"Carbon tsunami" led by Enbridge Northern Gateway takes aim at BC

The fossil fuel industry is aggressively pushing for a 700% increase in the amount of climate pollution flowing through BC's economy. Seven times more fossil carbon in just a single decade. As my chart below shows, eighteen fossil fuel mega-projects are currently proposed for BC. Twice as much coal. Ten times more fracked natural gas. Five times more tarsands. The resulting climate impact of this carbon tsunami could exceed 1,200 million tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2) per year. That's more than the climate pollution from all the coal, oil and natural gas burned by over two billion people living in 160 nations today. It is absolutely, jaw-droppingly, immorally, out of control.

All efforts by British Columbians to create a sustainable, climate-safe economy would be obliterated by even a small fraction of this proposed carbon flood.

Currently the provincial economy has 40 tCO2 per British Columbian flowing through it -- in either burned or exported fossil fuels. The carbon tsunami aimed at BC would add up to 270 tCO2 more per person. It would make BC one of the world's climate-dirtiest economies per person. It would dwarf what Albertans are doing next door.

Despite the massive scale and frenzied pace, neither the federal Harper government nor the provincial Clark government has rejected any of these mega-carbon proposals. Every final decision on expanded coal ports has been an approval. Every final decision on liquid natural gas (LNG) projects has been an approval. Every final decision on giant new tarsands pipelines-to-super-tankers projects has been an approval. It's a perfect 100% approval so far for a seven-fold increase in climate pollution in BC's economy in a single decade.