In a recent widely circulated letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Dr James E Hansen, world-renowned climate scientist states:
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"The solution to global warming must include phasing out coal Yet there are plans for continuing mining of coal, export of coal
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However, John Boshier of the National Generators Forum, talking of the Otway Basin project, Australia’s world-first experiment in storing carbon dioxide underground, said:
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"It would be quite risky to assume that you can have carbon storage at the moment…. We all felt a few years ago that clean coal was do-able and was a great option for Australia. We’re now worried about how long it will take and how much it’s going to cost on the scale that we’re talking about. We shouldn’t kid ourselves it’s going to be available in the near term. We think that 2020 is the earliest it can really be commercialised." (ABC 7.30 Report 7.4.08). |
A Federal emissions trading system would make a conventional coal-fired power plant economically unfeasible.
When the Australian Government brings in its promised scheme, it will prevent the state governments from approving conventional new coal-fired power plants.
Unfortunately, the NSW government may act to approve a new power station before the introduction of such a scheme.
The Rudd Government must move quickly to legislate for maximum emission levels for all new power plants, to ensure that if new energy generation is needed it is derived from energy efficiencies, natural gas, co-generation and proven renewable technologies.
Only when carbon capture and storage technology eventually proves itself can coal be part of Australia’s energy future.
We have prepared a message that can be sent to the Prime Minister.
However you cannot email him, you will need to go to his website and fill out a form.
Click here to go to the Prime Minister’s website. Then fill-out the form and cut-and-paste the message below.
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Including comments of your own would show your personal concern about this issue, and would make it look different from the hundreds of others we hope will be sent.
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I would like to add my voice to that of Dr James E. Hansen who, in his recent letter to you said "The solution to global warming must include phasing out coal unless the CO2 is captured and sequestered." Even a spokesman for the National Generators Forum, John Boshier, conceded on the 7.30 Report that 2020 is the earliest that carbon sequestration can be commercialised. Unfortunately, the NSW government may well act to approve a new power station before the introduction of a Federal emissions-trading system, by which any new conventional coal-fired power plant would be made uneconomic. Please take action to legislate for maximum emission levels for all new power plants, to ensure that if new energy generation is needed, it is derived from energy efficiencies, natural gas, co-generation and proven renewable technologies.
Only when carbon capture and storage technology eventually proves itself can coal be part of Australia’s energy future.
(your name)
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Regards from the Citizens Climate Campaign Committee