Heather Wright/The Independent

Environmental groups are targeting Lambton residents on social media, in a push to discourage Ontario from using natural gas to create electricity.

There are two projects in the works for St. Clair Township which need municipal approval to move ahead in the bidding process. Both Environmental Defence Canada and the Ontario Clean Air Alliance have launched social media campaigns against the projects.

Alienor Rougeot of Environmental Defence says natural gas powered electricity plants will “only accelerate the climate crisis that we’re suffering from already…The heat dome is a reminder that we just can’t be warming up our atmosphere,” she told The Independent.

Rougeot says the province and the Independent Electricity Supply Operator, which hands out energy generation projects, have designed the rules for the next round of projects “so that gas plants have a clear advantage…Ontario designing rules that make it seem like they actually really want gas plants, unfortunately for our collective climate and air.”

Online, the group urges residents to write to their local council asking it to reject the natural gas powered projects. 

The township has already indicated it supports both projects in the works in St. Clair.

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is also against the gas-powered plants and not only for environmental reasons.

“We get over 70 per cent of our gas for electricity, power generation from the US. And the last thing we should be doing with President Trump in power is increasing our dependence on American energy,” says Jack Gibbons of the OCAA.

The ads are drawing a reaction online.

“I’m all for natural gas plants. Lambton generating plant could have been converted to natural gas but oh no, our genius premier then Kathleen Wynn tore it down,” said Linda Newman. It was a typical response.

Rougeot understands it’s an uphill battle to change minds in Lambton. 

“People don’t necessarily know that there could be an alternative to it… if the option is no or slow economic activity versus some, I absolutely understand the choice to pick some, even if it’s some polluting and dangerous one, and I get that,” she said. “I think the conversation we need to be having or that we are trying to start is, what are the other options?

“There are folks that are opposed. But I think, it depends if we’re asking people to choose between no jobs or some jobs. I will always understand choosing some jobs.”