Nov2024 Final Letter to CoV on Gas in New Builds - with signatures - Google Docs

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and numerous medical professionals urging the Vancouver City Council to reverse its decision to allow natural gas heating in new buildings, citing severe public health risks and climate impacts.

• The authors argue that natural gas appliances pose significant health risks due to the release of pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and benzene. They state that benzene levels in Vancouver's natural gas are the highest in North America, reaching up to 50 times the levels found in other cities, which contributes to increased childhood asthma, cancer, and respiratory illness.
• Building heating is identified as the source of 57% of Vancouver's carbon pollution. The letter asserts that continuing to install fossil-fuel-based infrastructure exacerbates climate-related threats such as severe storms, heatwaves, and wildfires, referencing the 2021 heat dome and the summer fires in Jasper.
• The document disputes claims that natural gas improves energy resilience or housing affordability. It notes that gas furnaces still require electricity to operate and that data from BC Hydro, BC Housing, and city staff indicate gas hookups will not lower housing prices, but will instead increase future utility and health costs for homeowners.
• The authors highlight the environmental and health impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in northeast BC, which provides the majority of the natural gas for BC homes. They link fracking to the release of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, and associate the industry with higher rates of heart disease, premature death, childhood leukemia, and birth defects.
• The letter warns that if Vancouver proceeds with reversing the bylaw restricting natural gas heating in new homes, it will be the first Canadian municipality to voluntarily backtrack on a healthy buildings policy.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2024). Nov2024 Final Letter to CoV on Gas in New Builds - with signatures - Google Docs. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-11-25-CAPE-BC-Letter-to-Vancouver-City-Council.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Nov2024 Final Letter to CoV on Gas in New Builds - with signatures - Google Docs. 2024. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-11-25-CAPE-BC-Letter-to-Vancouver-City-Council.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Nov2024 Final Letter to CoV on Gas in New Builds - with signatures - Google Docs |date=25 November 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-11-25-CAPE-BC-Letter-to-Vancouver-City-Council.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2024nov2024, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Nov2024 Final Letter to CoV on Gas in New Builds - with signatures - Google Docs}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-11-25-CAPE-BC-Letter-to-Vancouver-City-Council.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }