Dear Editor,
Re: “New enviro review could impact bridge plans: MP,” News Jan. 6.
Canada agreed to seriously tackling climate change in Paris. We agreed that a 1.5 Celsius increase in global temperature was our target.
That means we are aiming for net zero GHGs (greenhouse gas emissions) by 2035. Hopefully, getting to zero by 2050.
To get there, all levels of government — federal, provincial and municipal, as well as businesses and individuals — will have to go all out to achieve this.
Building this bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel is not compatible with this goal for a number of reasons.
1) A 10-lane highway expands vehicle usage just when we need to reduce it and switch to electrified mass transit.
2) It takes away much-needed funding ($4 billion) that should be spent on carbon mitigation, especially in transport for the province.
3) Keeping a tunnel and having a mass transit rail crossing would prevent proposed LNG and coal expansion on the South Fraser — both of which are definitely incompatible with a 1.5 C future.
4) Keeping farmland intact helps lessen emissions and will help with food security as places such as California, where much of our fruits and vegetables are sourced, succumb to global warming-enhanced droughts. It will encourage farmland in Delta, Surrey and White Rock areas to be urbanized.
5) The construction of the bridge itself with the amount of cement needed for pilings (apparently they have to go a massive distance down before they hit bedrock) and structure is huge in itself.
6) There will probably be more idling or about the same for vehicles at the other bottle necks resulting from the construction as well as increased traffic encouraged by the bridge.
It is time the Clark government got serious about tackling climate change instead of saying one thing and doing the opposite.
It’s time, also, that we made sure they do not get away with this sleight of hand. We all now know it’s imperative that we get to net zero GHGs by 2050.
Applying that criteria to projects such as the Massey crossing is absolutely essential if we are to meet this goal.
Paul Magnus
Richmond
