Australia's decline in renewable energy investment

The Clean Energy Council's diagram below shows the strength of the industry and its value to Australia in 2013 but with reports that investment in large scale renewable energy has declined by 88% to $240 milion by the end of 2014, what is the future ? Australia has fallen from 11th in the world ranking for renewable energy investment to 39th.

Negative effects of wind turbine farms: where is the evidence ?

The question of possible negative health effects of winds farms when located near human habitation has been consistently promoted by a small if vocal group. The evidence however is scarce to non-existent and documentary film maker, Neil Barrett shows in this short film that many landholder hosts support wind farms.

Carbon pollution and US coal exports - an unholy connection

Of all the fossil fuels responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, coal remains one of the most prolific, polluting, preferred energy sources despite increased use of renewable energy and the exploitation of gas resources from coal seams in a number of Western countries including the United States. The US, despite reducing its' own direct reliance on coal through natural gas expansion, is instead seeking to increase the export of this fossil fuel to Asia. Of particular interest and public controversy are plans to increase the number of coal export ports along Western seabord of the United States to enable increased exploitation of the Powder River Basin, straddling the states of Wyoming and Montana. Powder River Basin provides 40% of energy in US coal-fired power plants and over 7 milllion tonnes of coal are exported from there to Asia. Three additional ports (Millenium Bulk, Morrow Pacific and Gateway Pacific) are planned for construction which will increase coal exports to 100 million tonnes per annum with an upper target of 135 million tonnes. 

The impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, has been measured as 194 million tonnes of carbon dioxide according to the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh. In effect this would nullify most of the advances made in reducing US energy reliance on carbon-rich fuel by increasing consumption in developing countries. As one hand gives, the other hand takes away.

Mining in the Arctic - the growing environmental challenge

The Leiv Eiriksson sent to Greenland's Baffin Bay

The constant reduction in ice coverage in the Arctic have not only opened up the North East passage but created opportunities for the exploitation of the oil, gas and mineral reserves found in what was once a too remote and difficult region. September 2012 was significant as it marked the lowest seasonal coverage of ice ever recorded being 3.41 million square kilometres. In terms of mineral resources, the Arctic (including Greenland) has considerable deposits including an estimated 90 million barrels of oil (or 13 per cent of the Earth's remaining total). There are also gas deposits in the Barents and Karens Seas and rare earth elements at Kvanefjeld in Greenland. While there has been, for many years, a small degree of mining present in the region, it is only a matter of time till much more large scale exploration and extraction projects are underway with substantial risks for the environment and the planet.

Energy from the oceans - wave power

Renewable energy drawn from the world's oceans offers another potential alternative to reduce reliance on coal fired generators and fossil fuels. Estimates from the International Energy Agency, the IPCC and various research studies suggest that 10% to 15% of energy can be produced from wave energy converters. The short news segment showing Pelamis wave energy converters in Portugal provides an indication of how this may operate:

 

Coal seam gas mining - the unmentioned risks

Coal seam gas mining water pond

When the risks of coal seam gas (CSG) mining are cited, often inadequately, the focus quite correctly is on the use of fracking chemicals and the potential impact on hydrology and water aquifers. However there are other chemical risks, usually ignored, but which are also potentially high level and exceptionally toxic. These are the naturally occurring toxic substances in the geologic strata. Researchers from the University of NSW have pointed out that simply banning fracking chemicals is inadequate  as CSG activities could mobilise a range of other substances and compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) together with chromium, strontium, lead, iron, zinc arsenic, fluoride and selenium, plus potentially promoting bacterial growth. As highlighted in this publicly released research, naturally occurring substances in coal seams include trace elements such as mercury, arsenic, lead and in some location, radioisotopes such as radium, thorium and uranium in small non detectable deposits.

Through CSG mining, these elements can be released into the water system and travel into drinking aquifers and the wider water catchment systems on which both animals and people rely. This is situation which is barely covered in risk and mine management plans showing another large gap in the control of this mining process.

Coal Seam Gas - concerns from rural communities

Rural communities in Queensland and NSW, Australia continue to express their fears over the impacts, both existing and potential, of coal seam gas mining in agricultural and key environmental regions (produced by civil lobby/campaign organisation GetUp!).

Coal for power - what more do you need ?

Fossil fuel mining and consumption remains one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. An amusing parody of industry promotion in the United States -

National Agreement on Coal Seam Gas Mining

The recent agreement between the Australian Government and State Governments in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia under the umbrella of the Council of Australian Governments  (COAG) recognises and underscores the level of community unease about this form of mining and its potential negative impacts - whether on the community, the environment and in particular, water resources. The National Partnership Agreement on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development cites the various possible risks and emphasises the need for greater research as a matter of urgency with a strong emphasis on the protection of water resources from the effects of CSG mining.

