Clean Futures

Help protect SA’s Limestone Coast from gas fracking

robyn July 10, 2016

Please help protect the Limestone Coast from gas fracking by signing the petition letter to the Premier.

https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/protect-the-limestone-coast-from-invasive-mining-and-gasfields?source=facebook-share-button&time=1465768092

Dear Premier,

The South East of South Australia (Limestone Coast) is known for its world famous clean and green produce, including wine, beef, lamb, vegetables, fruit, and crops. Tourism plays an important role, with the UNESCO listed Naracoorte Caves Park, RAMSAR listed Bool Lagoon and Piccaninnie Ponds, the wine trails, beautiful coastal towns, the Blue Lake and other spectacular areas.

The South East makes up 2.2% of the state and contains over 40% of the state’s prime agricultural land. Over $1 billion in food, wine and fibre is produced annually. With significant exports, it is of paramount importance that our ‘clean and green’ image is not compromised by proposed unconventional/conventional gas and mineral mining, which threatens our groundwater, agricultural land productivity and tourism.

We live in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent in the world. The Government released a document “Conserving Nature 2012 – 2020”. ‘Drought conditions are likely to increase in frequency across many parts of South Australia, as a consequence of climate change, particularly in agricultural areas’… Our water is already under severe stress as prolonged dry periods persist in Southern Australia. Our industries and communities are reliant on underground water.

Fracking for shale and tight gas is an extremely water-intensive practice. It requires vast amounts of water and large amounts of chemicals in each fracking operation. Disposal of wastewater from shale and tight gas operations is a serious problem. Shale and tight gas operations can have severe consequences for human and animal health.

The South East’s thin layer of prime agricultural land sits over limestone, which is porous and brittle. The limestone is prone to subsidence and is exacerbated by mining, drilling and fracking. Decline in water levels (such as use for fracking and mining) increase the risk of seawater intrusion.… Read more >>

Clean Futures, Environmental Law, Mining, Old_Notes

clean futures collective, community, Mining

BZE Renewable Superpower launch report back

robyn June 8, 2016

Friends of the Earth Adelaide and Beyond Zero Emissions had a very successful launch of the Renewable Superpower report last Friday.

As reported in the Transcontinental newspaper based in Port Augusta:

“Repower Port Augusta spokesperson Lisa Lumsden, gave an address at the launch and was on the Q&A panel. Our Lisa Lumsden left the audience with the comment that she hoped Port Augusta is ready able and willing to be the hub for Australia as a renewable energy superpower.”

Clean Futures, Climate, FoE, Old_Notes, Publications, Renewables, Sustainability

*events*, Adelaide, clean futures collective, climate change, community, friends of the earth, Sustainability

Nuclear ports for SA or Darwin?

robyn June 5, 2016

Nuclear Ports brief by David Noonan, Independent Environment Campaigner

“Nuclear port in Australia to store High level Nuclear wastes and receive waste ships every 24 to 30 days for decades”

Nuclear Port Brief David Noonan May2016

Premier Jay W can’t credibly call on SA ‘to decide’ without our knowing basic key relevant information – like what region in SA is targeted for a Nuclear port?

Is the coastal region south of Whyalla – potentially Cape Hardy or other sites – the only regional option to bring High level Nuclear wastes into SA?

Or does Premier thinks Darwin & down through NT is his (only other?) option – a surprise to NT in this Federal election & in having their own NT election in August…

As pre-requisites to any so called ‘decision’ and as key initial implications of any proposed decision.

There are lots of hurdles in International nuclear dumpers way – the SA Parliament legislated to prohibit international nuclear waste, the import, transport, storage and disposal of High level Spent Nuclear fuel, back in 2000 under Liberal Premier John Olsen.

Presumably at a minimum Premier Weatherill intends to repeal this legislation in November…

The NT Parliament also legislated to prohibit International nuclear wastes and that would have to be repealed before NT could be linked into any Inter dump agenda.

Hon. Mark Butler MP restated ALP National Platform position: “Labor will Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste” at recent National Press Club

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/labor-national-president-mark-butler-raises-doubts-about-international-nuclear-waste-dump-proposed-for-south-australia/news-story/12626f088948b5b9e72953e65ac2dd30

The State Government intends to make a decision on the international waste dump proposal by the end of the year after an extensive community consultation process.

2015 National Policy Platform states:
154. Labor will:
· Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste;
· Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;
· Fully meet all Australia’s obligations as a party to the NPT; and
· Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.

Clean Futures, Environmental Law, Nuclear, Old_Notes

CSIRO buries its futures forecast in fossil fuel technologies

roman May 26, 2016

Sophie Vorrath, writing on renewEconomy.com, notes the problems with the recent CSIRO report:

The final scenario, called Weathering the Storm, pictures a world where geopolitical instability has increased, driven by climate change and regional conflicts over access to land, food and water – all of which leads to prolonged global economic stagnation.
Under this latter, nightmarish scenario – something that may well emerge given the slow pace of decarbonisation and the rapid changes in climate – the report heralds an energy future for Australia that still revolves around fossil fuels.
“With volatility and uncertainty surrounding most industries, the energy market relies on tried and tested energy sources such as coal rather than further developing the potential of renewables,” it predicts.
“High oil and gas prices coupled with regional conflicts in oil supplying areas like the Middle East has also increased the attractiveness of coal.”
These conditions, the report says, will mean that “technologies that allow coal to replace oil or gas as a fuel will facilitate heightened demand for Australian coal.”

The full article: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/csiro-buries-its-futures-forecast-in-fossil-fuel-technologies-30556

Clean Futures, Old_Notes

“Free trade” as corporate freedom is a threat to the planet and our freedoms

roman May 26, 2016

“Free trade” has substituted the freedom of the planet and its diverse species to evolve and nourish, with freedom for corporations to destroy the planet and the living economies that sustain people. The ecological and social destabilisation of the world in the last two decades is a result of the deregulation of commerce through the “free trade” agreements of the World Trade Organization, engineered and written by corporations for the benefit of corporations.

We commit ourselves to resisting the attempts to push new “free trade” agreements based on corporate rights and corporate personhood, which dismantle human rights and our democracies and constitutions. We do not recognise corporations as persons. They are legal entities that society gives permission to exist within the limits of social, ecological and ethical responsibility; corporations having responsibility for climate change are subject to the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

—- from “A New pact with the planet”, Vandana Shiva, from resurgence magazine, March/April 2016

Clean Futures, Old_Notes