Gillards first climate test could be a failure
How about she step up and take control of climate policy
This morning we awoke to the bad news that the federal government was supporting a deal by company ‘Environmental Clean Technologies’ to export up to 20 million tonnes of brown coal a year from Victoria to Vietnam.
It’s a pretty bad first move for our new Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who only yesterday assured the community that her government would take climate change seriously. Yet there they were today ready to sign up for millions of tonnes of greenhouse pollution, increasing coal dependence in the developing world, and continued reliance on polluting coal in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
Brown coal is the dirtiest form of energy available. The company is pretending that their product will be clean because they intend to dry the coal before exporting it, meaning that it will still be as polluting as black coal!!! Coal simply isn’t clean, just like cigarettes simply aren’t healthy.
Along with a host of other green groups, we hastily pulled together a rally out the front of the signing at the Langham Hotel on Southbank. With really short notice and in the pouring rain we pulled together nearly 50 people for a vocal action. Resources Minister Simon Crean certainly got a rousing welcome, and we made it clear to the awaiting media that this was the first key test for our new PM on climate.
We’re calling on Prime Minister Gillard to step up and take control of climate policy by withdrawing the federal government’s support for a brown coal export industry in Victoria. And with the strong support from the media we’ve received thus far, coupled with a great short-notice turnout from the community, we hope she’ll be listening... after all, we know what happened to the last four leaders who failed to deliver on climate change.
Comments
Good info
Hello! dggkaee interesting dggkaee site! I'm really like it! Very, very dggkaee good!
Vegetarian approach
How many at Enviroment Victoria are vegetarian ? While everyone moans and groans about coal they all turn up to fund raisers and chomp away on beef, lamb and chicken. All the more detrimental to the environment. Coal, cars and what the Chinese do, are all at the petty end of the spectrum when you consider the environmental wreckery that continues unchecked in our farming sector. Picket a Coles supermarket or MasterChef Australia because that is where crimes against the enviroment are being committed.
Vegetarianism
Hey there - many of us here at Environment Victoria are vegetarian. We regularly cater for our events with vegetarian food. We're also really big on seasonal foods and buying local. You can read our article about it here:
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/eating-planet
CAPITAL FUNDING FOR CLEANER ALTERNATIVE ENERGY/COLDRY?
The recent negative comments regarding Coldry by environment victoria need to be revised.
the proposed alternatives of wind ,solar ,and others on a world scale would require billions of dollars of investment capital,this is where your position does not have solid foundations moving forward.
In the most polluting countries that use coal,india ,China ,US and Australia, they are going to continue to use Cheap source of energy,namely BROWN COAL,
GIving these countries a cleaner alternative in CONJUNTION with the alternatives you propose is a start.
Irrespective of what you or i say these countries will continue to use brown coal because financially that is what is affordable energy at the present time.
WHOLISTIC APPROACH ,clean the most polluting form of energy and recieve drinkable water that is an essential,while working on the renewables.
What has EV done recently to stop the burning of brown coal in its own back yard?
Here's our take on brown coal exports
There’s been a lot of comments on Environment Victoria’s lack of support for a) creating a brown coal export industry for Victoria and b) coal drying technology. We believe these are totally reasonable and credible positions to have in this time of climate change and recognised urgency to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Here’s a couple of points of clarification:
1) A number of comments have highlighted Environment Victoria’s study which showed we can more than halve Victoria’s emissions by 2020. As we stated at the time (and as it still says on our website here), we modelled all the technologies that the state government had considered at the time, including coal drying. However, we clearly stated that this did not mean that we endorsed all the technologies. Therefore claims that Environment Victoria supports coal drying are incorrect.
2) The report clearly shows that coal drying (if proven to be viable) would make a very small contribution to emissions reductions, primarily because as renewable energy, energy efficiencies and some efficient gas (as a transition fuel) are brought on-line, we can reduce and even replace the use of coal. As the report shows, Victoria’s emissions can be halved without using coal drying technology.
