Pique’s reporting on March 31, 2023, offered a glimmer of hope that the Cheakamus Community Forest’s Carbon Credit scheme “would not be exploited by large corporations for greenwashing.”
Greenwashing is defined as behaviour or activities that make people believe a company is more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
The liquefied fossil gas plant being constructed in Squamish claims to achieve “net-zero” emissions by purchasing carbon credits from the Cheakamus Community Forest.
This situation uses the growth of trees in Whistler to justify a fossil-fuel megaproject, with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) directly supporting fracking and fossil-gas expansion. This stance is in stark contrast to the values of a community known for its natural beauty and commitment to conservation.
Fossil gas, unlike our old-growth forests, is neither green nor a solution to climate change.
Methane that leaks from fossil gas warms the climate 86 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for fossil-gas extraction pierces aquifers and contaminates groundwater.
Fossil gas contains carcinogenic compounds such as benzene and toluene, which are piped directly into people’s homes.
Burning fossil gas indoors for cooking releases significant amounts of SOx and NOx, increasing the risk of asthma in children.
Fossil gas exacerbates climate change and threatens the winter sports ecosystem vital to Whistler’s identity and economy.
Selling “carbon credits” to fossil gas companies so they can claim “net-zero” status is unequivocally greenwashing, and a disgrace to our community. This decision was made without my consent, and I demand transparency and accountability.
I urge the RMOW and the Cheakamus Community Forest to halt the sale of carbon credits to fossil gas projects and to publicly denounce a project that contradicts the environmental principles they profess to uphold.
