One of the most interesting things in watching the Australian elections over the weekend was seeing the shock of ABC presenters when the results of its post-vote polling showed climate change was far and away the most important issue on voters’ minds – a massive 27% compared with the next most important: the economy, at 14%.

Why was this so shocking to the media, the political analysts?

It hasn’t stopped raining in Lismore for three months, during which time there have been two devastating floods: today, the town barely exists – it’s all been underwater, twice. There’ve been ongoing floods and storms – from North Queensland all the way down the east coast. Western Australia suffered record heatwaves and horrific bushfires last summer. The Great Barrier Reef is undergoing its sixth – and worst – bleaching event.

The terror of the 2019/20 firestorms that turned the sky orange, burning seven million hectares, are etched into people’s minds, and so is the response from Scott Morrison from his holiday Hawaii as Australia was burning: “I don’t hold a hose mate.” Equally, his slow response to call a major emergency after the Lismore flooding disaster (rightfully) enraged locals.

ScoMo’s response to climate-related disasters didn’t endear him to the Australian people.

As the election campaign rolled out, Scott Morrison didn’t want to talk about climate, because his position was pretty dodgy; Antony Albanese didn’t want to scare the mining communities he needed the votes from (which he didn’t get anyway), and the Canberra press gallery didn’t want to ask either leader about it – it wasn’t in their minds.

Climate specialist journalists were having the devil’s own job in trying to get analysis on climate change published by their editors.  There were pockets of it, but it simply wasn’t a gotcha front page issue. While the Guardian rolled out a number of good pieces, the vast majority of the media largely ignored this issue, entirely missing the story of what voters really cared about, despite polling telling them otherwise.

But in those communities on the ground, climate change was top of mind. As Greens leader Adam Bandt said on Saturday night, the feedback the Greens were getting in Brisbane was that people from all political persuasions were deeply concerned about climate change. They could see it happening in front of their very eyes,  and they wanted action.  And this was one key reason for the “Greenslide” that saw the Greens gain seats in both the House and the Senate.  And the teal independents win liberal seats.

The trauma of having your house (or that of your family or neighbours) underwater or burned to the ground, your wheat crop ravaged by a mouse plague, seeing your beloved forests – and the animals living in them – torched, your Great Barrier Reef bleached, is not easily dismissed. It lives with people for years.

Labor now looks set to gain a very slim majority, so in theory it won’t have to negotiate with the 16-seat crossbench to get its legislation across the line.  PM Albanese has already stated Labor’s 2030 climate target – a 43% reduction below 2005 levels – is not up for negotiation. The target has been arrived at through detailed modelling of all the party’s climate policies (something that would be good to see the National Party do here in Aotearoa – if it HAD a plan).

That crossbench has a strong climate focus: the Greens want to see a target of 74% by 2030 and the teal independents 60%, both 1.5˚C compatible, according to analysis from Climate Analytics – and Labor’s target is around 2˚C compatible.

The Greens look set to hold the balance of power in the Senate, so that will be one to watch. Will they insist on strong climate legislation, such as independent Zali Steggall’s draft Net Zero Bills (60% by 2030)?

While the fossil fuel industry’s firm grip on government has now been loosened and hopefully will be addressed (this article in Renew Economy spells out just how many fossil fuel industry stooges Morrison and his energy minister Angus Taylor planted in key positions), there’s still a way to go, and a lot of damage to undo. Labor will submit its new target to the UNFCCC, and is likely to re-enter the Global Climate Fund that the previous encumbents walked away from.

Labor still wedded to gas and coal 

But as this great piece in Carbon Brief points out, Labor has not backed off its support of both gas and coal:

“Australia is on track to continue producing fossil fuels in large volumes, with 69 new coal projects and 45 new LNG, gas and oil projects in the investment pipeline, as of October 2021.”

The emissions from those projects, combined, would add at least 8.3% to Australia’s emissions by 2030.

But Albo does not oppose big new gas projects like Woodside Energy’s Scarborough Pluto extension in Western Australia, set to add 1.37 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by 2055, and he hasn’t named a single coal-fired power station he’d close down early. He’s even said the country could still be burning coal in 2050, 20 years after the date Australia needs to get out of coal as its part in the global action required to keep warming to 1.5˚C.

Protesters challenge Woodside Energy’s Scarborough Gas project in Western Australia

The fossil fuel industry has been pouring money into the political parties, with Woodside giving the biggest donation – $108,350  – to Labor. The sector donated a total of $1.15m to political parties in the past year, similar to the $1.13m it donated the year before.  It would be good to hear Labor reject that funding.

Sure, Labor does have good, big plans for climate action, and there is certainly scope for its many policies listed in its “Powering Australia” plan to roll out in all the sectors neglected by the federal government: transport, industry, buildings, etc.  Labor had a plan, a plan that it had thoroughly modelled to get to its 2030 target number (something our National Party might want to consider if it wants to be taken seriously on climate change).

But if anyone expects a coal-fired power station to be closed down any time soon – or even a coal mine to be stopped, they will likely be disappointed. We will likely keep seeing coal from the Adani mine continuing to be exported to India. the fight against coal will – and must – go on. [Noting there has been a very long and effective fight against Australia’s coal development, and the Galillee basin in particular].

Perhaps the strong climate signal from the voters, combined with the crossbench in the House that is overwhelmingly in favour of it, will mean Labor will understand it has been given a strong mandate to do more to tackle the fossil fuel production problem – but my bet is that this won’t happen at least until after the next election.  The Climate Wars might be over, but they could come roaring back at any point.

We can only hope that this will bring more of the teal independents and Greens into the House in the next election.

The question that everyone here has been asking is whether the Australian election outcome will have an impact on New Zealand?  It’s probably unlikely we’ll have the same voter reaction based on climate concerns: we haven’t seen quite the devastation that Australians have experienced, even though pockets of the country have (think: Tairawhiti, Westport).

Although I hasten to add we ARE seeing impacts – such as the 40 dead kororā in Northland last weekend, likely because of warming seas.  Our glaciers are shrinking; we ARE seeing more terrible flooding events right around the country.  Recent sea level rise information has shocked the country.   While more of us need to be shouting about climate action as these events are taking place, we’re often told this is “not the time” when we try to.

Other non climate-related takeaways 

While COVID-19 WAS a factor in the Australian elections, I don’t think it was in quite the same way that a lot of the New Zealand media are claiming.  The vote wasn’t a message to an incumbent government from a population fed up with a strong covid response and worried about the rising cost of living. It was a population fed up with a right wing government that didn’t appear to care about its people.

The success of the Australian covid response was largely down to the State premiers, not the federal government. Every time ScoMo did something on covid he did it wrong – and late, he lied about it, tried to blame other people, and messed it up. The loss of liberal seats in both WA and Victoria were, to a large extent, driven by the sledging their premiers got by the Federal government in the face of their strong response. The people of WA didn’t like being called cave people.  Who does?

Aside from pushing back against ScoMo on covid and climate, the other factor was what we’re seeing a lot of here in Aotearoa, unfortunately: misogyny, and the misogyny of the Morrison government had to be seen to be believed. Australia’s women had had enough. They voted for independents – and those who won were almost all women.  This argument is best summed up in ABC’s Annabel Crabb’s fantastic article.

The post The Australian election: what does it mean for climate, coal and gas? appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

This poses a challenge to climate change denial that right-wing politicians and pundits are desperate to distract and deflect from, in both Australia and the US.

In their attempts to blame greenies and/or arsonists, they’ve been opposed by the firefighters themselves, who have no difficulty in speaking truth to power and incompetence.

This has caused splits in the Liberal government and in the Murdoch news empire, the prime echo chamber of climate change denial in both countries.

Finally, here’s a takedown of the “but we’re too small to make a difference” excuse that we also hear in NZ, plus the coal industry figures that are largely to blame for the Government’s ineptitude.

PS: A CSIRO scientist established the link between a warming climate and worsening fire seasons back in 1987.

His warning fell on deaf ears, and Australian coal exports soared over the next four decades.

The post Fire and Denial appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

The beauty of the Denniston Plateau that Bathurst may remove for nothing. Photo: Forest & Bird

Coal Action Network Aotearoa today called on the Minister of Conservation, Nick Smith, to not issue Bathurst Resources the DOC consent it needs to enter and operate its planned mine on the Denniston Plateau, in light of the company’s terrible financial state.

Bathurst has announced today that it is making 29 workers redundant and that it’s not going to mine coal at Denniston until international prices have recovered. However, it intends to go ahead and set up everything else on the plateau in readiness for mining.

This could include the removal of the “overburden” – the beautiful, biodiverse-rich landscape.

“Bathurst is in a terrible financial state.  Like Solid Energy, it’s facing a ‘perfect storm’ of tanking coal prices and a strong NZ dollar – quite a different situation from 2008 when the company started sniffing around the West Coast for coking coal,” said Cindy Baxter of CANA.

“There is no way this company should go ahead with wrecking the plateau, only to sit and wait until the coal price improves, something international commodities commentators are not forecasting to happen any time soon, due to an oversupply in the market.”

