewis, community member
Jill Alston, physician
Michael Abrosimoff, community member
Laura Sacks, community member
Rose-Marie Roy, nurse
Michael Jessen, community member
Edward Cooper, community member
Brianna McKelvie, physician
Mary Adlersberg, nurse
Claude Tani, community member
Hannah Young, physician
Pat Fleming, community member
Mimmi Thompson, physician
Katie Wiwchar, community member
Judy O’Leary, community member
William Willson, community member
W.Ronald Moore, community member
Helen Sturdy, community member
Gwen Chute, community member
Alison Power, physician
Parween Irani, community member
Dr. Megan ApSimon, physician
Judith Fearing, nurse
Melissa Bota, physician
Caroline Turner, physician
Amelia Stegeman, physician
Alyson McCabe, physician
Sharon Cross, community member
David Bowering, physician
Corinne Coulter, physician
Leanne Hewitson, physician
Philip Brown, community member
Roland Alcock, community member
Sandra Hartline, community member
Trevor Hancock, physician
Mary Donald, nurse
Carl Graves, physician
Hank Hackett, community member
P’nina; Shames, community member
Michael Gilfillan, community member
June Kaminski, nurse
Carol W, community member
Austin Heffernan, community member
Lesley Johnson, community member
Ann Remnant, community member
Jonathan Kerr, physician
Judith Rithaler, community member
Bob Dean, community member
Valerie Wright, community member
Rachel Grimminck, physician
Kate Lawes, community member
Jan Fenby, community member
Sharon Johnson, community member
Gail Curry, community member
Wayne Spencer, community member
John Cashore, community member
Lynn Daoust, community member
Josef A Kuhn, community member
Jack Stevens, community member
Sophia Bianchi, physician
Tara Brown, community member
Caroline Collier, community member
Jon Carrodus, community member
David Mills, community member
Jack Anderson, community member
Sue Cairns, community member
Emily Rice, physician
Laurie Steele, nurse
Michael McCabe, community member
Alexis Kellum-Creer, community member
Tim Larsen, community member
Kathy Hartman, allied health professional
Diana van Eyk, community member
SUSAN EYRE, community member
Edna Coy, community member
Mairy Beam, community member
Marg Milburn, nurse
Peter van der Velden, community member
Deborah Curry, physician
Philip Symons, community member
Barbara Berger, community member
Mary Taitt, community member
Raelynn Gibson, nurse
Annie Lalande, physician
Rachael Thorlakson, nurse
Lori Adamson, physician
Laurie Harding, nurse
Melissa Shah, physician
Gareth Harding, community member
Samantha Green, physician
Eugenie Waters, physician
Olya Keenan, physician
Caroline Mariano, physician
Katharine Coster, community member
Aisling Quinn, physician
Douglas Massey, community member
Claire Kraatz, community member
Maura Brown, physician
Barbara Lynn Kobierski, physician
Marilyn Atkey, community member
Jessica Madrid, nurse
Margaret McGregor, physician
Lawrence Colero, community member
Karl Perrin, allied health professional
Jacqueline Williams, community member
Christine Johnston, allied health professional
Erica Frank, physician
Mary-Wynne Ashford, physician
Guy Dauncey, community member
Amy Klepetar, nurse
Janet Ray, physician
Chad Lund, physician
Carl Graves, physician
Alicia Gregory, nurse
Betty Tate, nurse
Nadine Clarke, nurse
Carol Brown, community member
Kerry Marshall, community member
Kyle Merritt, physician
Wanda Martin, nurse
Diane Brown, community member
Rosemary Cornell, community member
Cindy Cashin, community member
Fiona Hanley, nurse
Melissa Vyvey, physician
Melody Mason, community member
Dianne Crosbie, allied health professional
Dale Norman, community member
Cynthia Lam, community member
Marianne Rev, physician
Lynn Armstrong, community member
Naomi Miller, physician
Susan Ellard, physician
Jocelyn Skrlac, community member
Jessica Chan, physician
Amy Rudkoski, physician
Edmond Chan, physician
Sue Kirschmann, community member
Errol Prasad, physician
Sharon Page, community member
Krista Vander Griend, community member
Hillary Quinn, physician
sylvie Argouarch, physician
Dale Nicoll, physician
Emma Noble, physician
Jennifer Whyte, physician
Alysha Jones, nurse
Lucila Nerenberg, physician
Kristen Korol, physician
Karen Skripitsky, nurse
Janet Ray, physician
Sophia Bianchi, physician
Jenna Price, community member
Cher White, community member
PR Brown, community member
Maureen Bailey, community member
Paige Gorsak, community member
Nichelle Cameron, community member
Eleanor Boyle, community member
Patricia McClung, community member