$24/t

Boonah Organisation for a Sustainable Shire, is again celebrating World Environment Day at the Outlook. This year's event is on Saturday June 4 2011 from 9am to 3pm.

World Environment Day 5 June 2011

Environmental Management Seminar 16 June 2011

Safety Management Seminar TBA

CSG Technical Session 28 June 2011

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Climate Commission

The Climate Commission is an independent body set up to provide information on climate change & to help inform the debate.

Last week the Federal Government announced the release of the Climate Commission's report The Critical Decade Report. Climate science, risks and responses.

The premise of the report is that the longer Australians wait to act on climate change, the more it will cost. This is why the Climate Commission believes that this decade is critical for getting the global economy on a less carbon intensive pathway.

Some of the key impacts already being observed are highlighted in the report: There is no doubt the climate is changing. The evidence is overwhelming and clear. Australian Businesses are all ready seeing the social, economic and environmental impacts of a changing climate.

The commission asserts that human activities - the burning of fossil fuels & deforestation - are triggering the changes we are witnessing in the global climate.

The Climate Commission emphasises the need to start taking action now to promote new sources of renewable and cleaner energy. Delays now, will mean Australians will pay a much higher cost in the future. The report concludes that the decisions that Australians and the global community make from now to 2020 will determine the severity of climate change that the subsequent generations will experience.

$26/tonne

The Garnaut Review 2011: Australia in the Global Response to Climate Change, is the final report of the update delivered by Professor Ross Garnaut to the Federal Government.

This report follows seven months of research, analysis, studies & consultation, which have examined:

· major developments in the past three years in the climate science,

· global greenhouse gas emissions,

· international progress on climate change mitigation,

· Australia’s land and electricity sectors,

· innovation and technology,

· carbon pricing &

· Delivery of compensation to households through income tax cuts.

Eight detailed update papers were released between February & March 2011.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has gained a lot of publicity for its Submission to the Government on Carbon Pricing Policy. One may remember, the BCA leaked its submission to selected newspapers on the eve of last weekend’s climate committee negotiations, calling for a $10 carbon price and the exemption of any industry that could be considered to be trade exposed.

The BCA didn't explain how the bipartisan target of a 5 per cent cut in emissions could be reached in the absence of any price incentive, or where the reduction effort was supposed to take place.

The Australian Industry Group (AiG) has also been vocal in comments to the Government on its proposed carbon pricing model. The AiG argues that, if the Federal Government's proposed scheme goes ahead, it should:

· start with a moderate carbon price;

· move quickly to be fully internationally linked;

· contain strong & effective measures for trade exposed businesses;

· ensure the continuity of electricity supply;

· be accompanied by clear processes under which the plethora of existing emissions-related regulation will be reviewed and removed; &

· be supported by investments in research, development & deployment of low-emissions technologies.

ASBG has adopted a position similar to the Australian Industry Group calling for a low starting price. ASBG has expressed concerns over the massive pool of money which will be distributed by the Federal Government via the Department of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency (DCCEE).

However, to put things in context, Professor Ross Garnaut’s $11.5b annual starting position is around 3% on top of the $383.1b that the Federal Government expects to receive in revenue in the 2012-3 Financial year. The deficit will be $20.3b.

The Investor Group on Climate Change, the organisation that represents most of Australia's funds managers. They have a considerable vested interest of their own because of the scale of their investments.

CEO Nathan Fabian said: "If you have a zero carbon price for trade-exposed industries, then the cost is pushed to other sectors. If you start with really low price in early years, and it doesn't drive emission reductions, then you are leaving the work to the end of decade when the price will have to jump higher."

ASBG June Seminars

Don’t forget ASBG QLD’s Environmental Management Seminar on Thursday 16 June 08:00-12:30 see attached flyer and programme.

The Association for Sustainability in Business Inc., 2011 Conference*

* Not an ASBG Event

Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation 15-16 September 2011 Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, Australia

The conference organiser values your opinion & would like to ensure that this year’s conference covers topics & subjects that YOU are interested in. If there are any topics or subjects you feel would be of interest to you OR would like covered at the conference, please let Angela Stuart know.

