Local resident questions the need for natural gas in this area

To the Editor:
RE: “Construction of EPCOR's natural gas line in full swing; sign up before Aug. 1”

With regard to this story, as well as previous ones concerning the natural gas installation in this area, I have a few comments.

I was surprised and disappointed, initially, when I heard that several local officials were trying to get natural gas infrastructure installed in this area. At a time when non-renewable energy sources were not being promoted, here we were trying to get a non-renewable infrastructure installed to supply residents and businesses with an energy source that produces carbon dioxide, water vapour and possibly carbon monoxide during the burning process.  

These are some of the “greenhouse gases” we are trying to limit around the world and here we are promoting the distribution and production of more of these gases. This just doesn’t sound like the correct direction to be going to protect our planet.

We live in an area that owes its high quality of life mainly to one company that is also in the business of energy production - Bruce Power (formerly Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation). This is one of the largest nuclear facilities in the world that produces electricity with no greenhouse-gas emissions, and I find it amazing that we would, seemingly, turn our back on using its product in order to create more greenhouse gas and save a few dollars.

Bruce Power provides thousands of high-paying jobs that help keep our community growing and prospering and, suddenly, we think it is a good idea to cut back our electricity use and change to a non-green technology.

Being loyal to our own area and the businesses here, seems to be a good way to keep our communities working together. Bruce Power has done far more for the area than just provide high-paying jobs for us and for many of our children, and we do not seem to be very loyal to that very important business in our community.

As I see the signs popping up that say “I’m excited about getting natural gas,” I find it disconcerting that anyone in this area could feel that way. Looking at ways to use this clean electricity more efficiently and in more applications would seem to me to be the way to go to help our dear old world recover from our burning of non-renewable fuels over many years, instead adding to them.

I grew up here and remember the days before Ontario Hydro and Atomic Energy started building at the Bruce site. This was a very poor area and relied heavily on tourism to help “balance the books” over the year.

Since work began at the Bruce site, many much-needed dollars have been pumped into the economies of several communities in this area, making it a very progressive and desirable place to live. Bruce Power assists our communities in many ways, as well as producing a reliable and clean energy, and we should be supporting it, and thinking about our carbon footprint on the world as we work toward our future energy needs.

Do we need natural gas? I sure don’t, as our heat pump provides adequate heating and cooling, and our other electrical appliances don’t leave a CO2 footprint when we use them. I have a pension from working in the nuclear power production sector for 42 years and it will more than cover any electricity costs we incur for our house. I intend to support the company that supports me for many years to come.

These are just my feelings about natural gas being installed and promoted in our area but I’m really hoping that others feel the same way. We should support the main business in this area that has given our communities its lifeblood for many years now, as well as into our future and our children’s future.

Bob Taylor
Inverhuron