Green Party candidate David Orton:

            We need to fundamentally change Canada's energy policy!



            Press Release

            January 5, 2006, Saltsprings, Pictou County


                David Orton, Green Party candidate for Central Nova says, "We need
            to rapidly wean ourselves off fossil fuels, because the oil that
            underpins industrial society is now in decline worldwide, and present
            use of fossil fuels are causing climate change and global warming."

                Orton expressed concern about Canada's oil and gas energy policy, as
            it seems to be only an extension of the American energy policy. Orton
            said: "This is just shameful and totally against our national
            interests. Two-thirds of the oil and gas production goes south of the
            border. Moreover, because of NAFTA, our country is REQUIRED to supply
            the U.S., even if we have a critical shortage in our country. Some
            Canadian sovereignty!"

                Orton said: "The world-wide decline of oil production has enormous
            implications for our industrial society, for how food is produced and
            transported around the world, and for manufacturing. Population
            increase has been one of the consequences of the fossil fuel age. The
            globalized economy is going to drastically shrink, as cheap oil
            becomes increasingly expensive and fought over by the rising
            industrial giants like China and India competing with the United
            States for whatever oil and natural gas supplies remain in the world."

                Orton advocates "We should treat our own remaining oil and gas with
            reverence, to be used extremely circumspectly, as we seek a new local
            economy within Nature's balance."

                Orton expressed concern about climate change: "We must heed the
            warnings - climate change is happening. This can be seen in the
            increasing and unusual weather disturbances, such as hurricanes which
            feed off warmer ocean temperatures, melting of arctic sea ice,
            permafrost and glaciers, etc. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on
            Climate Change says that greenhouse gas emissions must be cut 50-70
            percent if the atmosphere of the planet is to remain hospitable."

            "Our fossil fuel extraction for export to the U.S. is wrong. It goes
            to a country which uses up to twenty five percent of the world's
            daily oil production for about five percent of the world's
            population, and produces about twenty-five percent of the world's
            greenhouse gases. Isn't this economic and ecological madness on
            Canada's part?" said Green Party candidate David Orton.

                "Here in the Maritimes, we also have to be concerned about liquid
            natural gas (LNG) terminals and tankers", said Orton. "In Canada,
            natural gas production has had its own 'peak' and is probably
            declining. Now we see a promotion of LNG terminals in our region,
            after having vastly overstated the extent of the Sable Gas Project."

                "Yet, we are opening up our region to potentially highly dangerous
            LNG tankers (think 1917 Halifax explosion!). Maritimers have little
            knowledge of the dangers involved with shipping of liquified natural
            gas, which will be coming our way from countries such as Russia,
            Algeria, Quatar, and Trinidad. For LNG tanker transport, natural gas
            is cooled and greatly reduced in volume, making it liquid. At the LNG
            terminal, the liquid is warmed and becomes a gas again as it enter
            the pipeline system. With this additional gas, there will be more
            compressor stations and 'pipeline looping'. Thus the pipeline
            expansion will further disrupt the ecology and the lives of Nova
            Scotians and New Brunswickers on the pipeline route."

                Orton pointed out that the LNG terminals are  proposed for Bear Head
            on Cape Breton Island, Goldboro in Guysborough County, and Canaport
            in New Brunswick. There is also a proposal for building a huge
            petrochemical complex in Goldboro using imported natural gas.

                According to documents obtained from US anti-LNG activists, LNG
            tankers entering Boston Harbour are said to be almost 1000 feet long
            and holding up to 33 million gallons of product. There are 500 and
            1000 yard security perimeters around the ship carrying the liquified
            gas with the guard boats authorized to shoot, helicopter overhead and
            adjacent roads and wharfs shut down during docking time. The policing
            costs are enormous. If the hull is breached, and the gas ignites, it
            would burn at a very high temperature causing the hull of the ship to
            melt. There is extensive electronic surveillance around the LNG
            terminals. Orton concluded by stressing that "All this is coming our
            way, if we don't organize to stop it!"

                                                         
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            Authorized by the Official Agent for David Orton

            Contacts:
            Mark A. Brennan
            Campaign Manager for The Green Party Candidate for Central Nova, David Orton
            GREEN PARTY OF CANADA www.greenparty.ca
            Phone Central Nova Campaign Manager (902) 396 4397
            Green Party Candidate, David Orton (925) 925 2514
            Email David Orton: dorton@greenparty.ca



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                Last updated: January 29, 2006