My letter to Capt Quirk about amenity impacts on my Community

Capt. Graham Quirk
Lord Mayor
Brisbane City Council,

Dear Lord Mayor,

I would like to apologise if I seemed a little arrogant or aggressive, when talking to you this morning on @612Brisbane's Breakfast radio programme.

However, my question went un-answered. What are you (as Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council) going to do, to improve the amenity of my community?

My community will have its amenity severely compromised, by the activities of Brisbane City Council & its contractors (TransCity) whilst building & operating the Northern Link Road Tunnel.

We have already established the TransCity are going to do the bare minimum possible to meet their contractual obligations. Colin Jenner (the former Coordinator General)'s conditions are seen as mere suggestions.

So the question remains: what are you going to do, to assist us? What are you going to do to improve our conditions (that were already compromised by previous regimes including Sally-Anne & Jim Soorley)?

There is an opportunity for Brisbane City Council &/or Qld Rail to improve the connectivity between our community & Spring Hill via the walkway between Normanby & Brisbane Girl's Grammar School.

There is an opportunity to improve the street scape.

There is an opportunity to address our local traffic & parking concerns.

Please DO NOT respond with a letter, thanking me for drawing these matters to your attention.

Please inform my dear friends & neighbours & I, what you plan to do & how you will respond to our frustrations!

regards,

Rowan Barber

Coal Seam Gas vs Shale Gas ~ notes from the field

The following rant is taken from a bloke who left the CSG industry last week...reposted here for those who are interested in such things

There are 2 industries, and 2 VERY different legislators at play here.

ok, so what you saw in gasland was shale gas; that went largely unregulated and unchecked.

Shale gas, (and oil), reservoirs, like all conventional reservoirs, can be subject to all the conventional nasties, SBRs (sulphur reducing bacteria), mercury, heavies, condensates, hydrogen sulphide and other sulphates, benzene etc etc etc... this is, by and large, thermogenic gas.

In a coal seam, it is predominantly thought of as biogenic gas. Coal seams have varying amounts of gas adsorbed onto the carbon lattice depending on how much anaerobic digestion went on in laying down the coal, and how porous the coal is etc

To release the gas, all you have to do is drop the pressure, the easiest way to do this, is pump the water out.

Long story short, in a shale well, you have massive depths, high temps, and some corrosion accelerants down there that you want to deal with; which is by, as I understand it, they put some serious biocides down there, as well as some pretty nasty corrosion inhibitors.

In a coal seam, the coal will "skin up"and not allow the gas to move to the wellbore (which is essentially a water well with a pump in the bottom of it),so no coal seam gas operator with any nouse, will really want any hydrocarbons in their reservoir as it will bind the coal and essentially kill the well.

Fraccing is a process where high pressure formation water is pumped into the coal seam to "fracture" the coal to increase the permeability of the gas thus increasing your drill spacing to yield the reservoir. When I say pumped, they roll up with about 2000hp of turbocharged diesel pump to shift this water, its hardcore. Then a propant, which is either washed river sand, or a thermoset gel, like a guiar gum (the coagulant used in ice cream) Additives used in fraccing fluids in coal seams usually consist of some chlorine bleach, and some acetic acid to kill off whatever bugs may have been in the water that was sitting on the surface pre fraccing.

note:this is usually formation water, from the coalseam. The issue with fraccing in CSG is not the chemicals, its the hydro geology.

Here's the clincher, IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD GEOLOGICAL INTEGRITY YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOUR FRAC IS GOING! IF YOU CANNOT PROVE THERE WILL BE NO VERTICAL COMMUNICATION TO OTHER GROUNDWATER, YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FRAC.

Technically, this is quite manageable, but it will be more expensive for the operator to do so.

Salinity on the surface from the evap dams and the R.O. plants needs some more planning, as does the effects of bulk movement of formation water (water out of the coal formation) and what effect that can have on the groundwater filtering out of other basins, into the coalseam then up into the dams. What effect this will have in 20 years if we try to pump 4 LNG trains out of Gladstone full of gas, is not yet well known enough. This is where the DERM needs to focus environmentally.