“We could find ourselves in a situation where the company goes under, having destroyed the beautiful Denniston Plateau – for absolutely nothing.  The Minister of Conservation needs to step in and refuse to let the company do this,” she said.

“There is no way Bathurst will be able to front up any time soon with the $22 million promised to DOC in the deal Mr Smith made with the company.”

The latest statement from BRL shows the company is having to restructure to keep afloat, and is to shed 29 jobs, instead of providing the 225 jobs it keeps promising – the 225 jobs that would only be there if it ramped up production to one million tonnes a year.

The price of coking coal has tanked, miles below the $165 the company needs to even break even, let alone make any profit. This break-even price was confirmed in a “caucusing agreement” between Bathurst and Forest & Bird at the Environment Court in November 2012, when they agreed that “a minimum expected price for the project to proceed is perhaps US$190.”

See also CANA’s recent blog on Bathurst’s perfect storm.

The post Minister of Conservation should halt Denniston Plateau mining appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

The last month or so has seen a number of revelations on several of our coal fronts.  From Solid Energy walking away from the briquetting plant in Southland to ongoing developments for Bathurst Resources’ efforts to start mining the beautiful Denniston plateau, it’s been hard to keep up with it all.  Yet still, none of them are digging up any more coal. Let’s try and keep it that way.

What’s in this update?

1.     Lignite briquetting plant

2.     Denniston update

3.     Bathurst, new neighbour in a small town

4.     Bill McKibben tour and divestment

5.     Auckland Coal Action’s fight against Fonterra’s coalmine

6.     Coming up:  Generation Zero’s “What’s the Holdup” Tour

7.     Film about “Bidder 70” coming to NZ

8.      International – and climate science catchup

9.     Other news and resources

1.  Lignite briquetting plant

The trials of the Solid Energy/GTL briquetting plant continue at Mataura, with Solid Energy announcing late last month that it will walk away from the plant.  The media covered little of this announcement, but you can find out a lot more about what’s been going on there from our press release on the day.

Given our network includes locals living near to the plant, we have been able to get a lot more information about what’s been going on there – a lot more than what the media’s been covering.  And none of it’s good.

We also managed to get, through the Official Information Act, a document showing us what we suspected: the GTL plant in North Dakota had a massive explosion and is now being dismantled.  So this technology remains experimental.  Why should beautiful Southland farmland be dug up so that GTL can continue to try out its dirty technology to sell it on to Indonesia?

Solid Energy sponsorship under scrutiny:  You may also have missed this article about the millions Solid Energy spent on sponsorship.  We call it buying out criticism and it’s something that most coal and oil companies do to stop local protest about their activities.

2.  Denniston update

The ins and outs of Forest & Bird’s legal wrangles with Bathurst have been very complicated. But now Debs Martin has set it all out in an update.  Tim wrote a blog about it, but you might want to go directly to Debs’ update.  Suffice to say, the process continues – there are still Forest & Bird appeals in the pipeline and the company continues to struggle financially.

3.  Bathurst, new neighbour in a small town

Meanwhile, down in Southland, Rosemary Penwarden went to see Bathurst’s mine at Nightcaps. This is her account of what she found.

“Open cast mining explicitly turns the soil, it’s a bit like farming, the difference is once mining’s finished you put it back.” – Hamish Bohannan, CEO of Bathurst Resources

Bathurst Resources CEO Hamish Bohannan has never actually worked in the mining industry. He’s been around minerals extraction in Australia.  But Bathurst, his so-called “New Zealand” company that wants to destroy the Denniston Plateau, is actually his first ever coal company. Trust us, he says to Coasters. We know what we’re doing. For example, see how well we are going in Southland.

Last week CANA members went to Nightcaps to see Bathurst’s Southland operation for ourselves. The first thing we noticed, apart from the acrid coal smell that sits in the back of your throat, was that the little historic art deco butcher’s shop on Nightcaps’ main road has disappeared, so mine trucks can turn more easily. At a glance, a few more houses have had a coat of paint this past year. The art deco hotel has been repainted, and is still for sale. The Four Square store is doing a roaring trade, as apparently is the local contractor, Transport Services Ltd, though trucks were all lined up and shiny with nowhere to go at this time of year. Bathurst gives the local school free coal.

Down at the mine, things are not going quite to plan. Last year the hillside above the main pit fell in, sending about four million tonnes of overburden onto the coal. Bathurst paid the farmer about $14 million (one neighbour thought it was $40 million plus payouts) for the $1.1 million property.

