Category: Archive

Sydney desal plant’s giant “vacuum cleaner” poses risks to sealife

admin /9 February, 2007

The NSW government’s proposed desalination plant is set to claim hapless victims – at least 26 species of fish and shark. A draft report into the impact of the plant has revealed a list of sealife that could be affected – for example, by being sucked into intake pipes which will act like a giant marine vacuum cleaner off the Sydney coast.

Port Jackson Sharks live on rocky reefs close to the coast. They can be found down to depths of 275 m. Their front teeth are small and pointed for holding and breaking prey. Their back teeth are broad and flat, perfect for crushing and grinding prey.

Port Jackson Sharks can grow up to 1.65 m long. They catch their food by using their sense of smell to detect prey. These little sharkes are harmless, but should not be handled because they have spines.

 

 
Species not endangered: A Sydney Water report has identified species such as the Port Jackson shark, the near-threatened weedy sea dragon and the blue groper. However, as none is regarded as endangered, apart from the sea dragon, only engineering grounds should be taken into account for the location, it said. Despite this, Sydney Water claimed it had assurances that fish would not be vacuumed into the plant.

Nevertheless, under threat: Aquatic life at risk from being sucked into the desal pipe were listed as black leatherjacket, blue groper, grey morwong, comb wrasse, crimson wrasse, common sea urchin, goatfish, hawkfish, herring cale male, hula fish, mado, Maori wrasse, old wife, parma, pencil urchin, Port Jackson shark, red morwong, sea carp, sweep, weedy sea dragon, starfish.

Jakata floods: what the newspapers are saying

admin /8 February, 2007

Climate change blamed for Jakarta floods February 7, 2007 – 8:19PM Climate change has contributed to extreme weather conditions that triggered the worst flooding in the Indonesian capital in years, a deputy environment minister said. The floods that have submerged huge areas in Jakarta and its surroundings since last week have killed 50 people and Continue Reading →

Meanwhile, the south of Oz looks to the north for water

admin /8 February, 2007

Prime Minister, John Howard, said 25 January 2007, "While we go about repairing damage and adapting to new conditions in the south, we must also look to the north. We have important water resource and environmental assets there which must be sustained. However, there is also opportunity for the further development of northern land and water resources and we must understand how to do that wisely.

We want your water: "Future and ongoing development of northern Australia’s land and water resources must take place in a strategic framework that is ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable, which will ensure that schemes are consistent with the principles of the National Water Initiative (NWI)".

We won’t do what we did in the south: "This is critical if the widespread problems that have arisen from land and water resources development in southern Australia are to be avoided. There is a knowledge gap in the north that must be filled.

Northern Australia Land and Water Futures Assessment: The Commonwealth Government will establish a Taskforce chaired by Senator Bill Heffernan to examine the potential for further land and water development in northern Australia. This will be informed by a Northern Australia Land and Water Futures Assessment. For each of the key basins in northern Australia… the assessment will;

• identify the key ecosystems, community and indigenous assets and their watering needs to ensure they are sustained into the future; and

•  recommendations, consistent with the principles of the NWI, will be made concerning the ability of each basin to support increased consumptive use;l

• The assessment will draw on analyses to be provided by resource management agencies, consultants and research bodies ; and

• will incorporate findings from investigations programmes already in progress. Submissions will be sought from industry and community groups.

Submissions sought: Commencing in 2007, reports will be regularly provided to governments and key stakeholders, with a final report no later than June 2012. Funding will be $20 million over five years from the Australian Government Water Fund.

EU seeks mandatory car emissions curbs

admin /8 February, 2007

The European Commission has unveiled a broad strategy to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars, proposing binding limits that automakers say will threaten jobs and lead to price increases for consumers.

The European Union (EU) executive, a world leader in fighting climate change, is targeting car companies to help meet goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.

"We will shortly be in a position not only to provide the safest and best cars but also the cleanest," Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said.

"This will mean that we will be leading the field for a very long time. No one else in the world comes anywhere close."

The Commission said it would propose legislation by mid-2008 to force carmakers to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars to an average of 130 grams per kilometre (g/km) across the fleet by 2012 through improved engine technology.

A Prize For Truth

admin /7 February, 2007

By Paul Craig Roberts   The Nobel Committee is experiencing difficulty in finding suitable candidates for the Peace Prize.  Perhaps the solution is to consider candidates over a broader range of people.   02/06/07 "ICHBlog" — — W  hat is as rare these days as a peace-maker? The answer is: a truth-teller. Without truth-tellers, there can Continue Reading →

Red faces on green policy

admin /6 February, 2007

The wimpish NETs proposal did not even set a trajectory to meet the NSW and SA governments’ 2050 target of a 60 per cent reduction in emissions, Jay Rutovitz, Renewable Energy Policy Officer, Nature Conservation Council of NSW wrote in a submission to the National Emissions Trading Taskforce, December 22 2006.

Poor scheme can work against environmental outcomes: Rutovitz, said ‘If the scheme does not achieve emissions reductions it merely imposes transaction costs without benefit to society. A poorly designed scheme can actually work against environmental outcomes, by entrenching status quo emissions. However, a well designed scheme provides a cost-effective means of reducing emissions and facilitating rapid uptake of low emissions technologies.

NETS scheme caps woefully inadequate;‘The Emissions cap should be set to avoid dangerous climate change, and the proposed NETS scheme caps are woefully inadequate. The NETS proposal was:

•  a return to 2000 between 2025 (scenario 1) and 2030 (scenario 2); but

• The NETs proposal does not even set a trajectory to meet the NSW and SA governments’ 2050 target of a 60 per cent reduction in emissions.

Stern Report says we need 80pc: The Stern Report noted that 80 per cent global reductions are needed if we are to stabilise greenhouse gas levels, and that the window for action is extremely short if we are to have any likelihood of remaining below the 20C threshold. This will mean developed countries reducing emissions by at least 30 per cent by 2020 if any global equity is considered. Given Australia’s position as the developed country with the highest per capita emissions, we need to set as minimum targets:

• 30 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020; and

• 80 per cent – 90 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Permit allocation by full auctioning: ‘Permit allocation should be by full auctioning, as recently announced by the state of New York’. Rutovitz argued:
The allocation suggested was neither efficient nor transparent; It;

•  risks over-allocation, which jeopordises environmental outcomes; and

•  represents an enormous transfer of wealth to polluting industries.

Pollutor lobby groups seek free money: Rutovitz said ‘Free’ allocation, particularly for long periods, poses significant risk to government and the public, as it may lead to a situation where government has to ‘buy back’ permits. It may also be subject to massive lobbying effort from some industry sectors to get more than their share of permits in an attempt to gain windfall profits’.

Full auctioning the fairest path: Rutovitz said full auctioning haf very low transaction costs, as the problems associated with setting and tracking baselines were avoided, and further:

• was transparent;

• did not discriminate between different technologies;

• ensured permits were allocated to their highest-value use;

• generated revenue, which may be used to insulate low income consumers from price rises; and

•  provided help to affected communities to transition to low carbon industries.