Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Solid Energy burns coal underground.
Don Elder's excited about his SOE's next great idea - setting fire to coal while it's still in the ground. It's a tremendously clever idea. Why let the coal lie deep underground when you can set fire to it and collect the exhaust for further burning here on the surface? It's worth a lot of money, so it's full steam, or rather coal-fire fume, ahead. Will Don's exciting process add to New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions? He doesn't mention that at all in his breathless press releases. Perhaps it doesn't matter any more. The mental image of deep underground coal-fires, open cast lignite mines and fracking rigs up and down the country reminds me of scenes from the Middle Earth and I see three small hobbits, returning to the Shire, appalled.
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10 comments:
Scouring of The Shire, perhaps the finest chapter, removed. DAMN YOU PETER JACKSON!!!
Peter's a poor judge of a story, that's clear.
RG,I feel you are one of the many who oppose fracking not on the basis of the evidence, but out of a more general hostility to fossil fuels.
Sally - of course you do. No doubt you feel the same about my views on climate change too. I have listened, face to face, to the fracking industry heads put their case for fracking and to the opponents putting theirs. I've read a good deal on the issue and spoken to lots of people about it. It may be that I've ignored everything I've heard, but it seems a little unlikely, given that I've been trained in the fine art of "Making Good Decisions" and have been putting those learnings into practice all the while I've been on the council (and before, it's my natural way to do business). Still, you may be right. Every now and then I do find myself shaking myself at pieces of coal, being hostile to fiossil fuels and all.
"Why are the vast majority of politicians and bureaucrats control freaks who like to run other people’s lives?
Because exercise of power feeds their pride, and feeding their pride makes them feel good."
http://christianlibertarianism.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/what-motivates-politicians-and-bureaucrats/
" As H.L. Mencken said, the urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it."
Sally, 'scuse my ignorance, but have you ever been a Councillor or held a governance position of some sort?
I seem to recall...
(From the archives)
'Restorative justice'
The recent (fortunate) escape of the Gore District Council from fronting up to face the fury of the Environment Court and its judges, raises serious questions about the basis Environment Southland uses for "restorative justice".
This whole monstrous mess looks awfully like the local government "Old Boy" estab-lishment and the worn "local government has to stick together" theme.
Natural justice would strongly suggest that all people should receive equal treatment/opportunity before the law.
The nonsensical line "we will only hurt our own people" doesn't and shouldn't wash.
Treatment meted out to any entity representing one ratepayer, 10 ratepayers or 1000 ratepayers should be the same.
Otherwise this looks very much like patch protection for the local regional councillor.
There should not be special treatment for any local government body.
So, Environment Southland, front up with transparent facts. Show us your workings that similar treatment is available for others and has been given to those who requested it.
Remember the Gore District Council made an environmental mess at the Pleura Stream.
Given the way Environment Southland and its representatives dish out $1000 instant fines, drag offenders into court to face staggering fines, please describe the process a stakeholder of the region who has compromised Environment Southland's "rules" can apply, as the Gore District Council did, for "restorative justice".
Colin and Sally McIntyre, Gore
Bad for environment
The environment has more than taken a back seat with this National Government – it's gone right out the window.
School programmes that taught our children how to care for their environment, dumped.
The Department of Conservation starved of funding, forced to open its unique landscapes to commercial operations.
Our national parks offered up to mining companies from around the world.
This Government is the worst news the environment has had in a very long time.
Robert Guyton, Riverton
- © Fairfax NZ News
I have concerns on how this project came into being.
How and who made the decision to make their consent a non notified one under the RMA ?
To me it sounds like a project which needs to have as much public input for or against to see if this type of mining and its impact is the way New Zealand should be heading
I agree with you, Charles - the public needs to be fully engaged with this issue. Keep an eye out for when it surfaces down here. I'll keep you posted.
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