The provincial government’s proposed tax plan for LNG has been announced, and in preparation for the industry to become a much bigger part of British Columbians’ lives, the province is putting on a series of seven free LNG literacy seminars across the province.
The seminars will take place between October 2014 and February 2015. The first showcase is underway in Prince George, running from October 28-29.
The next presentation is in Fort St. John, and will run from November 4-5.Over those two days, there will be panels with both government and LNG proponents to answer any questions the community has about the tax plan, the industry or the LNG extraction process in miniature.
There will also be a more fun, educational side to the event, as the province has recruited Science World to engage in energy literacy using scientific demonstrations.
Bryan Tisdall, CEO of Science World, said that his organization isn’t coming to tell people what they should think about LNG. Rather, they want to inform the community so residents can better determine their own positions on the issue.
“What we’re all about is the belief that science and technology is vitally important for the future health and prosperity of B.C., and we wish to show that to folks and demonstrate it in topics that matter to them,” said Tisdall.
Expect to hear some loud noises and see some bright lights: “We’ll be showing how energy is released through explosion and through flame, and we will be showing how energy is transmitted through the air, efficiently and inefficiently through sparks, but all of those are to illustrate larger principles,” he said.
Science World is going to be there to discuss the science of energy, not just LNG – where it comes from, how it is stored, how it is released, how it is transported and how it is used. Getting the basics down, said Tisdall, is the first step in understanding specific forms of energy, like LNG.
“We believe that for individuals to ask questions and to make informed decisions, they have to have some basic knowledge,” he said.
However, that doesn’t mean that Science World will be avoiding the topic altogether. Although proponents will be on hand to discuss the specifics of the Northeast’s energy plan, Tisdall’s team will explain the basic science behind LNG, and answer questions such as: how do you liquefy natural gas? How is it transported? How do you deliquefy it? How do you get energy out of it?
“Yes, (LNG) topics will be addressed, but we believe that you have to go a little bit before that to talk about energy a little bit more globally,” he said.
“What are fossil fuels? Gas is a type of fossil fuel, but there are others. And what are the burning characteristics? What does ‘clean burning’ mean when you talk about coal, or you talk about oil, or you talk about gas? We’ll be talking about that.”
Tisdall said he hopes that Science World’s involvement in the project will provide neutral information to the growing conversation on LNG in the province.
“I think one of the reasons that the government was anxious to have us involved – and I hope one of the impressions that the community might have – is that Science World is not participating to advocate one way or the other,” he said. “What we wish to do is present the science behind it, so that the community can then decide in an informed fashion.”
The dates and locations for the other seminars are:
- Terrace, November 9-10;
- Prince Rupert, November 18-19;
- Squamish, December 16-17;
- Nanaimo, January 13-14, 2015; and
- Kamloops, February 3-4, 2015.
More information about the seminars is available here.
Alaska Highway News