3) We do not support the use of brown coal, including the export of brown coal, because it is a highly polluting source of energy production. Even if greenhouse pollution from brown coal can be reduced via coal drying, it is still far more polluting than existing alternatives such as renewable energy and energy efficiency for example. Exporting brown coal rather than renewable energy technologies to developing countries locks them into a polluting future at a time when all countries need to reduce emissions. Introducing a new brown coal export industry also increases the dependence of the Latrobe Valley on coal, delaying the necessary transition to a clean energy economy for that community and the state.
4) Even if brown coal can be made as polluting as black coal, it is still far from clean. This is not an acceptable solution to our climate problem as it will not allow us to reduce emissions as far or as fast as the science tells us is necessary.
At Environment Victoria we believe we’ve got to get on with the job of a rapid transition to truly green energy technologies if we are going to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Thank you...
... for clarifying the EV position - it certainly lets me understand the extent to which your policy is driven by science. I think you could afford to be a whole lot clearer about which of the things you publish represent your "core" beliefs.
I think you are tragically wrong about the balance of technologies that will be needed to reach a green future, though doubtless you are well intentioned. I will continue to back coal drying in the short term for the non-trivial reduction in carbon intensity it will bring and will keep my investments in Geothermal and Wave Power in the bottom drawer for when these technologies actually become significant - about 2016 at the earliest by the look of that wedge in the Nous report.
FWIW I do completely share your misgivings about CCS - this technology will never deliver the promised emission reductions and that wedge in the Nous report will prove completely fanciful (as will several others).
JI
I really think EV need to clarify their position
So i guess I'm still waiting for some sort of statement clarifying EV's position.
The EV strategic plan for reducing carbon emmisions in Victoria ("Turning it Around", page 26 item 10) calls on all of Victoria's power generators to install Coal Drying technology as soon it becomes commercially available. This is ECTL's Coldry or some other technology such as RWE Power's SFBD.
On Friday you protested against Vietnam following the same strategy you yourselves recommend for Victoria. Is this some sort of double standard or do you just not read your own strategy papers?
EV claims to be driven by the science yet in this case you have protested against the science in your own strategy paper.
I think you need to clarify your position because, frankly, at the moment you just look silly. Either publish your revised strategy for achieving a 50% reduction by 2020 or explain why Vietnam shouldn't be allowed to reduce their emmision in the same way you want Victoria to.
JI
The link that Vicki gave seems broken....
Use:
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/sites/default/files/useruploads/Environment%20Victoria%20Final%20Report%20-%20The%20Nous%20Group%20(4).pdf?phpMyAdmin=8,SW0pHXD5tewKNvRRFVgHetb,a
to read the PDF of "Turning it around: climate solutions for Victoria".
JI
Posting media releases
It's a policy of the site to not allow media releases from other organisations/ companies or sales messages on our blog forums. You are welcome to post a link, but fully posted releases will be deleted.
dig deeper for the truth
i am well researched on ECT and heavily invested in it. This tech will reduce emissions, here and in emerging economies where brown coal WAS going to be used (now coldry). It will also reduce the drag on our prescious water resource in Vic and elsewhere globally. Dig a bit deeper on this.
We need a mulitude of solutions and this is a legitmate one that should be embraced.
We are all different shades of green.
btw. I only became aware of this site tonight after reading the hotcopper site (you''re not getting good press over there!)It's not just one person or organisation posting here.
anyway keep protesting - the more people who know about this tech the better for me :-).
Hazelwood and Coldry BCE
EV comments "Hazelwood is the most polluting power station in the country and it's a very good place to start if you want to reduce both Victoria's and Australia's greenhouse gas emissions."
Switching it to run on Coldry BCE pellets would be a magnificent start !
``If they replace just 10 per cent of their volume with coldry pellets they would decrease CO2 emissions by five per cent,'' (Kos Galtos CEO ECT)
Come on EV someone is actually trying to help, realistically we can't do without it but we can make it better and all efforts should be applauded not criticised.
This product will help Australia reduce it's greenhouse emissions immediately without the need for developing a massive renewable energy infrastructure Renewables can and should be phased in over time but fair shake of the sauce bottle this technology can help us reduce emissions immediately. why the negativity and protesting????
Turning it around
I have just been reading the "Turning it Around" paper (thanks to the anonymous poster at Sun, 27/06/2010 - 16:50 for the link).