The land is on a fault line, so is prone to slipping. That also makes the seams variable in size and the coal variable in quality. As local miners know, the best coal is already long gone. One miner said he prefers lignite to Takitimu coal. (When Mataura briquettes were mentioned, we only got chuckles.)

That has not stopped Bathurst opening a new pit, Coaldale, along the western side of the town, doubling the size of their operation. This is also prone to slipping. When we were there the same sticky mud that foiled 19th century miners was still foiling Bathurst and their contractors, Stevensons. Operations stopped completely the previous week because of snow, and wet weather was slowing work while we were there. “Smoko” appeared to last the whole hour and a half of our visit. What looked like a small waterfall was described as “just runoff” into the pit.

A new and very expensive coal sorter is supposedly arriving soon from Germany to replace the current dangerous (but still in action) old one. Where does Bathurst get the money to pay for this? It didn’t look like they were making much while we were there.

The next phase of Bathurst’s expansion plans would be “hilltop removal” of currently forested land even further to the west, near the town’s beautifully preserved and meticulously kept cemetery. A walk around this cemetery is a peek into a history, common to all mining towns, of tragedies, young men’s lives lost to coal.

4.  Bill McKibben tour: Divestment discussions begin – and campaign takes off internationally

In the wake of Bill McKibben’s tour of the country last month, many people are beginning to discuss divestment campaigns. It’s what Bill was encouraging, and we at CANA are also getting to grips with it.  Standby for updates to come soon.

Meanwhile, Jenny Campbell of Coal Action Murihiku and member of the Dunedin Climate Justice Group, has this news:

Divestment begins in Anglican Church. Good news!

People from Auckland’s St Paul’s Cathedral Climate Change Action group have organised a motion to be presented at their Diocesan Synod (decision making body) in September about encouraging those involved in investing funds on behalf of the church, to be required to divest from companies involved in extraction and/ or production of fossil fuels within 2 years, and not to invest in any new fossil fuel initiatives as part of their commitment through their present ethical investments policies. Their accompanying notes help explain the imperative for this action.

They have plans to spin it around all the other New Zealand Dioceses to get them to action this policy as well. They intend to get the Bishops involved and think there will be a keen interest in doing this because of Anglican’s commitment to ‘Care of Creation’ as one of the guiding principles of the Anglicans internationally. We have a special responsibility here in Aotearoa/ NZ because  ours is a 3 tikanga church involving not only Maori and Pakeha but also Pasifika peoples who are already seeing the effects of climate change on their people, other living things, their way of life and their economy.

It is hoped to appeal to other peoples of faith in our country to join us with this decision and ensure divestments in the places we have influence.

Rangimarie, kia kaha

Jenny.

But there are also very good signs coming out of the US, where President Obama made his first big climate change speech.  Along with talking about needing to stop emissions from coal, both at home and with international US investment banks,  Obama specifically called on people to “divest” from fossil fuels to bring about social change.

The campaign is beginning to take hold.  The massive United Church of Christ has adopted a resolution to divest from fossil fuels.  Dutch bank Rabobank has announced it will not invest in shale gas (will this policy be repeated by Rabobank in NZ?), and a huge Financial group in Norway, Storebrand, has pulled its investments out of 19 companies associated with Canada’s filthy tarsands.

5.  Auckland Coal Action support fight against Mangatawhiri coal mine

The main focus of ACA’s work this year is opposing the new coal mine planned for Mangatawhiri near Auckland. The mine will be owned by Fonterra and is intended to supply its factories for drying milk powder.

Last month we stood along state highway 2, near the proposed mine site in protest as a long line of cars filed back to Auckland after the holiday weekend.

Locals weren’t keen to get out with us in front of their friends and neighbours, but were happy for us to be there. And, make no mistake, they are strong in their opposition to the mine. Last month they held the inaugural meeting of the Coal Free Mangatawhiri group with around 20 founding members.

This week we are busy painting anti-coal signs to go up on Mangatawhiri properties, as requested by some of the locals. For next month we will be organising to get as big a contingent as possible to attend the consent hearings for the mine.

To get in touch with us, or, if you would like to help, please email aucklandcoalaction@gmail.com

Our next meeting will be on Saturday 4 August, 1-4 pm at the Quaker House 113 Mt Eden Rd, Auckland. New members welcome.

6. Coming up:  Generation Zero’s “What’s the Holdup” Tour

Coming to a town near you, from next week,  is Generation Zero’s “What’s the holdup tour”.  It’ll be a great opportunity to talk transport solutions, obstacles to climate action and showcase Aotearoa’s opportunities to move beyond fossil fuels.   They’ll have high level experts – and young Kiwis who are working on solutions.

