Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee

CAPE advocates for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, citing severe health impacts from fracking and oil sands, the failure of industry-led emissions reductions, and the necessity of Indigenous reconciliation in climate action.

• CAPE recommends a moratorium on oil and gas development, asserting that human health is currently "at the mercy of fossil fuels" due to food insecurity and extreme weather.
• The oil and gas industry is criticized for failing to meet climate goals through "greenwashing", underreporting emissions, and relying on incremental technological solutions that do not align with national targets.
• Medical evidence in British Columbia links hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to serious health issues, including childhood leukemia, heart disease, asthma, and birth defects. In Dawson Creek, the health impacts of the LNG industry are cited as a reason why nearly half of the family physician workforce (seven doctors) closed their practices and left the region.
• The Canadian healthcare system faces significant financial risk from climate change, with estimates suggesting an additional cost of $110 billion per year within the next 25 years if emissions are not lowered.
• CAPE argues that current industry subsidies socialize risks while externalizing health and environmental costs, and suggests that funding should instead be redirected toward Indigenous clean energy projects.

APA

Norris, D., & Lem, M. (2024). Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/

Chicago

Norris, Dakota, and Melissa Lem. Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2024. https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Norris |first1=Dakota |last2=Lem |first2=Melissa |title=Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=21 November 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{norris2024climate, author = {Norris, Dakota and Lem, Melissa}, title = {{Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }