Coal to hydrogen project reliant on carbon capture pipe dream

National environment group Friends of the Earth has expressed disappointment at the announcement that the Andrews government is proceeding with a trial led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to convert Victorian brown coal into liquid hydrogen for export.

There are many significant problems with this project:

“Firstly, it is most unlikely it will ever move to commercial phase. This project will only proceed if carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is employed” said Friends of the Earth campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker.

“New uses of coal would come with an unacceptable climate burden unless CCS is deployed and would be inconsistent with the government’s commitment for the state to be carbon neutral by 2050.”

According to the government’s own Statement on future uses of coal, major new coal projects will need to operate within mandated emissions standards. Without CCS, it seems very unlikely that the Kawasaki project would meet this requirement.

 “Why is the government promoting a project which is at odds with its own policy?” asked Mr Walker.

Friends of the Earth say government expenditure on coal projects is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

“Governments have squandered over $1.3 billion on carbon capture projects with no return on investment. This is money that could have been invested in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and climate action.”

“Secondly, the $100m of new public funds allocated to this project represents wasted money that should have gone to job creating projects in the Latrobe Valley that use technology that is already viable. Obvious candidates include renewables, energy efficiency and retrofitting of houses, energy storage, high tech research and developing a business case for the geothermal resource that exists under the Latrobe Valley.

“CCS has already absorbed well over $1.3 billion of public funds and each new dollar invested in this technology represents a dollar that is taken from technology that works.”

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“Thirdly, we have to ask who is driving this project? The federal government lacks the state government’s commitment to ensuring CCS is linked to any new coal developments. And government officials continue to promote ‘clean coal’ technology, despite the fact that this technology is going nowhere.”

Friends the Earth say the Victorian government needs to hit the reset button on the matter.

“The state government needs to seek more informed advice from energy experts to ensure that future projects reflect best practise technology suitable for the 21^st century, instead of relying on advice which is clearly aligned with promoting the ‘clean coal’ pipe-dream”.

Renewable energy Bill moves through Victorian parliament

…the following is a press release from Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth have welcomed the passage of the Renewable Energy Jobs & Investment Bill 2017 in the Victorian Parliament, saying the result brings Victoria a step closer to jobs, cheaper power, and action on climate change.

"Passage of the Victorian Renewable Energy Target brings our state a step closer to jobs, cheaper power, and climate action," said Pat Simons, Friends of the Earth's renewable energy spokesperson.

"This outcome is a big win for the community, the labour movement, business, and everyone hungry for action on climate change.”

Legislation to enshrine Victorian Renewable Energy Targets of 25 percent by 2020 and 40 percent by 2025 into law won majority support in the legislative assembly. The scheme is expected to:

• Create 10,000 jobs in wind and solar across the state, from wind tower manufacturing in Portland to cable making in Tottenham, transformer manufacturing in Glen Waverley and Benalla, and warehousing/training in Lyndhurst.

• See Victorian households save an estimated $30 on their power bill each year. Small-medium businesses will save $2,500 and big businesses will save $140,000.

• Victoria's renewable energy rollout of 5,400 MW will cut electricity sector emissions up to 16 percent, helping the state meet its legislated net-zero emissions target by 2050.

The Andrews government's bill passed the lower house with the support of Victorian Greens MPs Ellen Sandell and Sam Hibbins.

The Matthew Guy opposition stuck to its pledge to vote against the VRET despite strong support for renewables among Liberal party voters.

"In 2017, it's unacceptable for politicians to vote against policies to tackle climate change," said Leigh Ewbank, Friends of the Earth's climate change spokesperson.

"With deadly hurricanes in the Atlantic, unprecedented bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, and parts of Victoria experiencing a record dry June, now's not the time to be blocking action on climate change.”

The Renewable Energy Jobs & Investment Bill 2017 will now go the the legislative council for the final tick of approval.

Fiona Patten and James Purcell, Members of the Legislative Council who supported the passage of the Victorian Climate Change Act 2017 earlier this year, are expected to back the Victorian Renewable Energy Target in an upper house vote.

Friends of the Earth will be tracking the passage of the legislation closely.

Coalition’s Finkel fail: Energy review fails on science and ignores health impacts on community

National environment group Friends of the Earth say the Federal Coalition government's Finkel Review on energy has ignored the latest science on climate change and health impacts from coal pollution.

