Did you know?

• More than 90% of the energy used by NSW households is generated by burning coal — this creates greenhouse gas pollution and causes global warming and climate change.
• An average household emits eight tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide every year — twice as much as the average family car!
  So, what can I do?
• Do you know how much greenhouse pollution is created by your electricity choices? Have you explored the Green Power options available to your household?
• Choose where your electricity comes from and how it's generated. Depending on where you live, up to 100% of your household's energy can be generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydro-power.
  

North Coast Climate Action Group
* If you haven't signed up yet for Green Power do so and go for 100% accredited.
Info on Green Power can be obtained from our website: www.nccag.org and go to Green Power, or email us at: info@nccag.org

* Go for solar hot water if you're not on solar HW yet. If you rent why not speak to your landlord - property owners can offset their costs against the income they make on their property. They too have an investment in a carbon-neutral future for the planet.

* If you haven't yet converted your lights to compact fluoros or LEDs do so - it makes a big difference. Luminos brand of compact fluoro CFL external spotlight runs on 20 watts, and is the equivalent of regular external spotlights which are 120-125 watts.

* Switch off all the stand-bys you don't need. Our microwave is now switched off at the wall. TV is switched off at the wall. Have even turned off our clock radio and only switch on as needed to listen to the radio in the morning . A small battery run clock tells us the time in our bedroom. One of my colleagues worked out that the cost to run a bedside clock radio was costing her just over $80 a year.

* Speak to everyone you know about signing up for accredited Green Power for their electricity supply.

* Take all this information and awareness out into the community, into shops and businesses and speak up and talk to them about what they are doing to reduce and conserve electricity. Ask them what plans they have in place, and when they plan to reach these targets. We need the far north coast to take on the concept of 'Cool Businesses' - making a difference.

Gayle Russell
Convenor North Coast Climate Action Group
Phone: (02) 6684 1119
Office above Santos in Mullumbimby, Wed./Thurs 10am - 4pm (Ph.6684 2272)
www.nccag.org

GreenPower
GreenPower is a national accreditation program that sets stringent environmental and reporting standards for renewable energy products offered by electricity suppliers to households and businesses across Australia.

If you choose a government accredited GreenPower product, your energy supplier agrees that the equivalent amount of energy you nominate is produced from renewable sources, avoiding the use of coal-derived power.

Energy suppliers' GreenPower products are independently audited so you can be sure your money is being well spent.

The GreenPower tick is your guarantee that your contributions are helping facilitate the installation of new sustainable energy projects in Australia.

For comprehensive information on the government's Green Power scheme, visit: www.greenpower.gov.au

Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable energy and energy efficiency can deliver the power we need – without the problems. Renewable energy, mostly hydroelectricity, already supplies 19% of world electricity, compared to nuclear’s 16%. The share of renewables is increasing, while nuclear’s share is decreasing.
Worldwide, there were only 26 nuclear reactors under construction at the end of 2004, with only one in Western Europe and none in the USA. Nuclear power capacity in Europe is falling and is expected to drop 25% over the next 15 years. The projected growth of nuclear power in a small number of countries, such as China and India, will not substantially change the global picture of stagnation and decline. (Schneider and Froggatt, 2004.)

By contrast, wind power and solar power are growing by 20-30% every year. (Sawin, 2004.) In 2004, renewable energy added nearly three times as much net generating capacity as nuclear power. (ACF, 2005.)

Sweden already supplies 48% of its electricity from renewable sources (mostly hydroelectricity) and expects renewables to provide 60% by 2010 with increased use of wind and bioenergy sources. Sweden plans to phase out nuclear power and has shut two reactors since 1999.

Many other countries are setting ambitious renewable energy targets. However, in Australia, only 8% of electricity is from renewable energy – down from 10% in 1999. (ACF, 2005.) With the political commitment, we could achieve much greater usage of renewable energy, and also go a long way to solving energy and greenhouse problems through energy efficiency measures.

A clean energy future will include a range of technologies including wind, wave and tidal power, small scale hydro schemes, biomass and solar technologies (ACF, 2005)

To read the full article, click here

To understand the implications of Nuclear Energy, see Nuclear Power and Climate Change

Fuel Sources Can Threaten Ecosystems:

Comments on the EIS for the Sunshine Electricity Broadwater Biomass Cogeneration Proposal.
In the proposal for Broadwater, the only fuel proposed is the cane waste. However, the original proposal for here, and those for Condong and perhaps Harwood mills, suggested that camphorwood, sawmill dust and offcuts and even forest "waste" might be used.

The joint venturer Delta Electricity state re Condong and Broadwater "The developments may also use Camphor Laurel, helping eradicate this noxious weed." Later in the same document, under the heading of Co-firing and thus perhaps related only to their coal-fired stations, they state significantly " The biomass fuel includes saw mill residual, a by-product of sustainable plantation operations." Unsustainable forestry also produces mill waste. The proposal needs to be tied to particular and well-defined sources of fuel. We consider that this is a critical question and that if this EIS is approved, then the approval would be for the cane-only fuel described. Any other fuel could require a further EIS with full review of the possible impacts.

If the proposal certifiably uses only cane materials, and the other issues are dealt with acceptably to authorities, residents and the general public, we would regard this as a Green Power proposal and might congratulate the joint venturers on it.

If proponents wish to use sawmill wastes, our attitude depends on the source of the timber, and the rate at which it is being harvested. This is a vexing question, as followers of Australian forestry practices and the RFA process are well aware.

In brief, if the mill is processing only plantation timber ( ie timber from areas which was cleared for more than ten years and has been replanted ), no problem; the waste has our blessing. If the plantation is in fact a regeneration of native forest which now has high conservation value, we would not approve of forest operations or of the mill waste resulting, which should not be classifiable as a GreenPower fuel.

Further, if forest "waste" or woodchip material is proposed as a fuel, a similar or stricter test would apply. Anyone wishing to seek approval for such fuel should review the Far North Coast Comprehensive Regional Forest Assesment scientific committees work on the conservation values and irreplaceability of forest areas for the various species still under threat, and on the North Coast at least, the precautionary principle reservation proposals of the North Coast Environment Council and the North East Forest Alliance.

Finally Camphor wood, the fuel source supplement originally proposed for Broadwater and Condong and not clearly rejected forever. Camphor Laurels are listed as a weed in some Council areas including Lismore and Richmond Valley but not the Tweed or Byron. On the one hand, it can be seen as the weed we needed as it has occupied many vacant steep lands, controlled erosion and precluded invasion by other weeds of no use at all. Its timber is highly valuable when well grown. On the other hand, it propagates weedily from seed and may inhibit regeneration of many native timbers. If the timber, physical and ecological values are respected and protected, camphor wood could be an economical and green fuel source.

We suggest that Council should investigate camphorwood use in determination of the application, as it may well be suggested as a fuel at Broadwater again, and this extension of the activity might require a new EIS.

Ian Dixon, for The BSEC

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