To the editor:
Anyone opposed to the Site C
Dam, or any other renewable
energy project, must offer a better alternative.
Because right now the only alternative on the horizon is to keep on importing dirty coal energy from Alberta and Washington to “top up” our energy needs like we’ve been doing for several years.
Importing dirty energy is not
what British Columbia should be doing, especially not from coal-burning sources that just push the carbon emissions and pollution to other regions.
We shouldn’t have to import dirty energy. B.C.’s geography is exceptionally well suited to producing clean hydroelectricity, either by hydro dams like Site C or by much smaller run-of-river projects. Hydro dams are a clean source of energy and we’ve benefited from them in B.C. for
many decades.
Hydro dams are only exceeded in their environmental and cost effectiveness by hydro energy from run-of-river projects, a clean energy source that has long proven itself in other geographically similar parts of the world; not to mention having proven itself in B.C. in recent decades.
Importing dirty energy from elsewhere defeats the whole reason for conserving and accessing clean energy. Studies from across Canada are starting to show we may have achieved as much as we can through conservation.
So, those opposed to new clean energy developments like Site C had better start coming up with some realistic alternatives to importing dirty energy or think about being the first ones volunteering to go without electricity when B.C. runs out.
Sandra Robinson
Maple Ridge