Our View: LNG terminals beneficial for California


Pollution is something that we Californians are familiar with. Too often rainy days are the only time when an Angeleno can breathe in good conscience, knowing his or her lungs will not be contaminated with the smog.

Congested cities, urban sprawl and the exponential rate of industrial growth are only three of the seemingly endless problems that contribute to our state’s poor air quality.

But despite the depressing state California, and the Los Angeles region in particular, may be in, there is a potential solution on the horizon that may alleviate some of the burden our environment is currently bearing.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals are a possible source of a cleaner burning fuel that may begin to quench our nation’s ever growing thirst for fuel. According to the California Energy Commission, LNG produces fewer toxic emissions and pollutants than coal or oil and can be used for industrial purposes like electricity generation or more everyday purposes like heating and cooking.

There has even been a proposal for an LNG terminal in our fair city of Long Beach. Residents here should welcome this plant with open arms. This may be the alternative fuel source many Americans have been seeking.

As our other expendable resources like fossil fuels become scarce and the condition of our environment declines, many Americans are pleading with the government to find another solution to this dilemma. LNG may be the best current alternative.

Some environmental groups contest the use of LNG because of its potentially volatile nature and suggest instead for Americans to limit their use of resources, i.e. drive less and turn out lights. Although this solution may seem feasible in the abstract, it is not a tangible goal. Americans like to drive abhorrently large cars. We are infamous for it.

Instead of dwelling on the ideal circumstances of a society by constantly monitoring its use of resources, environmentalists should relish in the triumph and strides being made in the direction of clean burning fuels and an environmentally conscious government.

Only a few months ago our president advocated drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for the measly six month supply it potentially contained. Now President George W. Bush is advocating research into alternative fuels and California, one of the most wasteful states, has the opportunity to use cleaner fuels.

Our environment is in serious decline and our other natural resources are slowly depleting. There are some genuine safety concerns that must be addressed before any action is taken, but the potential for having an environmentally cleaner state is something that should not be brushed aside lightly.

Although our immediate safety is a key priority, the quality of the environment deeply affects the quality of life for the residents who live there. It is imperative we quickly find a solution to the quagmire that is the California environment.

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