This very positive-sounding tour will be at 13 different towns up and down the country, with the first in Dunedin on Monday 15^th.

Find out more here. Or their facebook page.

7.    Bidder 70 film coming to NZ

Tim de Christopher, a young US climate activist, was recently released from two years in federal prison for bidding at a US oil and gas auction as an act of civil disobedience. Bidder 70, a documentary just released in the United States, tells the story.

Of the film, Tim says: “At this point of unimaginable threats on the horizon, this is what hope looks like.”  He says that his actions of civil disobedience are appropriate to the scale of the crisis we face.

Of the environmental movement, Tim says:

“The way the environmental movement has been, it’s like a football game. And our team is getting slaughtered. The refs have been paid off and the other side is playing with dirty tricks. And so, it’s no longer acceptable for us to stay in the stands. It’s time to rush the field. It’s time to stop the game.”

Climate groups around Aotearoa, including CANA and with the support of Greenpeace NZ, have banded together to bring Bidder 70 to New Zealand, beginning with a first screening in Wellington later this month. We hope to have a local Coal Action presence at each screening, and we want as many people as possible to see this film.

Watch the trailer  And Watch Tim on the David Letterman show 

Share these! Keen to help? Email Rosemary rose.p@ihug.co.nz for details.

8.  International – and climate science catchup

Arctic melt picks up

This year’s Arctic melt is starting to take a nosedive.  While it isn’t yet at the same low levels at this time last year, it’s worth keeping an eye on.  This page gives you daily updates.  Also worth noting that the Arctic tundra is suffering unprecedented fires from a heatwave up there.

Climate consensus

In case you missed it, this new study was released, showing that more than 97% of scientists agree that global warming’s man made, caused by the burning of fossil fuels.   On the back of the study they launched the Consensus Project – do check it out, as it has great graphics you can use in your own work and send to friends.

400ppm milestone reached

Since our last newsletter, the atmosphere reached a scary milestone – of 400ppm of C02 in the atmosphere.  This is not something we were aiming for, unfortunately, indeed even 350ppm is considered not very safe, especially for our Pacific Island neighbours.  This is the highest it’s been since humans walked the planet. Since the Pleistocene, 3-5million years ago.  Of course the NZ media pretty much ignored it.  Scientist Jim Salinger wrote a great piece in the NZ Herald, who then went and “balanced” it with a piece by climate denier Chris de Freitas two days later that was riddled with basic scientific errors. The sooner our media stops treating climate denial as having equal standing with our climate scientists, the better.

NZ and global warming

The wild weather we’ve been having is not going to be an unusual event in the future, warns Victoria University’s Dave Frame.  Indeed, this is the same message delivered by James Renwick after the Wellington storm. While that storm couldn’t be put down to climate change, Dr Renwick noted to Radio New Zealand that actually every storm we get now “has a little bit of climate change in the background” as our warming world loads extra moisture into the atmosphere.

Australia lignite fight:  There’s another fight going on around lignite vs farmland – in Australia’s state of Victoria, where the Government wants to dig up all the lignite (brown coal) under some of the state’s most fertile farmland. This great feature covers it all.

Also, on Australia, Kristin Gillies and Jenny Campbell were lucky enough to spend three days with a bunch of coal activists from across the country.  Read their account of the meeting.

9. news and resources 

RMA “reforms”

We’re all very worried about the impact of the proposed RMA reforms.  The Greens have got an open letter to Amy Adams calling on her to save the RMA.  If you want to support the campaign and sign this, go here.

Coal for Steel

You may have missed Jeanette Fitzsimon’s great editorial in the Nelson Mail about the alternatives to coal for making steel.

Coromandel Watchdog closes down drillrig for 30 hours

While this isn’t about coal, it’s about inspiration – congratulations to our brave colleagues in the Coromandel who shut down a Newmont Gold drilling rig on conservation land for 30 hours last weekend.  See the story on TVNZ. And the full story and photos from the team over at their website.

The post Newsletter July 2013 appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

Kristin sends this report:

Three days amongst 250 of Australia’s most inspiring coal and gas campaigners has been a surprisingly emotional experience. As I reflect on the journey of the past few days I am left with a deep sense of respect for these people and those around the world so heavily impacted by the fossil fuel industry.

In my daily life and work it has been easy to overlook the widespread harm the industry is causing to right now to ordinary people every day. This conference has brought this home for me and I would like to share that with you.

