FortisBC Exposed

When we turn on our stoves to cook meals for our families, the last thing we want to do is poison them with carcinogenic benzene or nitrogen oxides. Studies suggest that 1 in 8 cases of childhood asthma in the United States are linked to exhaust from gas stoves in homes. To make things worse, these stoves continue to leak toxic chemicals even when they’re turned off. Thankfully, we have better, healthier options available than cooking and heating our homes with fracked gas.

FortisBC’s gas is fracked methane, which is driving climate change, poisoning water aquifers, causing earthquakes, and exposing communities in northern B.C. to toxic volatile organic compounds. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The gas we burn in our homes and buildings (for heating, hot water and cooking) is responsible for 11-12% of British Columbia’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it the third-largest source of provincial carbon pollution after emissions from transportation and from the fossil fuel industry itself.

Meanwhile, FortisBC and the gas industry tell us their dirty gas is climate “friendly”. Their slick greenwashing campaigns have misled British Columbians into thinking their “renewable” methane is a climate solution. That’s why we’re pushing back on industry misinformation and telling our neighbours the truth about methane. We’re calling on the B.C. government to protect our communities and take action to get dirty gas out of our homes.

FortisBC knows the fossil fuel era is ending. But they need to keep growing their customer base to generate profit. So they use lobbying, sponsorships and ad campaigns to delay the transition to clean electricity. FortisBC has spent a lot of money misleading British Columbians about toxic fracked gas, making them one of the most powerful forces in B.C. holding us back from gas-free homes. They have also helped create “astroturf” coalitions to front their efforts to block climate laws aimed at stemming gas expansion. FortisBC is trying to trick us by greenwashing their gas as “natural” or “low carbon”. Don’t be fooled by their gaslighting.

FortisBC says they care about keeping our energy bills affordable but their actions say otherwise. FortisBC is spending ratepayers’ money on greenwashing campaigns, unnecessary and expensive pipeline expansions and corporate sponsorship of political events that give them special access to our lawmakers. While Fortis spends millions lobbying our politicians and planting municipal staff to hinder local climate action, British Columbians are struggling more than ever with the cost of living. As a regulated monopoly, Fortis should not be allowed to waste ratepayers’ money on lobbying and misinformation campaigns that get in the way of true climate action – and drive up our energy bills.