Letters to the Editor
LETHBRIDGE HERALD – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014
I heard, on May 27 this year, that Kyoto Fuels’ Lethbridge biodiesel facility was under bankruptcy protection. I was incredulous. The president of Kyoto Fuels had just made a presentation to SACPA on Jan. 23 suggesting all was well with the biodiesel industry in Canada. A little Internet searching quickly confirmed the news. The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy at Industry Canada provided a notice dated April 30 indicating Ernst and Young in Calgary had been appointed the “monitor” of bankruptcy proceedings. The sad story is developing on their website, http://documentcentre.eycan.com/Pages/Main.aspx?SID=298.
I’m surprised at the lack of discussion in local media. Biofuel initiatives have been touted here for several years as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ameliorate global warming. A search of
Lethbridge Herald archives alone indicates no less than 55 stories related to “Kyoto Fuels” since 2003. The latest reports on the SACPA session in January. I guess no one likes to be the bearer of bad news. However, this is something citizens should be informed about. Hundreds of millions of dollars of government funding has been directed to biofuel initiatives linked to climate change action. They may be of little value and, in cases like this, appear to be completely ineffective. Indeed, global warming seems to be developing at a far slower rate than postulated over the past 25 years. Remedial action may not be warranted at all.
I am hoping Kyoto Fuels’ failure will spark some serious investigative journalism on this issue. There must be better ways to spend our tax dollars.
Duane Pendergast
Lethbridge
