Hey BC Ferries, thanks for hearing us

xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories (VANCOUVER, B.C.) – Stand.earth has given BC Ferries a ‘Thank You’ card for reading the Fracked Ferries report and future-proofing its fleet by turning its back on methane-emitting liquid natural gas (LNG).

BC Ferries has committed that their fleet will be electrified, aligning with leadership around the world that are rejecting fossil fuels for their ferries. 

Methane, a fossil fuel, is the primary constituent in LNG and is responsible for one third of global warming. Over 90% of gas from BC is from fracking. Fracking contaminates vast amounts of BC freshwater in an already water-stressed region and harms public health.

“B.C.’s freshwater thanks you, B.C.’s marine life thanks you, B.C. commuters thank you, and most of all, the planet thanks you for taking BC Ferries into the future by going electric,” said Anna Barford, Ocean Campaigner with Stand.earth, based in Vancouver. “With the B.C. government doubling down on LNG everywhere else, this is literally a breath of fresh air. Now it is up to the governments of Canada and British Columbia to support shore-side infrastructure for charging.” 

Decision-makers must also take steps to explicitly prohibit the use of woody biomass for fuel. Woody biomass, which in B.C. can be sourced directly from old growth forests, emits as much or more CO2 than coal when burned for power generation.

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For photos of the event see here

Contact

Anna Barford, Ocean Campaigner – Stand.earth. +1 604-757-7029, anna@stand.earth (Pacific Time)

Arin de Hoog, Communications Specialist, Oil, Gas, and SAFE cities – Stand.earth. +1 613 978 7329, arin.dehoog@stand.earth (Eastern Time)