Socially, taking intensively farmed blacksoil, that is a whole nuther discussion...

Sustainable Business Weekly QLD Edition [Green Tape, Climate, MDB]

Green Tape

The state of environmental compliance in the State of Queensland is in a state of emergency. That is why ASBG is including a session on how to stay out of trouble with the regulator at our next Environmental Management Seminar.

Anecdotal evidence would indicate Environmental Practitioners loathe to deal with the Department of Environment & Research Management (DERM).

The Greentape Reduction project is an attempt to streamline, integrate and coordinate environmental regulatory requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The project is a response to business and Government concerns that navigating the environmental regulatory framework has become diabolically complicated, while compromising environmental outcomes. This in turn can make it more difficult to comply with the law.

The project seeks to ensure Queensland’s regulatory framework is proportional to the environmental risk of the particular activity. The approvals process will also be simplified and clarified.

DERM representatives met with and invited comment from the Australian Sustainable Business Group (ASBG).

Officers from DERM will be consulting throughout Queensland over a six-week period, meeting representatives from industry. For further information plus detailed discussion of each initiative, please see the discussion paper and regulatory assessment statement or contact the department at epact.policy@derm.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3330 5899.

Climate Commission

The Climate Commission is an independent body set up to provide information on climate change, and to help inform the debate. ASBG will provide some analysis of “The Critical Decade Report.” in coming weeks.

Murray Darling Basin

The Wentworth Group of Scientists have have walked away from the Federal Government's Murray Darling Basin Authority process, in protest.

Right now the Murray Darling Basin Authority are in the final stages of recommending how to deal with the water crisis and scientists are saying that the Authority is preparing to announce environmental water flows that are so low they won't save our nation's food bowl.

Even more worryingly, the Authority has cancelled all independent scientific review of the government's Murray Darling plan in an attempt to cover up their lack of environmental credibility.

Sand Mining on Straddie

As previously reported, on 22 March 2011, the Premier announced she would be shutting down mineral sand mining on Straddie in 2019. This announcement has created considerable uncertainty for Sibelco Australia's operations as well as the Straddie community.

The public debate over mining on Stradbroke Island has gone quiet recently. ASBG do not think there has been enough thought or discussion of the implications of this decision. ASBG encourages your feedback.

IWC’s Water Leader Scholarships

The International WaterCentre’s Water Leader Scholarships are now open to study the IWC Master of Integrated Water Management in 2012.

The program equips students with the integration, leadership and managerial skills to become part of an elite group of water leaders with sustainable and holistic solutions to global water and climate change challenges. The program takes a multi-disciplinary, whole-of-water-cycle approach. Apply online

ASBG June Seminars

Don’t forget ASBG QLD’s Environmental Management Seminar on Thursday 15 June 08:00-12:30 see attached flyer and programme.

The Association for Sustainability in Business Inc., 2011 Conference*

Not an ASBG Event

Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation 15-16 September 2011 Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, Australia

This year’s conference will boast a cutting edge program & feature over 40 presenters in keynote and concurrent sessions & workshops.

There will be two networking functions to maximise business opportunities along with free wireless internet for all delegates and exhibitors.

There will be an online Business-to-Business Forum, which enables registered delegates, presenters & exhibitors to network before, during & after the Conference.

"Zero Carbon Australia" by Beyond Zero Emissions

beyond Zero Emissions will be discussing their “Zero Carbon Australia Plan” on the 2 June 2011, 18.00 ‐ 19:30 at the Hawken Engineering Building (50) Theatre 203

It is the plan for Australia to move to 100% renewable energy and zero carbon emissions in ten years, using technology that is commercially available right now!

The plan will be presented by Brad Schultz, a Mechatronic Engineer who works as an Energy Specialist for Honeywell reducing energy use in large commercial buildings

RSVP to ewbee.uq@gmail.com

Green Tape

The state of environmental compliance in the State of Queensland is in a state of emergency. That is why ASBG is including a session on how to stay out of trouble with the regulator at our next Environmental Management Seminar.

