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 Business Council of Australia weighs up mixed feelings on global warming; banker says yes to carbon trading, aluminium industry boss says no – surprise, surprise  … more

Post-Kyoto posture yet to be established: The BCA’s stance on global warming has been unclear since 2002-03, when its members split on whether to endorse the Kyoto Protocol. But while there is now widespread agreement that the debate should move beyond Kyoto, the peak body is yet to formulate a position on whether it supports a carbon price signal, such as an emissions trading scheme.

Nationally consistent climate-change approach would aid BCA rethink: Unveiling a business climate change report that calls on Canberra to announce a price signal next year and introduce it nationally by 2013, Dr Morgan said it was time for a reassessment. BCA policy director Maria Tarrant said the council was closely watching work going on through the Council of Australian Governments to see what steps were being taken to improve the consistency of climate-change policies in Australia.

State govts consider going it alone on carbon price scheme: The option of a price emerged as the key debate in Australia’s global warming response, with the Labor state governments examining the feasibility of introducing their own carbon trading system after the Howard government rejected a federal scheme.

BCA playing cards close at this stage: But Ms Tarrant said the BCA was yet to form a position on a price signal. "We haven’t drilled down to that level of detail," she said.

High energy consumption industry not keen: A key source of opposition to carbon trading has come from the aluminium industry, a voracious user of electricity. Australian Aluminium Council chief executive Ron Knapp said the industry had a "not now" stance on a carbon price signal.

Let’s look at low emissions technology first: Echoing a position articulated by the coal industry and Environment Minister Ian Campbell, Mr Knapp said a price signal would be counterproductive if it were introduced before low emissions technology especially carbon capture and storage from coal-fired power stations – was ready to come to market.

The Australian Financial Review, 7/4/2006, p. 57

Minister hot on the trail of non-emission renewables: State
Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said geothermal energy from the heat
of the earth’s interior could provide an energy source with no
greenhouse emissions.

Windfarm knock-back by spoilsport feds: Victoria’s aim to have
10 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, such as solar and
wind, by 2010 recently received a setback when the federal government
refused permits for a major windfarm.

Hot stuff in NZ: Mr Theophanous said geothermal energy globally
provided more than 7000 megawatts of electricity, including more than 7
per cent of New Zealand’s energy.

Permit security will encourage geothermal development: Rob
Ammells, chairman of Lakes Oil, which will be applying for a licence,
said the announcement was very significant. “Potential developers have
not been able to spend money because there was no security of tenure,”
he said.

The Australian Financial Review, 12/4/2006, p. 9

Decision contrary to impending restrictions: Southeast Queensland is preparing for a total hose ban within weeks as part of tough new Level 3 water restrictions, but the Gold Coast City Council has voted to let its residents hose their homes and driveways over a two-day period.

Gold Coast out of step: The move, which will see northern Gold Coast residents using precious Brisbane water, is at odds with an agreement by councils in southeast Queensland to take a regional approach to water use.

Odds and evens system: However homes in the northern Gold Coast region would be using Brisbane water due to a long-standing supply agreement in which the area still draws 15 megalitres a day. Under the plan, approved unanimously by Gold Coast councillors, even-numbered homes would hose one day and odd-numbered homes the next day during one sodden weekend. No date was set for the wet weekend but it was intended to be some time late in May.

The Courier Mail, 12/4/2006, p. 1

Source: Erisk Net  

Queensland company CH4, announced yesterday a partnership with Swedish explosives firm Dyno Nobel to produce Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser from the coal seam gas at its field near Moranbah. … more