‘The climate crisis impacts us all. The unnatural storms, fires, droughts and heatwaves across Canada this year will keep getting worse until we transition off of fossil fuels and the pollution they create.’
News from Environment Defence, a Canada-wide citizens group advocating for a cleaner, greener environment
Posted September 7th, 2024 on Niagara At Large
As the world continues to burn and countless billions of dollars of destruction is continuing to happen, almost all that Canada’s Justin Trudeau and his Liberals continue to do is use billions of dollars of our tax money to fund big oil and the tar sands.
A new report released by Oil Change International reveals that governments worldwide have already wasted over $40 billion on carbon capture and hydrogen projects. Just five countries account for 95 per cent of those billions – and Canada is third on the list.
Around 45 per cent of the $40 billion was spent on projects that are not even operational today. That’s why we say the money was wasted.
Even worse, these governments are gearing up to waste billions more – over $300 billion more!
That money could be put to much better use – like installing heat pumps in everyone’s homes to decrease energy bills.
Why is government spending on carbon capture & hydrogen a problem?
We are now experiencing an unprecedented number of wildfires in Canada each year, damaging and destroying billions of dollars worth of property and wiping out large tracts of forests that support wildlife. And then the federal government is spending billions of dollars more of our money subsidizing gas and oil industries
The climate crisis impacts us all. The unnatural storms, fires, droughts and heatwaves across Canada this year will keep getting worse until we transition off of fossil fuels and the pollution they create.
Fossil fuel companies are promoting hydrogen and carbon capture as dangerous distractions from real climate action. Take carbon capture. Did you know it has a 50-year track record of failure, and these projects are also dangerous for local communities?
Hydrogen also carries serious health and safety risks. Plus, due to the high costs of these ineffective technologies, they can increase consumer prices depending on where they’re implemented. That’s the last thing we need as people struggle with affordability.
These false solutions will not help in reducing pollution, but they will enable oil and gas companies to continue pumping out polluting fossil fuels and earning massive profits. Watch the video below to learn more.
So how much is Canada spending?
The report tracks approximately $5 billion in spending to date. However, tallying the full amount distributed by federal and provincial governments is challenging – so this is very likely an underestimate.
In fact, our research a few years ago found governments in Canada had spent $5.8 billion.
The really concerning issue is the amount of money that governments in Canada have already committed to spending in the future.
Since 2020, governments in Canada have announced new policies that could funnel over $55 billion into carbon capture and hydrogen – more than any other country except the United States. However, if you compare the amounts to the size of the economy, the handouts in Canada are proportionally much, much higher!
End all subsidies to fossil fuel companies now
Oil and gas companies are pretending to care about the climate crisis and are pushing dangerous distractions, like carbon capture and hydrogen, that they claim can help address greenhouse gas emissions – while allowing them to keep extracting and burning dirty fuels.
But these are the same companies that for decades have lied about climate science and discredited climate solutions. Their real goal is to continue business as usual in order to make as much money as they can, while they pollute the planet.
We need to turn off the taps to the most polluting industry in Canada. Click on the link below to lend your voice.
Take Action: Stop Big Oil from Polluting our Climate!
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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