It appear that EV's plan to halve carbon emisions by 2020 relies on Coldry (or something very similar).
Please correct me if I'm wrong but does not item 10 on page 26 say that it's your policy to Dry Coal to achieve a 25% emissions target with a ramp up from 2010 to 2015. That's what Coldry does.
Can an EV representative familiar with the technical elements of this report please explain what technology is being referred to in item 10?
Surely you guys have not been protesting against a technology you endorse in your own strategy paper? Does the left hand know what the right is doing?
JI
Technology choice
It appears "Turning it Around" was referring to Steam Fluidised Bed Drying which at the time of that report was seen as the most promising technology. This is the technology being developed by RWE Power in Germany I think and there are still some question marks over it. I think EV will find that Coldry is a technology that achieves the same result at least as cleanly (producing grade A water as a by product) and may now (2 - 3 years later) be considered the preferable choice to achieve the same outcomes.
Of course ECTL supporters are not to blame if the Government of Vietnam have cottoned on to this before the Government of Victoria but I think the penny will drop locally quite soon.
I think we will soon be on the same side here - Coldry will be part of delivering the 50% reduction EV seek entirely in line with the spirit of "Turning it Around".
JI
Link to the report
Hi all - the comment referred to above was accidentally deleted. Here's the link again for those who are interested (with apologies to the poster):
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/library/turning-it-around-climate-...
Thanks Vicki
Thanks Vicki
Correction
That should read "ramp up from 2010 to 2025". Sorry.
Love the story of ECT!!
love the story of ECT, they are actually doing something to help the environment. i like to ask one simple question to the EV, what are you doing to help the environment? apart from blah blah blah, are you developing something that help environment? if you are not, then step out and let the ECT do the work.
Censorship at EV
Interesting to note that a comment I made yesterday was censored. Not especially offensive, just disagreeing with the analysis leading to the protest. I guess EV is not big on democracy.
Hi there
Welcome to our blog. You're more than welcome to comment and respond to the issue at hand. Any comments which make generalizing, personal or insulting statements are being deleted. As long as you keep to the issue at hand, keep your comments polite and avoid flaming, your responses will be allowed to stand, as per our comment policy.
Enjoy the discussion!
EDIT: A couple of comments were accidentally deleted as a result of being responses to previous comments which were thought to be flaming. Apologies to those whose posts disappeared in this manner without reason.
Fair enough
I'm struggling to see how what I said could be construed as offensive, especially considering the robust nature of what remains (on both "sides" of the debate) but if someone took offense I guess that's fair. Thanks for clarifying.
Blah Blah Blah
Dear Mark D
Your Blah Blah Blah is not helping the environment. atleast ECT is doing something to reduce the emissions. it's not 100% clean but can be use to replace the black cole to reduce the harm which is 30 to 40%. in my opinion that's good place to start.
Misleaded
I saw the protest on the news and thought how could Australia be supporting the export of brown coal to Vietnam?? After looking into this trade deal further I feel I have been misleaded by the protesters and the media. This trade deal is actually about exporting a substance called 'Coldry'. I'm not sure if it's proven but it apparently reduces emissions by up to 30% compared to brown coal in generating electricity.
I then thought to myself, why would EV be protesting against a deal that could potentially reduce emissions?? The only answer I could come up with is that this was more about politics than the export deal itself, or the protesters were unaware of what they were protesting. There is no way I will vote Labour or the Coalition in the next election. My vote was going to the greens, but now I'm not sure of that either.
No-one likes to be misleaded, the truth will always come out eventualy!
Jim
Victoria
ECT-bot: your dirty
ECT-bot: your dirty technology doesn't replace black coal. It makes brown coal as polluting at black coal. It's nothing more than a bit of theatre; a bit of Al Jolson in blackface, a travelling minstrel show. Good, however, to note that you accept that this process is 'not 100% clean'. That being the case, let's rename your company to acknowledge this mutually agreed fact. I think we'll call you 'Unclean Technology'. And the acronym: UT. Hmm. Bit clumsy. How about: UCNT? Bingo! UCNT. Now, run along to the spin doctors at Monsoon Communications and ask them what to say next. Off you go. Until next time, UCNT!