Of note, local government authorities across several Australian states remain concerned with CSG mining citing the effects on farmland, food security, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), tourism, local economies and local community health.

A copy of the National Partnership Agreement can be obtained by clicking here.

Coal seam gas - a case study - Pilliga Forest, Australia

The risks and impact of coal seam gas mining can be amply demonstrated by looking at the example of the Pilliga Forest in NSW where this form of mining has been in operation for the past ten years.  On the site there have been a series of damaging incidents:

• Major spillage of saline water leading to extensive tree deaths in the forest,
• Clearing of vegetation without Federal environmental approval,
• Over-flow of contaminated drill ponds into surrounding areas during rain,
• Repeated failures to line drill ponds leading to major salt scalds on surrounding soils,
• Leaking gas pipes and water drains leading to methane escape,
• Poor handling of chemicals leading to spillage during a flood event.

And what is the significance of the Pilliga Forest ? The Pilliga sandstone is an important recharge area for the Greaty Artesian Basin, crucial to the quality and volume of water on which most of inland Australia relies.  In terms of hydrology, the surface water of the Pilliga form part of the Murray-Darling Basin, running north into the Namoi River and thence into the Barwon-Darling system. In addition the Forest is a key National Biodiversity hotspot with 24 nationally listed threatened or endangered species, an internationally recognised important bird area and the largest temperate woodland in Australia.The mining exploration phase also led to considerable environmental damage and degradation to this critical environmental region. It is for good reason that there has been continuing campaigning on this issue.

Lock the Gate - Community Attitudes to Coal Seam Gas

Both the exploration and extraction of coal seam gas excites considerable reaction on local communities particularly farming townships and small rural settlements. Continued and vocal opposition has persisted within both the states of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.
As one example, regional communities have joined with environmentalists to oppose unrestricted coal seam gas mining.

The 'Lock the Gate' movement is one such group and found at this link: http://lockthegate.org.au/

Around 7,000 people are reported to have rallied against coal seam gas mining in the town of Lismore and some 4,000 in Sydney outside the NSW Parliament in early May this year. This follows similar protests throughout 2011 particularly in the Illawarra region of NSW.

Illawarra protest in 2011

With the mining science so limited at this time in terms of hydrological impact and the use of fracking chemicals, the level of community alarm is both understandable and sensible. The adoption of a precautionary principle approach appears warranted if not essential for this mining method.

Coal Seam Gas Inquiry Report - NSW Parliament - May 2012

Coal seam mining in Qld

The NSW Parliament's Inquiry into Coal Seam Gas Mining in NSW released its' report this week and there are a few surprises contained in the 35 recommendations and findings in the 300 page document. While the Legislative Council committee (bipartisan in composition with members of the Liberal, Labor, Greens and other parties) did support the concept and need for coal seam mining, there was clear recognition of the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework and the urgent need for one to be implemented. Amongst the other recommendations: conduct regional-scale water assessments in NSW as a matter of priority; no new production licences be issued until a  regulatory framework exists; the current ban on the use of 'fracking' be maintained until NICNAS (the Federal Government's chemical registration scheme) has carried out an evaluation of the chemicals used; greater legal rights and access control for landholders; stronger controls and accountability for coal seam mining companies including site remediation; the establishment of a Petroleum Ombudsman, a Complaints Hotline and greater regulatory controls for the Environmental Protection Authority and the portfolio Department.

The Inquiry was particularly critical of of the lack of genuine community engagement noting that "community consultation appears to have been inconsistent, poorly timed and restrictive,.."The Inquiry also stated "that it cannot dismiss evidence that some operators have attempted to pressure landholders for access nor the possibility that companies may force access in the future.." In a damning indictment, the Inquiry found that a previously dismissed incident of the pollution of Pilliga Forest by Eastern Star Gas was, in fact, proven correct. Coal seam gas arguably is one of the most unknown mining methods with potentially enormous risks to both the environment and access to water for the community. With drilling occuring within Sydney's own aquifer system, the implementation of this report is an urgent priority.

