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River of no return?
Cabinet is due on Monday to discuss various options for dealing with the competing interests seeking to use the Waitaki River's water. There is considerable and well-justified suspicion that this process will have the effect of making it easier for Meridian Energy Ltd's Project Aqua power scheme to proceed.
There are indications, however, that a split is developing in the Government over the best long-term use of the water from the Waitaki. Whether it is this which has prompted the proposal for a long-overdue water allocation plan (supported by the Minister of Agriculture Jim Sutton and Minister of Energy Pete Hodgson), or whether residual 'think big' attitudes towards our natural resources will prevail, remains to be seen. "

Greenhouse gas emissions not on target says EDS
The government's failure to tax methane emissions from animals may lead to New Zealand exceeding its allowable emissions by more than previously predicted, says Environmental Defence Society spokesman Garry Law.
Predictions of future greenhouse gas emissions made by the Government's advisors show they just keep on growing. An update of the financial impacts of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol has been released by the Government. It has been prepared by ABARE - the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics - which has given the Government advice before on climate matters."

Voluntary funding 1st choice for emission research
Voluntary funding from the agriculture sector for research into agricultural greenhouse gas emissions remains the Government's first preference, says the Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, Pete Hodgson.
'Contrary to claims from the Act Party and others, the Government's position on funding for agricultural emissions research has not changed,' Mr Hodgson said.
'For about two years we have been asking the agriculture sector to provide funding for research into reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The sector is being exempted from emissions charges on agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions on condition that it provides this funding.
'The Government reserved the option of introducing a levy to raise the necessary funds from the sector if it did not make its own arrangements to pay for the research. To date the industry has committed $800,000 through the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, less than a tenth of the $8.4 million an independent scientific panel has recommended."

Genesis planning wind farm on Awhitu
The first wind farm in the Auckland region could be operating within two years on a coastal farm near Waiuku.
Genesis Power is about to seek resource consent for up to 16 wind turbines on the Taurangaruru farm on the west coast of the Awhitu peninsula. "

Agriculture to reap benefits of bio-fuel

The agricultural sector could be one of the big winners from a change to permit ethanol-blended petrol in New Zealand cars.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority has decided that ethanol - an alcohol made from fermenting plant material - can now be mixed into petrol supplies, up to a maximum of 10 per cent. "

Pollution problems masked by a smokescreen of jargon
Who's to blame for global warming? If you follow the news media in New Zealand, you could be forgiven for thinking that farmers were at fault.
After all, they're about to be levied with a flatulence tax to fund research into the livestock methane emissions deemed responsible for global warming. "

Governrnment silent on Genesis cash
Treasury officials are still pondering a request from state-owned power company Genesis for financial backing for a new Huntly power station.
Genesis yesterday said it would build a new, 25 megawatt windfarm near Waiuku on the Awhitu Peninsula.
Chief executive Murray Jackson also told an energy conference in Wellington this week that the company was interested in buying the yet-to-be built oil-fired power station in Hawkes Bay.
Genesis would then convert these Whirinaki turbines to a more efficient and powerful 'combined cycle', gas-fired plant for an extra $100 million.
He did not make it clear where the money to buy the Whirinaki station would come from. Genesis is already asking the Government for support to build its new Huntly station, which it calls 'e3p'. "

Genesis offers to buy planned Whirinaki power station
State-owned Genesis Power is offering to buy the planned Whirinaki power station from the Government and to substitute power from Huntly as dry year reserve power

Centre Formed To Address NZ's Energy Needs
Research Centre Formed To Address New Zealand's Energy Needs
A new independent research institute has been formed to address New Zealand's ongoing energy concerns.
The Centre of Excellence in Energy, based within The University of Auckland Business School, will provide national research leadership for the industry, contributing to the nation's sustainable economic development by offering a unique independent forum for the study of energy systems and issues."

Consumers to get cleaner petrol and diesel
New Zealanders will have access to higher quality petrol and diesel that is cleaner and more environmentally friendly as a result of changes agreed by the government, Associate Minister of Energy Paul Swain announced today.
“Cleaner fuel will help the environment in two ways. It will limit the amount of polluting vehicle emissions, and it will enable New Zealanders to use the newer, cleaner vehicles that are available overseas.

Climate change: liability looms for directors
Climate change: liability looms for directors and professionals
Professionals and company directors should beware the risks of climate change, an environmental lawyer warns. These risks include increases in average temperature, sea level rise, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, as well as changing regulatory, social and economic expectations.
Phillips Fox climate change partner, Helen Atkins, comments 'While the implications of climate change are much talked about, to date few business people have integrated this information into their day to day decision making. The risk for company directors and professionals is that they will become liable for losses suffered as a result.'"

