This morning I met the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright and had a wee chat with her, before she began her adress to the combined councils of Southland. I have long admired her work, especially her findings and conclusions around lignite mining. Today, my admiration for her grew, both from what I heard from her in our little tete a tete, and from the presentation she gave to the assembled be-suited councillors.
Her message on lignite? It's the very worst of the fuels and presents too many problems with it's production. Jan was very clear that she doesn't find credible, Solid Energy's (Don Elder's) assurances that they will sequester the CO2 produced beneath Southland's green pastures, or under the seabed of the Great South basin, or that they will off-set the huge volumes of gas produced, by planting trees. She managed the climate-denier from the Gore council, he's the Deputy Chair I believe, well, by presenting the reasons for her firm belief that climate change is real, and comforted him by saying, 'I commend you for taking an interest', but that's as much as she was prepared to concede. Southland's Mayor Frana Cardno spoke powerfully about her concerns around lignite, saying that buried lignite was, 'money in the bank' and that that is where it should stay for the meantime. Jan described the extraction and use of lignite as a fuel as, 'truly unsustainable', and gave it no quarter. Those in attendance must have been struck by her clarity of purpose and depth of knowledge of the lignite issue.
I've not had a chance to hear what their reactions are but will be asking around for their opinions later.
She, incidentally, described the situation with the Waituna Lagoon, as 'truly alarming'.
Friday, September 30, 2011
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3 comments:
i also enjoyed Dr Wrights visit ,, i found her endorsement of 1080 interesting.
i was not surprised that like most people she appears to be unaware of the almost total collapse of the IPCC predictive climate change model.and the extreme concern amoungst the scientific community about the discredited data that was used to produce the initial hypothesis
robertguyton said...
Good morning Cliff. It was good to see you amongst the councillors at yesterday's meeting - that was a great turnout and important, I think, for so many of 'us' to hear both of Jan Wright's well researched messages. I have always been an opponent to the use of 1080 and had, in the past, written a submission against its use in the Takitimu mountains. I was living at Jericho and had concerns about its possible effects on the native falcons that lived in the foothills. Having read the Commisioners report, and having heard her speak yesterday, I revised my view and accept her opinion on this need for 1080 to manage the pest animal problem in our native forests. I don't like it, but I accept the need for it.
I wonder if there were any councillors in the chamber yesterday who acted the same way with regard climate change, that is, having held the belief that it is not real (global warming as a result of human activity), changing their position following the release of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report on lignite mining.
It seems to me the responsible thing to do, take serious regard of a person like Jan Wright and her office, her detailed research and her considered findings. I suspect not. It seems to me that those who haven't accepted that man-made climate change is happening, aren't able or willing to do so. I thought Jan Wright was definite about her opposition to mining lignite.In today's paper she calls on the Regional Council to petition the Government to stop the mining.
Cliff, I have to ask, why were you 'not surprised' that someone in Jan Wright's position, surely in the mainstream of the information flow around climate change, would be unaware of the situation you describe re the IPCC?
Surely she would be very much up to date with the argument?
Cheers
Robert
Bolger I suggest strongly you take note of Jan Wright and stop living in a
cloud of la la land I have just done a assignment on the Mataura basin
lignite reserves ..it to say bloody madness we are even considering Elder's fantasy is to say it very mildly. I just wish in Invercargill we had a
mayor like Frano the Southland District are so fortunate.
I assure you Wrights report makes it clear to welcome the lignite mining is
comparable to back in the early 20th century when the town of Timaru
welcome the arrival with all the hoop la the could of a new immigrant whom
they were told would bring economic prosperity and of course welcome
employment. ( so like Elder's promise hmmmm ) What was the new immigrant the
new industry who arrived with his female mates etc in NZ, that would make us rich beyond our wildest dreams THE AUSTRALIAN POSSUM.
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