In British Columbia, Mulling the Role of Natural Gas in a Sustainable Energy Future
Posted by Marianne Lavelle
The Great Energy Challenge Energy Blog
British Columbia finds itself at the forefront of the global debate on natural gas, and its role in the future of energy.
Some 15 energy company consortiums are vying to build massive export terminals on the Pacific coastline of Canada’s westernmost province, with an eye to shipping gas to energy-hungry Asia. British Columbia, in other words, is second only to the Gulf of Mexico in plans for establishing an international gateway for North America’s new energy riches. (See related, “North American Natural Gas Seeks Markets Overseas.”)
That’s why National Geographic chose the seaport city of Vancouver for the latest in a series of roundtable events in its Great Energy Challenge initiative, sponsored by Shell. On March 25, we convened a diverse group of stakeholders on the issue—project backers, critics, academics, government officials, and First Nations representatives—to discuss what role natural gas should play in shaping a more sustainable energy future. (Read about our previous forums, Biofuels at a Crossroads, The Arctic: Science of Change, and Powering Our Urban Future: Spotlight on Turkey.)
