Parliamentary Commissioner airs concern on lignite
Posted on Friday, 30 September 2011 03:47 p.m.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has told representatives from Southland’s four councils of her concerns about the quest for lignite in New Zealand.
Dr Jan Wright addressed a joint meeting of councillors and chief executives from the Invercargill City, Southland and Gore District councils and Environment Southland today and said proposals to convert Southland’s lignite could have serious environmental and climactic implications.
Speaking to her reportLignite and Climate Change: The High Cost of Low Grade Coal,Dr Wright said as fuel, lignite was a particularly poor quality and when processed to produce briquettes, urea and diesel large volumes of carbon dioxide would be released.
With regard to the quantities of emission released through conversion Dr Wright said diesel had the highest output, followed by urea, then briquetting.
The difference in carbon dioxide emissions between converting one litre of diesel from lignite, compared to conversion from petroleum was eight times greater, she said.
There was already a gulf emerging between the Government commitments to reduce greenhouse gases by 2020, and two lignite to diesel conversion plants would increase that gap by another 50 per cent, she said.
Dr Wright said she was unconvinced that carbon dioxide released from the process could be captured and stored. And there was little likelihood New Zealanders would pay reduced prices for the products harvested by conversion because they would be traded globally for a “world price”.
“Just because you produce something, doesn’t make it cheaper.”
Buried lignite was not going anywhere, so there was no need to rush, she said.
Dr Wright also discussed the use of the poison 1080 as a means of protecting native bird life, saying that she firmly believed that not only should it continue to be applied, but that more of it should be used.
During her visit Dr Wright also received a briefing on the Waituna Lagoon from Environment Southland staff and said she could understand the difficult task that lay ahead. “The state of it is falling so fast, which is truly alarming.”
After the meeting Environment Southland Chairman Ali Timms said the group entered into a stimulating debate of both topics as well as climate change in the presence of Dr Wright.
Dr Wright’s influence as commissioner was expected to grow with the proposed amendment to Environment Act, which would expand her role into reporting on the State of the Environment, Ms Timms said.
For that reason her involvement with regional council’s would also increase, which Ms Timms welcomed, describing Dr Wright as “a real champion for the environment”.
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.