Greenpeace halts Huntly coal import from unloading
Greenpeace activists boarded the vessel Atermon today as it berthed in Port Tauranga, preventing 30,000 tonnes of coal from being unloaded. The Indonesian coal is to be burnt at Genesis’s Huntly Power Station, fuelling global warming by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Why livestock gas levy needed
Judy Lawrence, director, Climate Change Office
Climate change is arguably the world's most complex and wide-ranging global environmental issue.
So it is no surprise confusion often creeps in to public debate on the subject. This has been very much the case in the debate over the government's proposed levy for research into reducing agricultural greenhouse gases"

New Scientist
Heatwave's warning for future of farming
New Scientist: Europe may be breathing a sigh of relief as its record-breaking heatwave eases, but there is still plenty to worry about. Temperature changes caused by global warming are likely to transform agriculture on both sides of the Atlantic.
While the heatwave claimed thousands of lives in France, started bush fires in Portugal and toppled temperature records from London to Baghdad, the European Commission (EC) issued a little-noticed bulletin.
It showed a prolonged drought was causing drastic changes in agricultural output, especially in southern Europe. And the changes almost perfectly match predictions of the effects of global warming over the next century.
Meanwhile in the US, the latest forecasts are confirming that, whatever the prevarications of the Bush administration, climate change will have a very real impact on the country. "

Now perhaps if they had the option of paying for a bit of research 20 years age.............

'Fart tax' is really a $925m annual bargain for farmers
Pete Hodgson: 'Fart tax' is really a $925m annual bargain for farmers
More than two years ago I said research, not taxation, offered the best prospects for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming. "

The methane tax: are the peasants really revolting?
COMMENT
It is 2pm Friday in Feilding town square and about 250 whingers - sorry, farmers and spouses - have turned up from the surrounding lush hectares that make the town rich."

Cullen on project Aqua
Address to Oamaru Rotary Club"

Hodgson Speech
Projects to Reduce Emissions: a key climate change policy
This conference is about one of the key new policies the Government is implementing to address climate change.

The first tender round for “Projects to Reduce Emissions” is a significant milestone. With it, New Zealand’s formal use of the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol really begins.

'Flatulence tax' rallies rolling on
A second wave of protest action over the Government's proposed 'flatulence tax' starts today stretching from Wellsford, north of Auckland, to the Waikato.
Farmers from throughout the Auckland region will take to their utes and trucks for a three-day FART (fight against ridiculous taxes) rally starting at the Wellsford saleyards at 11am and ending with a mass gathering at Pukekohe on Wednesday. "

Farmers begin fart tax protest convoy
As far as protests go, this was hardly one to bring the nation to a standstill.
A convoy of about 10 farmers' vehicles made a whistle-stop tour down State Highway 1 from Wellsford in Northland, to Orewa north of Auckland, to kick off the Fart (Fight Against Ridiculous Taxes) rally. "

New Zealand Climate Change Programme - Projects
Briefing sessions on the first tender round.

Auckland – Tuesday, 9 September 2003
The first briefing will be held in Auckland on:

Tuesday 9 September 2003
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Totem on the Viaduct
104 Customs Street West, Auckland

Christchurch – Wednesday, 10 September
The second briefing will be held in Christchurch on:

Wednesday 10 September
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Christchurch Convention Centre
95 Kilmore Street, Christchurch

Wellington – Thursday 11 September 2003
The third briefing will be held in Wellington on:

Thursday 11 September
9.00 – 11.00 am
Ilott Theatre, Old Town Hall,
Wakefield Street, Wellington

Government studies RMA consent changes
The Government is looking at changing the process for considering resource consent applications for water use in the Waitaki Valley, proposed site of one of New Zealand's largest electricity generation schemes.
The Waitaki River is the subject of a number of applications for consent, including the hydro power development known as Project Aqua. "

Carbon sinks offset methane emission
Farm Forestry Association:
There are many urban observers puzzled and bemused by the vehemence with which rural New Zealand has responded to the proposed methane tax. Do farmers really have a case against the proposed levy or are they just whinging as the minister has claimed?
The NZ Farm Forestry Association has long argued that what tends to be overlooked, when the finger is pointed at pastoral agriculture as a major emitter of greenhouse gases, is that pastoral farmers are also sequestering vast amounts of carbon dioxide in the trees that they have planted over the years.

EDS: Shame they never put up a coherent case for being allocated the credits in the first place. We advocated they should and that a simplified scheme for accounting was needed for small forest lots. Their failure to show strong interest in the credits left the Government little option but to do what it has.

