David Suzuki is a world-renowned scientist, broadcaster, activist, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation and author of more than 30 books on ecology (written with files from senior editor Ian Hanington).
We’ve just come out of the hottest year on record — by a lot! Meanwhile, Canada and the U.S. are setting records for oil and gas production, and industry would like to keep it that way.
At COP28, countries finally agreed that coal, oil and gas are fuelling the climate crisis and that we need to “transition” to cleaner energy “in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”
Canada announced it would cap oil and gas industry emissions and impose regulations to reduce methane emissions — and is getting pushback from provincial governments that prioritize industry’s interests.
Some politicians are doing everything they can to attack sensible climate and other environmental policies. Although carbon levies (misleadingly called “taxes”) were initially a conservative idea, they’ve come under attack by politicians who disingenuously blame them for inflation.
The industry itself is particularly brazen. As the Guardian reports, “The American oil lobby has launched an eight-figure media campaign this week promoting the idea that fossil fuels are ‘vital’ to global energy security, alarming climate experts.”
Ads on buses and online tout deadly methane gas (misleadingly called “natural” gas) as a climate solution. As coal and oil — especially dirty, expensive oil from oilsands bitumen — become increasingly difficult to justify, the industry, supported by governments, has latched onto gas to keep its profits rolling in.
They argue that fossil gas, including LNG, which is mostly methane, will be used to displace even dirtier coal, thus lowering emissions. The truth is that methane is far more potent than CO2 over the short term, can harm human health when used in homes and businesses, and costs more than producing energy from wind and solar.
One campaign even urges people in Canada to speak out against climate and public health regulations that would harm industry’s interests. A Desmog investigation found that “Voice for Energy” ads were “paid for by CGA Enterprises, a venture of the Canadian Gas Association.”
In response, a politician based in Ontario, NDP’s natural resources critic Charlie Angus, tabled a private members bill in the House of Commons this month that would ban misleading fossil fuel advertising.
We need to speak louder than the fossil fuel industry and demand urgent action from governments. The climate crisis is becoming increasingly costly and painful and will only get worse until we leave fossil fuels in the ground.
