WCR Letters to the Editor

Kyoto cleanup saves money

An Alberta company, Greenhouse Gas Separation Systems (GHG) has developed processes that can remove CO2 from flue gases, for less than $10 per metric tonne.

Health experts have stated that every tonne of CO2 released into our atmosphere costs Canadians $16 in health related costs.

There are consumers of CO2 willing to pay for the CO2 adding to the benefits. Mathematics would show a net profit.

Other programs have had fewer consultations, Free Trade and GST for example and involve much more. Kyoto would have us reduce CO2 by a hundred million tonnes per year. At a cost of less than $10 per tonne, we are talking about less than a billion dollars per year. 30 million Canadians means less than $33 per year per Canadian. Less than a cell phone bill for 1 month. Where are our priorities?

Shell's Scotford upgrader and refinery project is a good example. GHG has established that they can sequester about 4,000 tonnes per day from their feedstock for less than $9 per tonne and boost it up and pipe it 200 kms, for enhanced oil recovery or enhanced coal bed methane recovery for a total cost of approximately $15 per tonne.

Each molecule of CO2 injected into a coal bed releases 2 molecules of methane. Burn the methane, sequester the CO2 and inject it back into the coal bed for more methane, in a closed non-polluting system.

It has been suggested that if you ozonate the intake, your exhaust would be CO2 and H2O.

The Weyburn oil fields in Saskatchewan are importing CO2 from the U.S. at a cost that will exceed a billion dollars over 20 years. Sask Power is pumping thousands of tonnes of CO2 into the air in nearby Estevan. Greenhouse Gas Separation Systems Inc. could remove a hundred million tonnes of CO2 from Canadian Industries and Power Plants for that same billion.

In Alberta, they are taking fresh water completely out of the ecosystem to pressure up oilfields, to increase oil production, 276,000,000,000 litres of fresh water in permits last year alone.

Why not use the CO2 from local industries instead. We can provide onsite nitrogen production for under balanced drilling, what is stopping us from using membranes or other methods available, to provide the CO2 to pressure up the fields instead of water. Save water and clean the air at the same time.

Many of us in the oilfield know the technology is there, waiting for mandatory usage. Ratify Kyoto and you will be surprised how quickly industry will be able to comply.

Garfield Marks
Red Deer

Research sexuality truths before deciding

It is true that all human beings are gifts from God, regardless of sexual orientation. It is true that sexuality itself is a beautiful gift from God although it is important to have a proper understanding of the role of sexuality in our lives.

There are numerous resources available to help us learn the truth about human sexuality. To begin with the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides the basic teachings and relevant scriptural references. Pope John Paul's book, The Theology of the Body, provides a deep, penetrating, and prophetic understanding of our sexuality.

The recent document by the Catholic Medical Association, entitled Homosexuality and Hope refutes the myth that homosexuals are born that way. It says, "a number of researchers have sought to find a biological cause for same-sexual attraction. The media has promoted the ideas that a 'gay gene' has already been discovered (Burr 1996), but in spite of several attempts none of the much-publicized studies (Hamer 1993; LeVay 1991) have been scientifically replicated (Gadd 1998).

"A number of authors have carefully reviewed these studies and found that they not only do not prove a genetic basis for same-sex attraction, they do not even claim to have scientific evidence for such a claim (Byrne 1963; Crewdson 1995; Goldberg 1992; Horgan 1995; Rice 1999)."

The document states further "It is a destructive myth that 'once a homosexual, always a homosexual.' "

A particularly helpful resource for Catholic men and women who are experiencing homosexual attractions is the group Courage. Their web site is http://couragerc.net/ I encourage Jay to contact them.

Lucy Nay
Leduc

New LA cathedral sparks comment

On the one hand we have the Vatican saying "Wealthy Nations Must Curtail Consumption" (WCR Sept. 9) while on the other a new cathedral has just been completed in Los Angeles to the tune of $190 million U.S.

The cathedral boasts a coffee shop, gift shop and sells wine under its own label.

(I seem to remember an incident in the gospel where Jesus chased commercial interests from the temple.)

There seems to be some institutional hypocrisy here.

Am I wrong?

C.M. Knowles
Vegreville

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