Ciao.
MD
Dear ECT-bots
@Coal Protest: I took your advice and looked into the Coldry process. The most useful source was your (yes, your) own webpage: http://www.ectltd.com.au/coldry/coldry-overview. The key point: the Coldry process produces a 'black coal equivalent'. Well, thank heavens for that. Now that we've saved the planet from itself, I can go shopping. Or not. Because as I understand it, until you guys come up with a way to excuse the Earth from the second law of thermodynamics, we have to stop using fossil fuels. Whether that's brown coal, black coal or your so-called black coal equivalent, it has to stay in the ground. The burning of any fossil fuel will only add to the greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere and therefore to the temperature of the planet and the acidity of the oceans. As EV and the fifty switched-on protesters and countless others know, there is a direct correlation between greenhouse emissions and the planet's rising temperatures. Here's a link to verified data that shows just that: http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/facts_and_figures/temp_g...
So: more greenhouse emissions, more global warming. Fossil fuels need to stay in the ground. The Earth's energy needs must be met by renewables now. There is no place and no future for your dehydrated brown coal bikkies. In fact, I think you should make a nice cup of tea for yourself and dip your wrinkled, lignite munchies in it. Yum. And while you chew on that savoury delight you could do no worse than read the ACCC's guidelines on green marketing claims, right here: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.phtml?itemId=815763&nodeId=69646a6d1...
Regards
Mark D
So how does that position reconcile with "Turning it Around"
Pretty strong words Mark - just wondering how you reconcile your position with EV's strategy for reducing emission by 50% by 2020 as described in "Turning it Around"?
The emissions will not drop to zero by themselves - individuals and large enterprises of all descriptions will need to work very hard to bring them down. I happen to be quite familiar with the laws of physics and so far I have seen noone in this discussion deny those laws or climate change - quite the opposite: people who are supporting ECTL have been investing in the company (a very risky investment I might add - many of these people could have lost a great deal of money) and doing the best to see Coal Drying technology become a reality.
This technology (or others like it) are an essential part of the EV strategy to get to 50% by 2020. I applaud EV policy for being science driven and I think "Turning it Around" is a serious piece of work that we should strive to achieve - one wedge at a time.
I suggest you stop picking a fight and reread the paper and perhaps thank some of these people who have propped up this company to the point where it may actually get to the point of being able to assist generators in complying with the EV strategy. Without these people we will never get to a fully renewable future.
JI
PS I know some of the pro-ECTL posters personally and happen to know that they (like myself) also have investments in renewable companies - the Geothermal and Solar companies that will build the technology that we are all hoping is the endpoint of this arc. Cut them a break - in many cases they are personally funding the future you are striving for.
Coldry Technology
What a great day for Victoria, Australia and all the individuals involved to get this new and exciting technology to where it is today. I can't wait for further announcements to come from ECT confirming more power stations in Australia and around the world will be using this technology. Wake up greenies
Coldry
I vote GREEN , and I am an investor. I was delighted to find this company that satisfied my desire to invest in an environmentally friendly company, that helped reduce emissions , provide jobs and show promise of a good return. As your website proudly states LEARN ACT GIVE SHARE. Perhaps the protestors should have spent some time learning about this product before acting?
This technology is the start of saving our planet
Wake up, this technology represents something special to reduce global grenhouse emmissions.....
Are you serious- This technology has huge benefits
Is EV serious about this protest? Im a staunch Green Party supporter in NZ and I see this technology as a saviour to a great extent. Lets face it, China, India and others arnt going to stop burning coal- and using this technology they can significantly reduce CO2 emmissions and produce billions of litres of A grade potable water. That is of global proportions to us in the Pacific, and those people who drink polluted rivers elsewhere. Seriously people, read up, this is a great day for the environment, and for you Aussies! Aotea Sycamore, NZ
i think the protest was wrong
sure enough, we try to use alternative methods to instead fossil fuel, but it needs a long way, at present day, oil, coal, gas..we cannot live without them.
and after watching tv and doing own research, this is a new tech which can reduce Cabon, why u against it?
