Are school kids being punished for B.C.'s opposition to pipelines?
A conspiracy theorist might think so because of School District 43’s initiative to turn down the heat in classrooms by 1.5 C to comply with FortisBC’s request to conserve gas.
The problem has arisen because Enbridge’s natural gas pipeline exploded and capacity is reduced to 85%, meaning reserves could be squeezed during a cold winter. To conserve gas, Fortis is asking B.C. customers to turn down the heat.
Is this Enbridge getting a little revenge for B.C.’s opposition to the Northern Gateway pipeline that was eventually turned down?
No, the Northern Gateway was for oil export and natural gas condensate for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude. It was turned down because of concerns from First Nations’ groups and worries about tanker spills in northern water.
And while it does seem odd that B.C.’s natural gas situation is so reliant on this Enbridge pipeline, Fortis has assured its customers that it is using other sources as well so the conservation effort is really a precaution.