Friends of the Earth's climate change spokesperson Leigh Ewbank is "shocked" by the report's omissions given the scientific pedigree of the author, Dr Alan Finkel:   

"It's puzzling that Dr Alan Finkel, Australia's chief scientist and founder of Cosmos magazine, has failed to account for the latest science on climate change and health impacts from coal," said Leigh Ewbank. 

"Alarming melting of the polar icecaps and extensive bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef shows we need a rapid rollout of solar and wind, not incentives for new coal or gas. Renewable energy is the cost effective solution for the modern economy.”

Read the Friends of The Earth story - “Coalition’s Finkel fail: Energy review fails on science and ignores health impacts on community.”

Prince Charles Writes About Climate Change In New Ladybird Book

Prince Charles has written a Ladybird
 book on climate change.

Prince Charles has written a Ladybird book on climate change, a co-author has revealed.

The Prince of Wales, who has spoken out about man-made climate change on many occasions, has taken on the challenges and possible solutions in the book aimed at adults, according to reports.

He wrote the book with Tony Juniper, a former Friends of the Earth director, and Emily Shuckburgh, a Cambridge University climate scientist.

Juniper told the Mail on Sunday: “His Royal Highness, Emily and I had to work very hard to make sure that each word did its job, while at the same time working with the pictures to deliver the points we needed to make.

“I hope we’ve managed to paint a vivid picture, and like those iconic titles from the 60s and 70s, created a title that will stand the test of time.”

Read The Huffington Post story - “Prince Charles Writes About Climate Change In New Ladybird Book.”

Andrews government kicks off energy policy reforms

The Andrews government has kicked off energy policy reforms to clear the path for community-owned renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, with the release of a discussion paper on community owned renewables.

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcome the discussion paper and say communities, government and business must work together to smash Victoria’s Renewable Energy Targets.

“It is critical for the Andrews government to get the definition of community Renewable Energy Targets right to ensure communities contribute towards hitting Victoria’s Renewable Energy Targets,” said Em Gayfer, Friends of the Earth’s community energy coordinator.

Read the Yes2Reneables story - “Andrews govt kicks off energy reforms to help communities smash Victoria’s Renewable Energy Targets.”

Social enterprise push potential for super funds to address climate change

A social enterprise is campaigning to switch the federal election hot topic of superannuation away from tax to the potential for super funds to address climate change.

The social enterprise also donates to its charity partners, including Friends of the Earth, Nature Conservation Council NSW and Healthy Future, for every switch someone makes. 

The ethical super campaign supports the three funds “most focused on divestment and renewable energy” – Future Super, Good Super and Australian Ethical.

Ethical Switch head of business partnerships Sam Marshall said the ethical super campaign was launched in time with the federal election to push climate change onto the agenda.

Read the PRObono Australia story - “Super Funds Push Climate Change on Election Agenda.”

'Friends' welcome Victorian Climate Change Act review

Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth has welcomed the release of the Independent Review of the Victorian Climate Change Act 2010.

Friends of the Earth campaigns coordinator Cam Walker says the review has uncovered big gaps in the existing Act.

“The independent review shows the Climate Act lacks the powers to drive emissions reductions in Victoria. And there’s no mechanism requiring ministers to consider the impacts of climate change on their portfolios,” said Cam Walker of Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth says it was the Baillieu government that neutered the Climate Act while they were in power. The organisation says the independent review creates the opportunity for the Andrews government to strengthen the legislation and make Victoria a leader on climate action.

“We need to remember that it was the Coalition who gutted the CCA 2010 when they were in power. It is imperative that they support a re-write of the Act to strengthen its powers” said Cam Walker. 

“In the 21st century, action on climate change is far too important to fall prey to party politics. We urge the Coalition to actively support a radical strengthening of the Act.”

“It is essential that the amended Act outlast the existing government. This requires support from the Coalition. We cannot afford to lose more time on climate change.”

Friends of the Earth has endorsed the findings of the independent review:

“We support many of the 33 recommendations, including the proposal to reintroduce mitigation targets in the Act.”

