I'VE been some what dismayed by the approach of many agriculturalists to the development of a coal seam gas (CSG) industry in New South Wales. There have been many widely publicized claims that the CSG industry will pollute the air and water in particular through hydraulic fracturing, also known as ‘fracking’.
Some of the noisiest objectors are on the Liverpool plains and have claimed this new extractive industry threatens their groundwater aquifers. In reality, the affect of agriculture on the aquifers in the Liverpool Plains has been inadequately monitored and is probably significant.
This is not to say that because one industry’s practices are less than transparent, it is OK for another to do environmental harm.
But I note that a new report from the NSW Chief Scientist includes comment[1]:
“Agriculture, mining and urban development have had very significant historical and current impacts. The impact of CSG alone is likely to be much smaller than the cumulative effects of these historical impacts… While CSG activities pose risks and many potential impacts, these need to be considered along with other major competing activities that are being conducted within a region.” (page 116)
The bottom line is that gas is a low-cost and reliable source of energy.
Investments by US industry in gas over recent years is likely to help make that country almost self-sufficient in energy for the foreseeable future. Contrast this with Europe’s recent investments in renewables that threaten to bankrupt the union [2].
Meanwhile NSW is facing its own energy security problems.
According to an opinion piece by Bill Collins [3] from the University of Newcastle:
“New South Wales is the only major state in Australia that does not have energy security. Its reliance on Victorian and Queensland gas, paired with the vital role gas plays in its homes and industries, have put it in a precarious position.
To put it bluntly, the state is heading for a major energy crisis in the next three or four years, and that will severely affect its future living standards and economic growth…
NSW should produce more of its own gas for energy security. But in early 2013, in response to increasing community concerns and land-use conflicts, the NSW Government introduced legislation to restrict gas exploration. Exploration is now excluded over much of the Sydney Basin, the part of the state most likely to yield CSG.”
***
References
1. Initial report on the Independent Review of Coal Seam Gas Activities in NSW. July 2013
http://www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/coal-seam-gas-review/initial-report-july-2013
2. Europe pulls the plug of its green future
Benny Peiser, The Australian, August 10, 2013
3. Coal seam gas and New South Wales’ looming energy crisis
http://theconversation.com/coal-seam-gas-and-new-south-wales-looming-energy-crisis-16656
Comment from: jennifer August 20th, 2013 at 9:04 pm
"I haven’t read this, but am just filing it here…"
Thanks for the link. I did read it. John Vidal is the author.
First impressions ... The article covered some of the well-publicized bases. But in my book, it qualified as journalistic pseudo-objectivity. It has an anti-fracking bias that may not be apparent to the casual reader. Here are two examples.
"'Proving' water contamination by fracking is next to impossible because there are always natural pollutants, but the possibility exists and in Britain, where the geology is so varied, the water companies and Environment Agency must be wary."
Apparently, John Vidal, the author, has never heard of analytical chemistry. Yes, there are environmental pollutants in the fracking fluid. And yes, there are pollutants from other sources. And if one compare the two lists, there may even be some overlap. However fracking fluid contains some pollutants that are unlikely to come from other sources.
Flash news! These pollutants can be measured qualitatively and quantitatively. One such pollutant is Cobalt-60, which can be recognized by its radioactive signature.
*snip*
"Will it lead to cheaper fuel bills?
"It has done so in the US, but while Cameron and the industry argue that it could do the same in the UK, there is no evidence that it will."
Hey, John! Have you ever taken Econ 101? Can you say, "supply and demand?" Fracking in Britain will increase the supply of natural gas. If demand is constant, then fuel bills will less than they'd be without natural gas from fracking. Duh!
I haven't read this, but am just filing it here... http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/19/fracks-figures-big-questions-hydraulic-fracturing
Well, like selling fridges to eskimos you would have to tell fibs.
There is a poster of a picture of a solar thermal power station doing the rounds that claims that Germany's solar system produced 22GW of power, equal to 20 nuclear power stations at maximum capacity. All the green lefties "liked" it on facebook saying, 'way to go', 'why don't we do this', 'our government is so far behind the rest of the world'
The fact was that on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of May 2012 at 12pm for one hour Germany's 34GW capacity highly subsidised solar system produced it's highest ever output of 22GW! They also didn't tell you that the picture was of a Spanish solar thermal power station.
Germany has since announced it will cease to subsidise solar power.
Greenies don't want to know the facts, just the fantasy.
Maybe you can't sell fridges to eskimos. But if you wanted to try, surely selling a Northern European country on a massive solar program would be good practice before you headed up into Nunavut with your Frigidaires.
JW you've got it in one. We've got heaps of coal and all we need is more CF power stns to use it.
Whether that's in Vic or NSW, both states need new stns to be built yesterday and sooner if possible.
Just another reason to vote properly ( no donkeys please) and preference the Coalition before Labor and the Greens.
I've been saying that we should be building new CF stns on this blog for years, so I thought that was obviously understood in my comments above?
But let's learn by the failure of the mad German experiment via renewables?????? like solar and wind. After wasting 100s of billions on this idiocy for decades they are now building new brown coal fired stns to try and mend a very messy grid.
Let's not repeat this lunacy, but just build new CF stns straight away. I mean this has to be as simple as it gets.
But the first step to make a start is on the 7th of Sept. Make sure we don't vote for loonies who want to tax the benificial co2.
We are one of the most ancient continents on the planet - our soils are old and depleted.
I heard an Indian farmer from the Punjab asked if he was interesting in farming in Australia. He replied "Why would I do that when I can plant 3 crops per year in the Punjab without fertiliser"
The Punjab is the floodplain of the Himalaya - similar to the Canterbury Plains in NZ.
Say, Robert,
Ol' King Coal. )
Beth the serf.