Pipeline does not have environmental approvals

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – The gas pipeline from Tennant Creek to Mount Isa has not received any of the required environmental approvals from the NT Environmental Protection Authority nor Environment Minister Greg Hunt, despite the NT Government’s announcement that it will be built.
 
The pipeline is a wasting valuable time and energy on infrastructure to support fossil fuels, at a time when world leaders, communities and scientists are advocating for investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
 
Territorians have made it clear that we don’t need this pipeline and we don’t want it.  There is plenty of gas already extracted on the eastern seaboard to meet domestic demand.
 
The North East Gas pipeline will only lock us in to more greenhouse pollution and risky shale gas fracking for decades to come.
 
It will not benefit Territory communities or the environment.
 
A stronger renewable energy sector will create far more jobs than the oil and gas sector, and ensure that benefits flow back to local communities, rather than line the pockets of overseas investors.
 
Our average temperatures have increased nearly one degree since 1910 and our sea level is rising 7.1mm each year. We need to invest in renewable energies, not new, polluting gas infrastructure.
 
World leaders will meet in Paris at the end of November to make their commitment to cut greenhouse gas pollution and halt climate change.
 
Anna Boustead
Acting Director
Environment Centre NT
 
 
 

5 COMMENTS

  1. While a stronger renewable energy sector may create more jobs than the oil and gas sector, the renewable energy sector still needs to progress to achieve market share.
    “The major sources for production of electricity and heat are coal (39% of global electricity production), followed by natural gas, nuclear, hydro (each of these fuels accounting for around 17% of global production) and oil (with only 8%).”
    Source: page 46 (statistics_manual.pdf)
    URL: http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/statistics_manual.pdf
    “Natural gas supply and demand are growing fast. Natural gas now accounts for more than 21% of global total primary energy supply, compared to 16.2% in 1973.”
    Source: page 55 (statistics_manual.pdf)
    Increasingly LPG is chosen to upgrade coal powered generators, or for new generators, to reach national and international agreed goals of reduced discharges of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
    Australia is lucky to have apparently large LPG reserves, when making these available in world market significantly assists achieving lower CO2 and pollutant levels.
    Almost every week China is adding one large output power station to satisfy its local market demands, while China at same time attempts significantly reduce their CO2 and related pollutant outputs.
    Some suggest this happens at a faster rate than Australia.
    Australia slowed significantly developments, with loss of position in bringing products in alternate energy to market.
    Despite this some improvements are happening.
    Dyesol advised expected to achieve disruptive achievement of levelled cost for electricity generation of A$0.096 – A$0.12 KWh from Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) technology, when large-scale manufacturing commences.
    Source: http://www.dyesol.com/media/wysiwyg/Documents/2015-asx-announcements/2015-11-12 Dyesol_s_Study_Generates_LCOEs_of_A_0.096_A_0.12_KWh.pdf
    Carnegie advances with its CETO 6 Garden Island Project.
    Those making the decisions depend on facts, not rhetoric.

  2. The ‘facts’ of the past do not reflect the facts of the present and future. Renewable energy resource development will provide for our energy and employment opportunities into the future.
    Anna Boustead makes some salient points. Good on her. We should not be driven by this “need for greed” perpetuated by the incumbent NT government.
    We deserve better.

  3. Anna, LNG is the least polluting of all fossil fuels, it is far cleaner than coal, oil or diesel.
    Where ever it replaces these fuels the environment is being improved.
    Scientists may be advocating a handout for renewable energy infrastructure but the gas pipeline costs Territorians nothing.
    It’s not wasting our time and energy, it’s being built for us using private capital.
    Over 10 years the pipeline will earn the NT $200m for roads, schools and perhaps we will be able to afford renewable energy infrastructure.
    How can you say this is not going to benefit us and that Territorians don’t want the pipeline?

  4. It would be a better solution to build a power station at well head and supply electricity to other states. It is only a matter of time Port Augusta will shut, Leigh Creek already has.

  5. A power station at Fred’s head would be probably better for the environment. The amount of hot air produced in these comments pages would surely generate quite a bit of power.

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