A group of civil society advocates are calling on the federal government to reject Bay du Nord.

The panel, hosted by Sierra Club Canada, consisted of representatives of civil organizations opposed to the project.

The panel outlined various issues, including the safety of workers related to the distance from shore, the depth of water and the amount of time it could take to cap a blowout, as well as the environmental impact of increased fossil fuel production.

Angela Carter, a Newfoundlander and associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, says not only would approving Bay du Nord be like “throwing gas on the climate fire,” but economically a green transition is creating more jobs than oil and gas.

Carter says while fossil fuel employment has sank since 2014, other sectors have grown, noting research conducted by economist Jim Stanford shows that for every one job lost in the oil and gas industry, 42 new positions were created. She says the clean energy sector is also contributing more to GDP growth.

Indigenous rights and environment advocate Amy Norman says Labrador is seeing the significant impacts of climate change as the level of snow and ice dwindles each year.

Norman says climate destruction is already disproportionately impacting the North, having a significant impact on northern cultures, which she says is why she’s calling on the federal government to reject the project.