Opening night: grim stories from the coal face  

A bloke of about 50 stands up, takes the mic, and introduces himself as an ex-coal miner who now spends his time fighting the expansion of the coal port, and therefore coal industry in McKay, Queensland.

He has felt the damage first hand. The numbers he uses are staggering, the millions of tonnes of coal, the amount of seabed that needs to be dredged, the number of coal trains, the amount of coal dust spread across the city.

And he tells the story of hurt, of struggle, and of grim determination that is similar to many other stories that night and those of the hundreds of people here, and the tens of thousands of people across the country so heavily impacted by the mining industry.

The first evening feels incredibly cathartic. People just need to tell their stories, talk about the hurt that is being felt in their communities, the price that is being paid by the land, the water and the people for the promised riches of this mining boom. And they are feeling it very hard.

The announcement next morning of the suicide of a farmer whom many here have been supporting brings it into sobering relief.  The pressure of being the only farmer in his area not to sell out to a giant coal seam gas company proving too great. There are plenty of tears.

Similarities with NZ 

I hope we never feel it this hard in New Zealand but am immediately struck by the similarities.

I think of the stories from around our country and how much they resonate with the stories I am hearing here.

I think of the people around Puhi Puhi, unsure and afraid of what the new gold mining permits issued there mean.

I think of the people of Waihi, who will now have to live with mining under their homes.

I think of the folks in Taranaki, who find their rural landscape suddenly industrialised by the burgeoning oil and gas companies; and the people of the Tararua, valiantly trying to stop Tag Oil doing the same to theirs.

And I think of Greymouth, the loss of jobs, the loss of life, and how much hurt they must be feeling.

Day two: Optimism and momentum 

But by day two there are less signs of pain and more smiling faces and it obvious why such a large and diverse crowd have gathered here. Workshops on the latest climate science, community organising, media skills, health monitoring, direct action, social media, lobbying, and groundwater impacts fill the place with an amazing sense of optimism.

When you look at the diversity in the crowd it is obvious that this is a movement that has momentum and knows it is going to win. Doctors, farmers, students, church leaders, grandmothers, taxi drivers and others talk about the positive change that is happening around the country.

1 million homes on solar power, coal power stations shutting down, communities blockading gas companies, nanas knitting to stop coal seam gas, everyday folks changing their super funds because they invest in fossil fuels.

And they say this is just the beginning.

Lessons for NZ: finance is crucial 

Coming home, I am inspired to put some of the lessons from here into action. The key points discussed here are stopping investment and encouraging divestment from fossil fuel projects. Knowing our government Superfund, our major banks, and other institutions responsible for investing our money are putting it in such a destructive industry demands attention.

Understanding finance seems crucial in exposing and ultimately stopping investment in climate change. There is also a lot of work being put into building community resilience, simple and effective when the industry comes knocking.

I also feel inspired to help make an event like this happen in New Zealand. The sharing, the support and the strategising are invaluable and can only strengthen our movement.  I’m taking expressions of interest.

It has been an experience and a privilege to have spent these past days in the midst of such a determined movement. The words shared at the closing are less about hurt and more about the inevitability of success.

I have a moment of jealousy, wishing for the resources and breadth of experience in our movement in New Zealand, but quickly acknowledge it is borne out of necessity, something I hope we never feel like here to the same extent. These fractured communities see not only contaminated water and land, but understand that the floods and the droughts are also impacts of the fossil fuel industry and climate change.

In New Zealand we have had some great victories against the fossil fuel industry. The fight which stopped Marsden B going ahead has ensured we will never build another coal fired power station again. Petrobras abandoning plans for deep sea oil exploration off the East Cape and Solid Energy dropping plans for lignite conversion in Southland are some of our recent wins.

In New Zealand we have achieved a great deal but still find ourselves on the cusp of a massive expansion of the fossil fuel industry. This expansion is already being passionately opposed across the country – from the fight to stop coal mining at Denniston, the growing Lock The Gate movement against oil and gas, and the national opposition to the threat of Anadarko drilling in our coastal waters this summer.

We have defeated these threats before and must continue to learn, to share, and to work together to ensure we defeat them again and minimise the harm like I have witnessed here.

We still have a choice:

We can let the government continue to roll out the red carpet to these companies and face the same fate as these people who have gathered here this weekend.

Or we can take a cue from the growing number of communities I have met here this weekend and take action to keep them out.

I know which I am inspired to do.

Kristin

The post Inspiring report from Australia coal activist gathering appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

Kia Ora Koutou

Welcome to the Coal Action Network Aotearoa’s first newsletter for 2013!

