Category: Archive

Limited assistance to farming community: Already the water authority GWM Water is preparing to do this for 2300 farms from 1 October. Each farm will receive 28,000 litres of water a month free for domestic purposes. If they want extra water for livestock, they will have to pay to truck it in themselves.

Dam top up planned via irrigation canals: But in the worst case, the Government will be faced with trucking water into Horsham – a herculean task. The city has a population of 18,000, with another 2,000 in the surrounds. Something is being done in the meantime. GWM Water’s corporate services manager, Andrew Rose, says his organisation is planning to run water through existing irrigation channels this month to fill the dams that supply 24 towns in the area.

Irrigation to lose out: However, there will be nothing for irrigation. A northern Mallee pipeline, the bulk of which is completed, has already revolutionised farm and town life in places such as Ouyen and Patchewollock, providing supply security to farms and towns while saving vastly more water for the environment of the rivers and lakes.

Urban use overshadowed by irrigation demand: It might surprise many that while Melbourne has about 80 per cent of the state’s population, it uses only 8 per cent of the state’s water. The bulk, 77 per cent, is used for irrigation. Suggestions that Victoria should be building more dams on the handful of rivers not already tapped have been rejected. It is not that there isn’t enough storage capacity: the problem is there is simply not enough rain to fill it.

The Age, 2/9/2006

National Emissions Trading Scheme: generation emissions capped from 2010; and big users get

Two models aligned: In both the MMRF-Green and MMA models, Base Case oil prices were adjusted to conform to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2005 Reference Case, for oil prices reaching US (2004) $39 by 2030.

Phased coverage of sectors under the ETS: Electricity generation combustion-only emissions were capped from 2010 on, according to Scenario emissions trajectory required to hit the relevant Scenario target — generating the Scenario carbon price. Non-electricity Stationary Energy sector (that is, direct use of gas and coal) was included in ETS from 2015 on — these sectors then faced the same carbon penalty as the electricity generation sector. Other sectors (for example Fugitive, Agricultural etc) did not face the carbon penalty in the Domestic Action modelling.

Permits: Permits were allocated to electricity generators over the whole period 2010 to 2030. Emissions permits were allocated, by ‘technology class’ by state, sufficient to offset each ‘technology class’ net loss in profits. Generators were free to use permits to optimize profits (so still had incentives to improve efficiency of fuel use etc).

100 per cent compo for big users: Energy intensive trade exposed industries were compensated for 100 per cent of increased energy costs for the period 2010 to 2030. Compensation was applied to those sectors which have non-transport energy costs with a more than 3.5 per cent share of total operating expenses in 2003-04 in the MMRF-Green model.

Reference: The Economic Impacts of a National Emissions Trading Scheme, Final Report. June 2006. The Allen Consulting Group report to National Emissions Trading Taskforce. p.11. email: info@allenconsult.com.au website: http://www.allenconsult.com.au Document can be found at http://www.emissiontrading.com.au

Erisk Net, 22/8/2006

Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul? “The problem is very solvable and there are at least three ways you can address it.” Water diverted from the Snowy Hydro Scheme and irrigators on the Murrumbidgee could supplement water being taken from the Shoalhaven catchment. “You could link the Shoalhaven to the Snowy and Murrumbidgee. That may be too expensive, but it is possible,” he said.

Desal still on the backburner: “The third option, which means all this is solvable, is desalination.” Mr Sims acknowledged desalination used a large amount of energy, but said even with a carbon tax on electricity it would produce water at prices Sydney people could pay.

High-tech desal using less energy: And United Utilities managing director Graham Dooley said the amount of energy required for desalination was dropping year by year thanks to technological advances.

Govt could use a hand: Mr Sims argued the private sector should be allowed to compete with Sydney Water. “Then you would have a lot of people trying to solve the problem, rather than the Government feeling it has to solve it all,” he said.

Recycling in southern industrial area: United Utilities has just won a tender to take effluent from Cronulla sewage treatment plant in the city’s south and process it for use at Caltex’s oil refinery at nearby Kurnell.

The Australian, 2/9/2006, p. 10

The litany of US mistakes and excessive force has the Pentagon commissioning at least two secret strategy studies in Afghanistan and Iraq. “This is a struggle for the soul of the Army," said Colonel Peter Mansoor, the head of the Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center.

The report said “democracies decay when one segment of society flourishes at another’s expense." Leondar-Wright said, “It is now at the point where we have lost any sense of proportion. There is no sense of shared sacrifice, no sense that we’re all in this together." Spreading democracy to Iraq is far-fetched when defense and oil CEOs speed its decay at home. They are all in it for themselves, at our expense.

Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday struck a groundbreaking environmental deal to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent over the next two decades.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, hailed the long-bargained agreement as the first in the nation to impose limits on all greenhouse gases — a move environmentalists hope will influence the federal government and other states.

"We feel that California has always been a leader in protecting the environment. We’ve done so in the area of recycling and clean air and tailpipe emissions standards," Núñez said during a news conference inside the Capitol, flanked by representatives from Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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"And we have now moved it to the next level," Núñez said.

The Senate approved Assembly Bill 32 with a 23-14 vote late Wednesday. The bill now goes to the Assembly for a vote.

Schwarzenegger, who has sought to boost his environmental credentials in his bid for re-election, has pledged to sign the measure.

"We can now move forward with developing a market-based system that makes California a world leader in the effort to reduce carbon emissions," he said in a statement. "The success of our system will be an example for other states and nations to follow as the fight against climate change continues. AB 32 strengthens our economy, cleans our environment and, once again, establishes California as the leader in environmental protection."

The agreement was unveiled less than 36 hours before the Legislature’s scheduled adjournment at midnight tonight. Lawmakers are expected to ratify the deal before leaving the Capitol for the year.

But the governor’s fellow Republicans in the Legislature said the bill was the wrong approach.

"Adopting costly and unattainable regulations will drive businesses and jobs out of California into other states — and even into other countries with no commitment to improve air quality," said Assembly Republican leader George Plescia of La Jolla.

Plescia said climate change should be addressed at the national level, not with a state-by-state approach.

Under the bill, California would take the national lead in limiting greenhouse gases by reducing emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020.

Starting in 2012, the state would enforce a statewide cap on industries’ emissions. Major industries believed to be the biggest contributors include utility plants, oil and gas refineries, and cement manufacturers.

The bill directs the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations, as well as establish by Jan. 1, 2008, a mandatory reporting system to track emissions.

"California is acting while Washington drags its feet," said Jim Marston, senior attorney with Environmental Defense. "This bill sets the stage for Governor Schwarzenegger to make history and get America’s global warming policy on track with the rest of the world."

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, California is the world’s 12th-largest source of carbon emissions, including carbon dioxide — the chief heat-trapping gas that many scientists blame for global warming.

Advocates argue that by restricting greenhouse gas emissions, the state would motivate more businesses to develop and use more green technology — creating more jobs and wealth for the state’s economy. Two economic analyses suggested the state could generate 83,000 jobs and $4 billion in income by 2020.

Advocates estimate the state will eliminate 174 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.

Last month, Schwarzenegger signed a unique accord with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to work on alternative fuels and technologies.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said people are custodians of the planet and need to act responsibly.

Reports by state agencies indicate that a 2- to 3-degree temperature rise could be enough to cause the Sierra Nevada snowpack to melt earlier each year, leading to flooding in the Central Valley.

"This is not anecdotal legislation; this is rooted in fact," Perata said. "The facts are if we do not do something to stop carbon emissions in this world, we are going to see a diminution of both the quality of life, and eventually all life."

But reaching the deal during the last week of the legislative session involved a tremendous amount of negotiating between the Governor’s Office and the two houses.

On several occasions, Núñez said, he was "ready to throw in the towel."

Administration officials said the governor teetered back and forth, and didn’t commit to signing the bill until Wednesday.

He had been most concerned that the bill would drive up the cost of doing business in the state.

At issue was the governor’s request for mandatory market trading on carbon emissions, which would help businesses meet their quotas at the lowest cost. Such a mechanism would allow businesses to buy, sell and trade credits with other companies.

Some environmental groups opposed such trading, fearing it would enable businesses to sidestep emission requirements. The bill requires trading, but directs the Air Resources Board to set up a road map for trading.

Administration officials also sought broad oversight, arguing that the Air Resources Board lacked the expertise to regulate so many industries. Lawmakers prevailed, and the board retained oversight under the bill.

Administration officials acknowledged that the board, which is composed of 11 members appointed by the governor, will be asked to undertake a monumental task. However, officials say the board will receive additional staff.

At one point, amendments to the bill had called for a council made up of five members appointed by the governor and four appointed by the Legislature.

Schwarzenegger had expressed concern that the bill lacked an escape clause that would allow the government to lift caps in emergencies. Administration officials cited the state’s energy crisis as a prime example of why the state needs to have the power to intervene.

Under the agreement, the governor has the authority to lift the cap for one year under extreme circumstances.

ASSEMBLY BILL 32

• Combats global warming by reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

• Requires major industries – such as utilities, oil refineries and cement kilns – to meet quotas through a mix of new technologies and credit trading.

• Directs the California Air Resources Board to come up with regulations and track emissions reporting.

• Grants the governor authority to lift caps on emissions for one year under extraordinary circumstances.