Editor:
I’ve got children and three young grandchildren here on the Sunshine Coast. I’ve become increasingly concerned about the huge gap between the political action needed to avoid runaway climate change, which jeopardizes their future, and the results of government actions to date. I decided to check out the truth of how well B.C. is doing under the past and our current provincial governments. This is a summary that ChatGPT came up with. I think it’s worth publicly noting:
ChatGPT: On BC’s GHG emission record and its role in fueling global warming: B.C. has pledged to cut GHGs 40% below 2007 levels by 2030 and 80% by 2050. But as of 2021, emissions were still 64.6 Mt CO2e — almost identical to 2007 levels (data from Canada’s National Inventory Report for BC, which is what Canada sends to the UN). B.C. has missed every interim milestone since 2010.
ChatGPT: The key reasons for failure are:
Transportation, gas extraction and LNG are growing sources of emissions.
Weak enforcement of targets and insufficient carbon pricing.
Continued expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure (e.g., LNG Canada, Coastal GasLink).
ChatGPT: B.C.’s hidden emissions are its fossil fuel exports. B.C. exports coal and natural gas whose combustion abroad creates approximately 300 Mt CO2e annually —over 4x B.C.’s domestic emissions. These exported emissions (Tier 3 / Scope 3) are not counted in B.C.’s official GHG inventory — but they still drive global warming.
ChatGPT: The conclusion is that B.C. is missing its climate targets while massively contributing to global emissions through fossil fuel exports. Its real climate impact is far greater than what’s reported. True leadership means reducing both domestic emissions and the supply of fossil fuels exported abroad.
It’s clear from this information that provincial governments have not taken global warming seriously enough. Scientists are telling us time is rapidly running out. I beg our government to ramp up actions that will concretely reduce GHGs, clearly decide there’ll be no more fossil fuel pipelines and, instead, invest even more than they have to date in renewable energy and energy conservation.
Cheers,
Paul George OBC
Gibsons