The full report can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/IiFlfl

Coal Seam Gas and water impact

Condomine River - water contamination has been detected at this site

One of the key concerns with Coal Seam Gas (CSG) mining is the actual or potential impact on water within and adjacent to mining regions. Extraction of methane from coal seams relies on the extraction of large quantities of water, so across the industry, it may total between approx 30 and 90 gigalitres of groundwater per year. Impacts which are broadly understood include: the likely drawdown of aquifers; depressurisation of aquifers; risk  of groundwater contamination; risk of subsidence of the surface, and salt residing in the water of coal seams being brought to the surface - estimated to be a quantity of about 1.8 million tonnes of salt per year in Queensland alone. 

Water contamination can occur in several ways - through the injection of chemicals via 'fracking'; or through chemicals that naturally exist in coal seams, being taken out and being exposed to other parts of the environment:; and potentially just from the removal of large quantities of water from aquifers or coal seams. A lateral flow of water and aquifers for example can be extremely damaging - aquifers actually differ in their water quality throughout their extent, so a lateral flow by itself can lead to changes in water quality including contamination from natural as well as introduced chemicals and substances.

Methane leaking into surrounding aquifers can occur naturally when there's a close connection between the coal seams and the surrounding aquifers but it can also occur if the wells that go from the surface down into the coal seam are not properly sealed. This has occured in a number of sites in Queensland. A similar related risk is if the fracturing of a coal seam extends out of the initial mining zone, such as into the surrounding geological strata. This type of event has occured in the United States with detrimental outcomes. The geological and engineering science of coal seam gas extraction remains full of serious gaps of knowledge - protection of water quality is arguably the highest priority.

Renewable energy - can it power up ?

Wind turbines have proven successful

The central question facing the wider application of renewable energy sources has been the capacity of the new technologies to provide reliable energy particularly base-load power generation which the old coal-fired stations currently do. Renewable energy includes wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, biofuelled gas turbines, and concentrated solar thermal (with thermal storage). The National Electricity Market which represents most of Australia's electricity needs, has a capacity of 40GW of generation to meet a peak load of 33 GW (over 90% of Australian electrical demand). Detractors of renewable energy (who are often climate change sceptics) have questioned how this method of intermittant supply could ever be relied upon to provide reliable, baseload power. However studies of Australian current and potential future renewable energy by the University of NSW can demonstrate that this objective can be achieved through a combination of wind (23.2GW), photovoltaic (14.3GW), concentrated solar thermal (15.6 GW), biofuelled gas turbines (24 GW) with varying amounts from hydro (around 7 GW). South Australia already produces well over 10% of electrical energy from wind alone. The option exists for a renewable energy future - it only requires the political will to do it.

Coal Seam Gas - to frack or not to frack ?

New research from the United States reporting that a steep rise in earthquakes across the central US is likely to be man-made as a result of 'fracking' coal seam gas will do nothing to reassure Australians regarding the environmental safety of this method of gas extraction. The US Geological Survey found a sixfold increase in seismic activity was particularly common in regions where waste water from fracking was injected into deep wells. Similar findings were made in the United Kingdom last year, where experts found it ''highly probable'' that fracking was the cause of 50 seismic events near Blackpool. This finding has been reaffirmed again this year, thus underlining the lack of sound research knowledge and information on this mining method.

 

      CSG occurs in coal seams being predominantly methane (CH4) but other gases may also be carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen. As water usually saturates these seams, the CSG is extracted through the drilling of wells into the coal, pumping the water out, thus releasing pressure to enable the gas to be collected. Released gas is pushed by compressors to a central gas processing facility then compressed/dried for transportation. CSG has risks for negative environmental impact through:  

• Large amounts of water by-product due to pumping from the coal seams and risk of arsenic contamination;  
• The use of hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) in the production process (if the gas is tightly held) with possible effects on surface and ground water systems. Fracking uses carcinogenic/toxic BTEX group chemicals/fluids (ie benzene, toluene, etc).
• The potential leakage of methane gas during production and transportation (CH4 is a potent GHG gas if released).

CSG has alll the elements of a last ditch, desperate effort to locate new fossil fuel sources and should be seen in that light. It does not present a new safe form of energy nor at this time is it a safe intermediate energy source pending the uptake of greater renewable energy production.

Energy growth adding to CO2 emissions

        
The most recemnt report from the International Energy Agency (World Energy Outlook 2011), does not make for an optimistic perspective on power generation and efforts to reduce CO2. The Report points out that existing power generation infrastructure (consisting of various power plants and factories) which will be used for several decades already coverd 80% of the emissions needed to reach 2oC and the schedule of new plants which are to be constructed will make up the remaining portion to reach if not slightly exceed the 2 degrees Celcius. The efforts to ramp up renewable energy production therefore takes on a more urgent timetable for adoption enabling a further increase from the current 16% of global energy supply already provided.