I come from China, i believe this thing is great for our planet, at least in 10-20 year before better choice than fossil fuel, I really want this tech can go to my country u know in Shan XI province，maybe i can be national hero
Export of Coal
This is an amazing breakthrough in technology and is a win win situation for the environment in so many ways, has anyone in the greens bothered to do their homework on this, obviously not.
These emerging countires were going to burn the raw brown coal if this unbelievable technology did not come to fruition, atleast this technology will burn much lower emmissions and the added benefit of water recovery which stays right here in Australia where we need it so badly, I find it hard to believe this is not endorsed by the greens, you certainly have lost me, get with this incredible new Aussie tech and back it to the hilt, I still can not believe the benefits it will produce for all concerned.
This is a bad move by the Greens!
Why isn't Victoria using Coldry?
I don't think people understand this announcement. They are converting low grade ultra poluting Brown Coal with 60% water, to a high grade coal substiute.
If the Victorian Powerstations converted from brown coal to the ECT product, Victoria's CO2 emissions would reduced by 30%!
Why aren't the governements investing in converting the Powerstations? Any why aren't the Green groups supporting this?
Seriously people, do some research!
Hello!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wLS31cCevU
coldry coal protest
I thought this was a step forward for the world to reduce emissions of CO2... why are we protesting??? Has anyone done their research there, absolute disgrace. Try getting aian countries to reduce emissions good luck they are possibly the worst polluters in the world at least with coldry we could use it as a vehicle to reduce emissions until a new technology comes along.... sad day for environmental australia.
Stop coldry amd import more black coal yay we are saving the world..
DO YOUR RESEARCH
I HAVE BEEN AM AM INVOLVED IN MANY CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES - IT IS A PASSION OF MINE. ...WIND, GEOTHERMAL, SOLAR, CSG TO NAME A FEW. I GLADLY ATTENDED THE DEAKIN CLIMATE LECTURES A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WITH MANY INTERESTING SPEAKERS INC TIM FLANNERY, TONY BLAIRS CHIEF CLIMATE ADVISER, AL GORES PARTNER AND MANY PEOPLE FROM INDUSTRY THAT ARE TRYING TO SHAPE A CLEANER FUTURE.. EG TATA POWER FROM INDIA. IT IS CLEAR THAT WE CANNOT OVERNIGHT STOP DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS AND ANYONE WHO SAYS SO IS UNREALISTIC. THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN REDUCE EMMITIONS NOW...IT IS A TRANSITION TECHNOLOGY.. WHO ARE WE TO STOP ASIA SUBSTITUTING LOW GRADE COAL WITH CLEANER COAL, FURTHERMORE, AN ETS WILL MAKE THIS TECHNOLOGY COME INTO ITS OWN HERE IN AUSTRALIA - REPLACING BROWN WITH A CLEANER FEEDSTOCK - THE NUMBERS BEING IN OTHER POSTS. DO SOME RESEARCH - I AM INTENDING TO VOTE GREENS, BUT IF THIS IS THE KIND OF RADICAL ONE EYED VIEW I'D BE FORCED NOT TO.
Hmmm...
I'm not sure, but I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that most of these 'anonymous' posts came from the same person...
Suzie.
Anonymous
Yours is also Anonymous, to be honest i would have loved to have been at the Langham Hotel myself shaking hands with the creators of this environmentally friendly great deal, but most of us have jobs we have to attend!
Get in the real world!
Hmmm.....
I'm sure the webmaster could tell by the IP address. Why denegrate the the messenger when you should be focusing on the message if you think you have a plausible countenance. One of those posts was mine. I cant vouch for the other 10 or so.
Why doesnt Environment Victoria engage in scientific debate that looks at the holistic impact of this type of technology instead of applying faith-based principles of debate. This should be a scientific discussion as climate change is a science we must all respect and shouldnt be treated like a headline for the tabloids.
Greg
Environmentalists have lost the plot!