Project Aqua consents
The status of the resource consent application is unclear.
Environment Minister Marian Hobbs may move to 'call in' the applications, meaning she will take the decision on whether to approve the project. "

Crown puts carbon credits up for bidding
The Government has peeled off some of its wad of carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol and is inviting firms with projects that would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to bid for them.
The types of projects which might qualify for the subsidy include those which harness renewable energy sources such as wind or biomass or which involve switching fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. "

Hurricane Howard stirs ill wind
Australian consistency - or the lack of it - was also noted by a meeting of a forum sub-group, the smaller island states of Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Marshall Islands and Nauru.
While Australia was pushing new items on to the forum's agenda, they bemoaned the lack of urgency on a longstanding agenda item that threatens their very existence - climate change.
That was another dig at Mr Howard, who has long sided with the US, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, in refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol. "

New Zealand launches tender on GHG emissions reduction projects
The New Zealand Climate Change Office has launched a tender on GHG emissions reduction projects in order to help the country meet its target under the Kyoto Protocol.
New Zealand Climate Change Office
The tender round is planned to take place during September and October 2003. A pool of four million units will be available. New tenders will take place on an annual basis from now on.
According to the New Zealand Climate Change Office, the types of projects likely to qualify include:
* Those using renewable energy sources such as wind or bio-energy.
* Emission reductions associated with the waste sector.
* Switching fuels to reduce carbon emissions."

A statement on Global Warming (P. Barrett)
Evidence for global warming - and why we need to take action
The following statement was prepared by Professor Peter Barrett FRSNZ (Director of the Antarctic Centre, Victoria University of Wellington), and is a slighly amended version of an article originally published in the 'Evening Post'."

Companies urged to save electricity
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has launched a campaign to encourage workplaces to save electricity.
EECA chief executive Heather Staley said the Better Off campaign aimed to build awareness on conservation messages promoted during the recent power shortage. "

The good the bad and the ugly of Hodgson's RMA
Greenpeace today welcomed some parts of Pete Hodgson's proposed Resource Management Act (RMA) amendments, but expressed grave concern over the gaping holes in climate protection left by key proposals.

"On one hand the proposed law supports renewable ways for generating electricity and energy efficiency to reduce climate change. But on the other hand it says regional councils will not be able to consider greenhouse gas emissions when looking at resource consents. That would be fine if there were existing mechanisms to protect the climate from greenhouse gas pollution – but there's not," said climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.

"The RMA amendments are one small step for renewable energy, but one giant leap backwards for climate protection."

Scoop: Kyoto claims another victim in oil industry
More confusion from the Nats. Petroleum companies pay the New Zealand carbon charge on what they sell not what they find. The carbon charge makes no difference to the economics of exploration.

Challenging and Informed Scientific Debate
More on Soon - Baliunas
A claim of nonhuman-induced global warming sparks debate

By David Appell Scientific American
24th June 2003

In a contretemps indicative of the political struggle over global climate change, a recent study suggested that humans may not be warming the earth. Greenhouse skeptics, pro-industry groups and political conservatives have seized on the results, proclaiming that the science of climate change is inconclusive and that agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, which set limits on the output of industrial heat-trapping gases, are unnecessary. But mainstream climatologists, as represented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are perturbed that the report has received so much attention; they say the study's conclusions "

Politics Reasserts Itself in the Debate Over Climate Change and Its Hazards
More on the de Freitas edited "Climate Research" paper controversy

Warmth it's a hot topic
In the 1980s, Chris de Freitas wrote several articles in the New Zealand Listener warning about the dangers of global warming.
He was in at the beginning of the debate on climate change after attending one of the first international conferences on the subject.
'We were trying to tell people that human beings could change the world's climate,' he says.
'We could affect the ozone layer. That is very real and very serious. "

Climate study just hot air say critics
An Auckland University geographer has been caught up in a political storm in the United States over a study which challenges the conventional wisdom over global warming."

Marsden B rebirth on track despite Government station plans
Plans for recommissioning the Marsden B power station are surging ahead, despite the Government's decision last week to build a new power plant in Hawkes Bay.
Owner Mighty River Power hopes the oil-fired Marsden B will be ready by winter 2005.
Resource consents are needed before work can begin on rebuilding the chimney and installing new pipes and oil storage facilities. New control room electronics are also needed. "

Resource Management Amendment Bill 2003
Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill 2003: First Reading
Mr Speaker, I move that the Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill 2003 be now read a first time.
The policy papers that led to this Bill were signed both by me as Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change and by the Minister for the Environment. This partnership has been very important in the development of the Bill.

Farmers enraged at new tax
Angry farmers expressed no confidence in Aoraki MP and Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton at a meeting in Timaru yesterday called to discuss the Government's Agriculture Emissions Research Levy (flatulence tax).
Resolutions of no confidence were also passed in relation to Minister of Science and Technology Pete Hodgson and the officials who developed the levy, and the science used to justify it. The 160 farmers present also supported Federated Farmers' opposition to the tax and demanded that agriculture agencies did not collect the levy. "

Antarctic focus for new $138m research centre [01aug03]
A NEW facility dedicated to researching the Antarctic was formally launched in Hobart yesterday.
The Co-operative Research Centre for Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems will have a budget of $138 million over seven years and will employ 90 scientists.
Launching the new centre in Hobart yesterday, federal Science Minister Peter McGauran said the research it carried out would be across a number of fields.
Climate change and global warming research would be a priority, Mr McGauran said, and there would be opportunities for the research to help commercial operators.

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