Anecdotal evidence would indicate Environmental Practitioners loathe to deal with the Department of Environment & Research Management (DERM).

The Greentape Reduction project is an attempt to streamline, integrate and coordinate environmental regulatory requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

The project is a response to business and Government concerns that navigating the environmental regulatory framework has become diabolically complicated, while compromising environmental outcomes. This in turn can make it more difficult to comply with the law.

The project seeks to ensure Queensland’s regulatory framework is proportional to the environmental risk of the particular activity. The approvals process will also be simplified and clarified.

DERM representatives met with and invited comment from the Australian Sustainable Business Group (ASBG).

Officers from DERM will be consulting throughout Queensland over a six-week period, meeting representatives from industry. For further information plus detailed discussion of each initiative, please see the discussion paper and regulatory assessment statement or contact the department at epact.policy@derm.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3330 5899.

Social Enterprise

Today's blog post is based on my own navel gazing as I seek to find ways to earn a livelihood, whilst solving social and/or environmental problems. For me there is no such thing as work/life balance.......it is all LIFE.

My problem seems to be more economic: I have a floundering social enterprise.

It does not cost me much to keep it ticking over, but it is not returning on my investments of time or money either.

I attended a lecture this morning at the Ideas Festival titled: Inclusive Australia: Is there a place for profit in social enterprise?

Simon McKeon is amongst other things the Chairman of the CSIRO and a board member of World Vision. He is also Australian of the Year.

Simon was engaging & interesting. He said lots of things about including women, aging populations & people with disabilities & disadvantages into the workforce......but the workforce he described seemed quite entrenched in modern paradigms.

He was hopeful that using genetically altered plants to produce omega 3 fatty acids was going to reduce dependence on wild fish stocks. Simon seemed to think GM is a really good idea. I am not so sure.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about Corporate Social Responsibility. I struggle with the concept of business who are seeking to be socially responsible when their core businesses &/or mission statements are socially destructive (like fossil fuels or tobacco or industrial food).

I have not refined my concept of a Social Enterprise but I am seeking models of enterprise that are a little different.......I am looking for ways that I (and others) can meet our humans needs and/or provide for our dependents & achieve social objectives.

I love the work that Food Connect are doing. My challenge (for myself) is to find commercial solutions for environmental problems. I would love to be part of a business that employs stay-at-home parents, semi-retired professionals & people with disabilities.

I love the work of Hub Melbourne and/or the School of Social Entrepreneurs and/or Think Act Live

NGER Amendment Determination & A Price on Carbon

A Price on Carbon

The Federal Government has still not released the details of the proposed Price on Carbon.

The impacts of the proposed Price on Carbon were left out of the Federal budget last week.The Government has indicated details of this initiative will be announced in July 2011.

The first step in understanding the Carbon Price is to get one’s head around National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (the NGER Act).

The Howard Government introduced a national framework for the reporting and dissemination of information about greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas projects, and energy use and production of corporations which will form the basis of the financial liabilities for a price on Carbon.

The objectives of the NGER Act, as stated in the legislation, are to:

· inform Government policy and the Australian public;

· help meet Australia’s international reporting obligations;

· assist Commonwealth, state and territory government programs and activities;

· avoid the duplication of similar reporting requirements in the states and territories.

Corporations that meet an NGER threshold must report their:

· greenhouse gas emissions;

· energy production;

· energy consumption;

· other information specified under NGER legislation.

The Federal Government is inviting comments on The NGER Amendment Determination 2011 Exposure Draft. Submissions are due on the Tuesday 31 May 2011. The intention is for the Amendment Determination to come into effect on 1 July 2011 to inform the preparation of NGER reports in October 2012 (for the 2011-2012 reporting year only).

Many of Australia’s largest organisations will be significantly impacted and, under the current timeline, will have less than a year to prepare, develop and implement a comprehensive strategy. These proposals will not affect NGER reports which are due in October 2011.

The Department is also publishing a response paper summarising submissions and outlining the Department’s current position on issues raised in the discussion paper.