Seems to me that groups like Environment Victoria hav been taken over by zealots who have lost all touch with reality. We have the Sea Shepherd Ady Gil crew congratulating themsleves on how fantastic they are and not ;paying attention and then in panic driving their boat into a whale ship - then try to claim the Whale ship hit them (and yes the videos show precisely that the Agy Gil was at fault); then there was the Montara Well oil spill with environmentalists claiming the oil covered 25000 square km - reality was that at the peak enough oil was escaping to fill a swimming pool each fortnight - much of the oil evaporated, and the extent of the oil sheen on the water never exceeded about 1000 square km. And now we have a project using waste heat from power plants to produce a refined brown coal briquette that burns more cleanly than black coal and has the potential to reduce emissions dramatically and you claim it is worse than smoking cigarettes!
And then you have the gall to state on your website you mobilise 5 million people - absolute rubbish!
Saving grace is that soon the actions of yourselves and others will make you completely irrelevant.
John Lambert from Geelong
Coldry protest
If Environment Victoria is about ensuring a sustainable environment maybe they should apply the same ethos to their campaigns. I have a lot of respect for EVs early work in raising the profile of climate change issues but when did community stewardship turn into fanatical sensationalism? Very disappointing.
Ridiculous
One time when a group such as yours should be congratulating a positive use for brown coal, production of A grade water, emission reduction (both here and anywhere the COLDRY product is exported) and jobs for locals (there are probably more positives) you are more interested in jumping up and down on TV and taking the limelight from something that is a POSITIVE for the very environment that you purport to defend. I am amazed and disgusted by the groups ill-informed protest.
Brown Coal (Lignite)
Did you know that it is ECT's desire to have the Coldry Pellets burn't in Victoria's and indeed the worlds lignite Power Stations. Did you know that this will reduce emissions by appx 30%. This is a fantastic start to a cleaner environment.
Coal protest.
You had over a week to get the protest organised. The signing was announced by ECT over a week ago. Gillard is on a winner with ECT and exporting cleaner brown coal. More jobs and money for Victoria plus a great transitional energy wich actually reduces carbon and other very toxic substances when burn't to produce energy. In addition, it produces huge amounts of Class A distilled water. Wake up and get informed. http://www.ectltd.com.au/ ( 50 pawns of Environment Victoria )
For Better or Worse
Everyone know we need more power as the electric car comes into our lives and evey man and his dog needs the latest power hungry TVs and so on...
This Coldry Technology takes the water from the Brown Coal and turns it into A grade water. For every 2 tonnes of dirty brown coal you get 1 tonne of Coldry ,that has a better energy rating than the black coal out of NSW and you also get a 1000 ltrs of demineralised water. (no more river water need to cool the plants)..this is a big plus for the water ways...and the whole process uses the waste heat from the power plant.....
The Australian Government should have backed this technology but nooooooooo it took Vietnam to sign a deal
Why is Victoria not using theses pellets....noooooooooo instead we continue to burn 60% water to 40% coal .....Coldry dewaters the coal to 12%.......
They should be protesting to the government to back this technology for the river systems that will regain 20 billion litres of water a year .
Hazelwood uses 22 billion litres of river water while this tech creates 20 Billion Litres to add back to the system ......
Gillard
Had nothing to do with this.
Please prepare your research before you make false accusations.
They are going to export coal no matter what.
Why not do it cleanly?
Response to Gillard
Actually I'm not so sure that they are going to "export brown coal no matter what". Unlike black coal we don't export brown coal because it is so polluting and volatile. With Simon Crean at this announcement it certainly looks like the Federal Government is supporting the development of a new polluting export industry.
The Vietnam deal with TINCOM is not to export brown coal...
... it is to dry brown coal coal using the Coldry process. This produces a BCE (Black Coal Equivalent) that is less polluting than most grades of black coal and is not volatile like brown coal (which can spontaneously combust when transported).
Now lots of people are uncomfortable with exporting black coal but lets not get the two things mixed up.
Vietnam is seeking to do exactly what EV propose Victoria should do as part of the process of reducing it emissions by 50% by 2020 - that is, make the existing coal fired generators less polluting as soon as possible and then phase them out in favour of renewables like Geothermal, Wave and Solar.
JI
Coal protest
50 people who don't know what this technology is all about, correct?
I would suggest you look into it and have a think about it.
Not as bad as you may think.
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