Making the wrong choice

In these times of misinformation, disinformation and, let’s face it, not providing enough information, I pose the question, “Why would our government want to increase the supply of a substance that will kill us?”

No, I’m not talking about fentanyl. I’m talking about natural gas. Let me explain.

Manitoba Hydro, which also controls Centra Gas, is proposing the building of three gas turbines in Brandon. The cost: $3 billion.

Now, natural gas is 95 per cent methane. Methane is a fossil fuel, which poses a threat to the health of our planet, to human health and to our financial health as well.

Methane is a super pollutant. It is 80 times more potent than CO2 in its greenhouse gas effects.

Methane is also responsible for one-third of global warming. This climate change is killing people!

It is the cause of extreme weather events such as drought, floods, less snowpack, deadly heat domes; it is the cause of the increase in wildfires. Smoke from wildfires worsens asthma, it causes new cases of asthma; it worsens chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease; it contributes to poor pregnancy outcomes.

Climate change is devastating to mental health, too. Are you aware that 80 per cent of our young people (ages five to 16) are concerned about climate change? Don’t believe me — just ask your kids. There has been an increase in vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and in the future, watch out for malaria and yellow fever.

Methane has direct health effects. The pollution from methane-burning power plants worsens respiratory diseases, cardio-vascular disease, there are increased cancer risks. Other noxious chemicals which are released from the burning of natural gas include: nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. It is estimated that 34,000 Canadians die annually as a result of fossil fuel driven pollution.

Let’s talk about financial health.

The Manitoba government has been pushing the use of natural gas because it is more affordable. This is not true! As of 2020, renewable sources of energy — wind power, solar power and battery storage — have all become cheaper. World-wide power production is shifting to renewables. Just look at what’s happening in Spain and Sweden.

We have recently heard that Manitoba Hydro is in a deficit position. This has been caused by climate change driven drought conditions, which have lowered available water levels, resulting in less hydro-electric energy being produced. The solution must not be to exacerbate the cause of the problem, when cheaper, non-polluting alternatives exist.

But, most importantly of all, is to be aware of the hidden costs of health care.

Or, putting it another way, what are the estimated financial costs associated with health harms from gas-fired plants?

A 2025 study of the health and economic impacts of a proposed gas plant in Wisconsin found the pollutants would lead to an increase in premature mortality, heart attacks, new cases of asthma and increased emergency room visits — all of which combined added between $120-$190 million in annual health costs.

A U.S.-wide study showed that preventing the construction of proposed gas plants as of 2021 could avoid $20-$70 billion in health care costs over the 20 year lifespan of the plants. In the summer of 2025, during a five-day period in an area of Northern Ontario, the health care costs alone of the climate-change-caused wildfires was $1.2 billion.

Air pollution prematurely kills 6,600 people living in Ontario annually. The cost: $50 billion!

Why are so many jurisdictions phasing out natural gas? (For example, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Montreal.) Since 2019, more than 100 jurisdictions across Canada and the U.S. have signed natural gas restrictions into law. Why does our government want us to “phase-in” more methane gas, which includes building a pipeline to bring natural gas to Brandon?

Gas expansion poses unacceptable and unnecessary risks to public health, the economy and affordability.

Please do not go ahead with this project. My three grandchildren, who were so adversely affected by the smoke in Brandon last summer, will thank you.

And now, join with me in a minute of silence to recognize the 100 Canadians who will die today as a result of the pollution from the burning of fossil fuel.

Scott Blyth is a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Blyth writes from Brandon.