As you are all very much aware, Solid Energy has gone into freefall.  Not only has CEO Don Elder resigned, but the company is now reporting a $389m debt.
But there’s a lot more going on with coal around the country, not least a new proposal by Fonterra to open a mine in the upper North Island at Mangatawhiri.

What’s in this newsletter? 

1.  Upcoming events
2.  Solid Energy’s lost CEO – and its massive debt
3.  Fonterra’s new coal mine
4.  Denniston ruling imminent
5. The Wise Response Appeal on climate change
6.  Keep the Coal in the Hole Summer Festival
7.  What about our drought? Has it got anything to do with climate change?
8 The world hasn’t warmed?
9  International
– Australia’s “Angry Summer”
– Renewable Energy setting records everywhere
– China’s carbon tax

1. Upcoming events:

There don’t appear to be too many events listed here: if you have any coming up for the next newsletter please let us know at coalactionnetwork@gmail.com.

7 March: Meeting at Mangatawhiri for locals who want to oppose Fonterra’s proposed coal mine there (see story below). Speaker on health effects of coal mining, Jim Salinger on effects of climate change on farming; how to make a submission opposing the new coal mine. Organised by local people with support from Auckland Coal Action.

7 March: Wellington “Keep the Coal in the Hole” group meeting, 6pm, CBD Meeting Room 2, ground floor (near stairs), Wellington Central Library. All welcome.

8 March:  Dunedin launch of a new appeal called Wise Response, an initiative calling for Government to investigate the real threats to our way of life and economy.   1.15pm, Otago Museum Reserve, Dunedin/Hutton Theatre opposite if wet.  Public meeting in the evening at 7.30 pm, Castle One Lecture Theatre, Otago University.

2.  Solid Energy’s massive debt

So much has happened since the last newsletter, including the resignation of CEO Don Elder and the news last week that the company is $389 million in the red.

But it was only when board chair Mark Ford was asked on Radio New Zealand about the lignite projects that we discovered he didn’t see the Mataura lignite projects as a “core activity” for the company.

We have been cheering – it does seem, for now, that lignite is dead.  These 3.1 billion tonnes of coal under fertile Southland farmland that Solid Energy has permits for, we hope, will stay in the hole.  (There’s 6.8 billion tonnes in total).

But the future of the briquetting plant is still unclear. There are questions to be answered.  Will GTL, Solid’s partner in briquetting, take it further?  If so, how?  It has to be commissioned first!

What we do know is that the company lost an awful lot of money betting on a coal price that was far too high, and in hopeless coal projects such as the Mataura lignite project, the Huntly Coal Seam Gas project, Spring Creek and Huntly East.  Together, these projects totalled a whopping $116million of write down, whereas the renewable energy projects racked up just $36million in write down.

The spin has been quite something: from Westport Mayor Tony Kokshorn, to Bill English to Campbell Live, they’ve all blamed Solid’s renewables investments.

Solid Energy’s renewable investments were made under the Labour government that placed a biofuel obligation on all motor fuel sales. This was then replaced by National’s subsidy, which National then cancelled.

The 2008 ETS would have made coal and gas more expensive (as it is supposed to), but the Government watered it down.   There would also have been a better market for wood pellets. The company also made the mistake of going for the export market for the pellets, failing to recognise there was a good market here in New Zealand.

We also know that Solid Energy never gave a business plan to Treasury (who didn’t ask for it).

There’s a lot more to say about Solid Energy, and Rosemary has said it very well over on our blog, posted yesterday.

Indeed, sign up to be alerted whenever we post a new blog (this is especially important for those of you who are not on facebook).  It won’t be like spam, as we don’t post too many of them.

3.  Fonterra’s new coalmine at Mangatawhiri 

“Would you like to taste some of Fonterra’s fine products? Here you are – it comes with coal!”

This was the opening line from milkmaids stationed outside Fonterra’s HQ yesterday, offering various dairy products to passers by – dairy products that come with a lump of coal.

Full download of the action, with photos, here at Auckland Coal Action’s website.

Glencoal, wholly owned by Fonterra, has applied for consents for an open cast mine on farmland at Mangatawhiri on SH2.  Planned to produce 120,000 tonnes a year, it would take over from the Kopako 3 mine that currently supplies the dairy factories at Waitoa, Hautapu and Te Awamutu.

With the Kopako coal running out in 2014, it’s a good time to start the phase out of coal in favour of the locally-available waste wood.

A public meeting will be held at Mangatawhiri tomorrow (Thursday).

See Auckland Coal Action’s site for details on submissions and how to make one. Deadline: 28 March.

