Green Party candidate David Orton:
We need to fundamentally change Canada's energy policy!

Press Release

January 5, 2006, Saltsprings, Pictou County

David Orton, Green Party candidate for Central Nova says, "We need to
rapidly wean ourselves off fossil fuels, because the oil that
underpins industrial society is now in decline worldwide, and present
use of fossil fuels are causing climate change and global warming."

Orton expressed concern about Canada's oil and gas energy policy, as
it seems to be only an extension of the American energy policy. Orton
said: "This is just shameful and totally against our national
interests. Two-thirds of the oil and gas production goes south of the
border. Moreover, because of NAFTA, our country is REQUIRED to supply
the U.S., even if we have a critical shortage in our country. Some
Canadian sovereignty!"

Orton said: "The world-wide decline of oil production has enormous
implications for our industrial society, for how food is produced and
transported around the world, and for manufacturing. Population
increase has been one of the consequences of the fossil fuel age. The
globalized economy is going to drastically shrink, as cheap oil
becomes increasingly expensive and fought over by the rising
industrial giants like China and India competing with the United
States for whatever oil and natural gas supplies remain in the world."

Orton advocates "We should treat our own remaining oil and gas with
reverence, to be used extremely circumspectly, as we seek a new local
economy within Nature's balance."

Orton expressed concern about climate change: "We must heed the
warnings - climate change is happening. This can be seen in the
increasing and unusual weather disturbances, such as hurricanes which
feed off warmer ocean temperatures, melting of arctic sea ice,
permafrost and glaciers, etc. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change says that greenhouse gas emissions must be cut 50-70
percent if the atmosphere of the planet is to remain hospitable."

"Our fossil fuel extraction for export to the U.S. is wrong. It goes
to a country which uses up to twenty five percent of the world's
daily oil production for about five percent of the world's
population, and produces about twenty-five percent of the world's
greenhouse gases. Isn't this economic and ecological madness on
Canada's part?" said Green Party candidate David Orton.

"Here in the Maritimes, we also have to be concerned about liquid
natural gas (LNG) terminals and tankers", said Orton. "In Canada,
natural gas production has had its own 'peak' and is probably
declining. Now we see a promotion of LNG terminals in our region,
after having vastly overstated the extent of the Sable Gas Project."

"Yet, we are opening up our region to potentially highly dangerous
LNG tankers (think 1917 Halifax explosion!). Maritimers have little
knowledge of the dangers involved with shipping of liquified natural
gas, which will be coming our way from countries such as Russia,
Algeria, Quatar, and Trinidad. For LNG tanker transport, natural gas
is cooled and greatly reduced in volume, making it liquid. At the LNG
terminal, the liquid is warmed and becomes a gas again as it enter
the pipeline system. With this additional gas, there will be more
compressor stations and 'pipeline looping'. Thus the pipeline
expansion will further disrupt the ecology and the lives of Nova
Scotians and New Brunswickers on the pipeline route."

Orton pointed out that the LNG terminals are  proposed for Bear Head
on Cape Breton Island, Goldboro in Guysborough County, and Canaport
in New Brunswick. There is also a proposal for building a huge
petrochemical complex in Goldboro using imported natural gas.

According to documents obtained from US anti-LNG activists, LNG
tankers entering Boston Harbour are said to be almost 1000 feet long
and holding up to 33 million gallons of product. There are 500 and
1000 yard security perimeters around the ship carrying the liquified
gas with the guard boats authorized to shoot, helicopter overhead and
adjacent roads and wharfs shut down during docking time. The policing
costs are enormous. If the hull is breached, and the gas ignites, it
would burn at a very high temperature causing the hull of the ship to
melt. There is extensive electronic surveillance around the LNG
terminals. Orton concluded by stressing that "All this is coming our
way, if we don't organize to stop it!"


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Authorized by the Official Agent for David Orton


Mark A. Brennan
Campaign Manager for The Green Party Candidate for Central Nova, David Orton
GREEN PARTY OF CANADA www.greenparty.ca
Phone Central Nova Campaign Manager (902) 396 4397
Green Party Candidate, David Orton (902) 925 2514
Email David Orton; [log in to unmask]
"Make Peace With Nature, Vote Green"

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