“The emissions target will need to consistent with current climate science and agreements made at the Paris climate negotiations to pursue efforts to hold warming to 1.5oC. It is essential that the government reinstate the EPA’s powers to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.”

“It is essential that climate change considerations be embedded in all government decision making. The review recognises the need to have a whole of government response to both mitigation and adaptation, consider the economic costs of climate change, and plan for natural disasters by considering the influence of climate change on these events.”

“The government must now respond to the review. We look forward to them moving forward with a major re-write of the Act to create a world class climate change act.”

“The government has a range of imminent decisions it must take on climate related issues. This includes the Inquiry into Unconventional Gas and processes around approvals of brown coal resources. No government that takes climate change seriously can approve any further fossil fuel development. The time has come to clean up our energy supply, encouraging the uptake of renewables and transitioning away from our current reliance on brown coal.”

 Read the review – “Climate Change Act an opportunity for Victoria to lead on climate action.”

Let's not forget the purpose of public land: Marissa Knodel

Marissa Knodel - she
writes about the urgency
to protect public land.

Established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon encompasses nearly 188,000 acres of resting, breeding and nesting habitat for hundreds of migratory birds and other species. Its purpose is to protect these bird species and provide a pristine area for birding, fishing, hunting and hiking. Lately, however, it’s been making headlines for far different reasons.

Starting January 2, a self-proclaimed militia broke into the abandoned headquarters at the Malheur Refuge, following a demonstration in support of Dwight and Steven Hammond, arrested for arson after setting fires that spread to public land in 2001 and 2006. Boiled down to the essentials, the leaders of the occupation — Ammon and Ryan Bundy — describe this dispute as a battle between the federal government and the American people over land and resources, land that the American government took from the Paiute people, and which they still consider sacred. Yet their father, rancher Cliven Bundy, has robbed taxpayers of more than one million dollars for the right to graze cattle on public lands. The Bundys claim their armed occupation is about taking a hard stance against the federal government for the people, and that they are prepared to remain for years until the federal government relinquishes control of the wildlife refuge.

Read Marisa Knodel’s Friends of the Earth story - “Public lands for the people and by the people, not the Bundys.”

'Friends' continue to protest against coal in Victoria

T

here is no place for new coal in Victoria.

Wherever exploration licenses and proposed new coal projects have appeared, both in Gippsland and Western Victoria, they have been met with fierce opposition. 

The Victorian government has acknowledged that the process for approving mining exploration is inadequate, leading to the Minister taking back the power to grant new licenses from the department. This is not enough. Victorian communities need to know that their farmland, water and health is not under threat from reckless projects.

From Friends of the Earth, Melbourne - “No New Coal in Victoria”.

Call for climate solutions that the world doesn't possess

A

dvocacy for the restoration of a safe climate calls for solutions that the world does not currently possess.

The central question remains ‘is safe climate restoration possible and, if not, what level of action is now morally defensible and yet practically achievable?’

These matters will examined by a five-strong panel at a Breakthrough event next month in Melbourne entitled, ”Im-Possible Climate: Safe climate restoration under the microscope”.

Panellists at the November 4 forum will be, Friends of the Earth Climate Campaigner, Ben Courtice; Climate Activist, researcher and writer, Andrea Bunting; Environment Victoria CEO, Mark Wakeham; climate policy analyst, David Spratt; and Save the Planet campaign manager, Adrian Whitehead.

Also, the forum will examine and critique the recently published discussion paper “Striking Targets” with the author Philip Sutton.

The forum will be held at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 4, at the LAB-14 Seminar Space, Ground Floor 700 Swanston Street, the University of Melbourne.

Interested people should register to join the forum.

Bennett wants FoE to escape 'white, middle-class ghetto'

T

he environmental movement needs to escape the “white, middle-class ghetto” and engage more fully with the UK’s ethnic and working class populations, according to Friends of the Earth’s newly appointed chief executive.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent on Sunday on the second day of his new job, Craig Bennett took a swipe at the environmental establishment as he outlined his plans to reshape the debate.

“The environment cannot be stuck in a white middle-class ghetto. It can’t even be stuck in the environment ghetto. We’ve got to make it relevant to people’s lives,” Mr Bennett said.

Read The Independent's story - “Green movement must escape its 'white, middle-class ghetto', says Friends of the Earth chief Craig Bennett.”