4.  Legal update:   Denniston  and the Supreme Court. 

The Environment Court’s ruling on Bathurst’s Denniston mine is expected any day now.  Keep an eye on the blog, facebook pages and network emails.

For those of you in Wellington,  Tuesday and if needed Wednesday (12 and 13 March) will see the Supreme Court hearing appeal against the High Court decision that the law prohibits anybody from arguing climate change under the RMA in consent hearings.  This is the tiny West Coast Environment Network up against the might of Bathurst and (well, perhaps a lesser might today) Solid Energy.  The court is in Lambton Quay up near Parliament and starts at 10 am on Monday.

5.  The Wise Response Appeal on climate change
 
A new appeal is being launched this week, calling on the NZ Parliament to act on climate change.  Wise Response is supported by 100 celebrated New Zealanders.  It underlines and stresses the urgency of the issue, the need for economic and energy security, and business continuity.

“The issue: The links between global climate change, fossil fuel extraction and combustion, and a stable economy are deeply concerning.  Climate change (including extreme weather ‘bombs’) and other resource constraints threaten our ability to meet our environmental and social obligations for the next generation.

Today, most scientists believe critical “thresholds” are upon us, that the consequences are likely to be disastrous and irreversible if we do not make urgent fundamental changes. So far, successive NZ governments have failed to truly face up to such unprecedented threats to our collective security. We therefore call on the NZ  Parliament to dispassionately assess the risks in five priority areas and from those recommendations, design cross-party policies to avert any threats confirmed.”

If you’re in Dunedin on Friday head down to the launch at 1.15, or go to the public meeting at 7.30 pm at Otago University’s Castle One lecture theatre.

6.  Keep the Coal in the Hole Summer Festival 

A great team gathered in Southland at the end of January to take part in this year’s summer festival.  This time it was hosted by Coal Action Murihiku, so it’s only fitting that they report back – See this link to their latest newsletter.  For those of us not from the region, we were impressed with the strength of local support gathered by CAM since last year’s festival. Here’s our Press Release from the meeting’s open day on the Sunday. And here is Gareth Renowden’s very useful briefing on the latest in climate science.

7.  What about our drought? Has it got anything to do with climate change? 

What we’re seeing now we can expect to be the “new normal” toward the end of this century, scientists say.  But unfortunately the New Zealand media doesn’t appear to be linking the record drought to this issue, except for a piece by climate denier Chris de Freitas in the NZ Herald last week. Climate scientist Jim Salinger commented on the drought last week in The Herald. 

“Climate scientist Jim Salinger said conditions were following the same pattern as four years ago.

“It’s all over the North Island, apart from Horowhenua to Wellington, which is exactly as it was in 2007-08. 
 He said the North Island could expect hot, dry summers like this to become the norm because of climate change.”

8 The world hasn’t warmed? 

Some of you may have been reading the increasing bleating by climate deniers that the world hasn’t warmed in [16,18,23] years.  This is not borne out by the facts, as explained by this article. You may find it useful when being confronted by this so-called “fact”.  Also, just recently posted in US magazine Mother Jones, is a very helpful guide on how to talk with a sceptic.

9  International 

Angry summer: Australia’s hottest summer on record

Australia’s Bureau of meteorology has now confirmed that they have just suffered the hottest summer on record.  This brought a terrible combination of both heatwaves and floods.  The Bureau’s climate scientists Blair Trwein Karl Braganza explained the links with climate change in this great piece on The Conversation. Some excerpts:

 “the most significant thing about all of these extremes is they fit with a well established trend in Australia — it’s getting hotter, and record heat is happening more often.

“Six of Australia’s ten hottest summers on record have come in the last 11 years, meaning that very hot summers have been occurring at about five times the rate you would expect without a warming trend.”

And

“By the end of the 21st century, the record summer of 2013 will likely sit at the very cooler end of normal.”

The Australian Climate Commission has released its report, “Angry Summer” that sets out the record heat – and rain – in the country.

And while we’re on climate, this story in The Guardian was important in the ongoing battle to reveal the funding behind the climate denial industry. We have our own set of climate deniers here in NZ and they are well-linked to this international network.  Here’s a little map of our lot.

Renewable Energy setting records everywhere 

In January, every single megawatt of new generating capacity added to the US grid was renewable.
Germany set a record in solar installations in 2012.
In Spain, 25% of electricity in January came from wind.

China announces it’ll set up a carbon tax; coal exports to drop

China has indicated that it will include a price on carbon in a new round of environmental taxes to tackle pollution.  And on the back of that, Deutsche Bank is predicting an 18% drop in global exports of thermal coal.

The post Newsletter Feb/March 2013 appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.