Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for August 2007

The French Mix Pulp Mills & Wineries: A Media Release from Barry Chipman

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The Australian media has been in a frenzy over a proposed pulp mill for the Tamar Valley in Tasmania. Most recent objections have included the idea that the mill should be located away from wineries. Yesterday, Barry Chipman from the NGO Timber Communities Australia had the following response:

Following claims that the proposed Bell Bay pulp mill could impact upon the Tamar Valley’s valued wineries Timber Communities Australia conducted its own research looking at the economic make up of other major wine producing regions.

“That research commenced at what TCA saw as the top of the tree in wine producing regions; being the Bordeaux region in South West France, The region is promoted as the Fine Wine Capital of the World and our findings where quite amazing in light of what’s being claimed here.” Barry Chipman Tasmanian State Manager Timber Communities Australia said today

The Bordeaux region produces 800 million litres of the highest quality wine annually, the region also attracts 3 million tourists annually.

Along side of this world leading fine wine and tourist industry is a very devise cultivated forest industry producing, Kraft pulp (Smurfit Kappa Cellulose de Pin pulp mill) glazed Kraft paper, Liner Kraft paper, Fluff pulp, and the full range of sawn timber products. (Including many wine crates) This wood products industry generates 2.5 billon EUR annually.

The Bordeaux region is also internationally recognised as a major scientific and technical centre for wood, product research including a major focus upon pulp and paper in particular ECF technology, the centre employs 200 researchers.

Then over in the neighbouring North East is another major fine wine and tourist region of Probence, and within the region surrounded by fine wine vineyards, is the Tarscon-sur-Rhone ECF pulp mill. (This is the same technology as the proposed Bell Bay pulp mill.)

Upon learning how, French wine producers and wood and paper products producers appear to prosper in harmony with each other it is hoped that this can also translate to Tamar Valley.

Perhaps those that seem to have doubts about this could just as a starter follow TCA’s lead and “Goggle” Bordeaux then follow up with ECF pulp mills Bordeaux France

Tasmania should not be left behind by the French we to can be a world leader in demonstrating harmony between all industries. Mr Chipman concluded

Giving the Narwhals a Voice: A Note from Ann Novek

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In a recent whaling thread Andy Ottaway, director of the anti-whaling NGO, Campaign Whale, wrote “If whaling can’t be conducted humanely , it should not be conducted at all”.

There is a real unwillingness to address the issue of aboriginal whale killing methods including by NGOs and the International Whaling Commission.

Now the National Geographic Magazine has featured the Inuit narwhal hunt in Arctic Bay, Canada, and the significant associated problems.

This has elicited a negative response from the hunters and a ban on the filming of whale hunts in Arctic Bay.

Philippa Brakes from The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has commented:

““It is shocking and disappointing that an article published in National Geographic about the significant problems associated with this narwhal hunt, has elicited such a negative response from these hunters. Rather than face up to addressing the issues raised in the article about the welfare of these whales – including the fact that a 13 year-old boy was permitted to shoot narwhal all day, wounding many but landing none – the decision to ban the filming of these hunts does little other than confirm that these hunters have something to hide from the eyes of the world”.

Joe Tigullaraq, chair of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, said he worries that the portrayal of the Arctic Bay hunt will be seen by National Geographic’s many readers around the world as representative of all Nunavut hunters.

“We do have 20 other communities in Nunavut that hunt narwhals,” he said. “These other communities in Nunavut should not be painted with the same brush.”

However, Tigullaraq said he hopes the article’s publication may draw attention to flaws in present hunting techniques. “I think it’s an opportune time to consider the problems.”

Paul Nicklen, the article’s author, grew up in Kimmirut. He wrote on the National Geographic website that the narwhal story “was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done. I feel as if I’m betraying my friends.”

“But at the same time I hope that, ultimately, the DFO will work with the Inuit and help them find a better way so that their kids and grandkids can continue their traditions.

“In the end, I told this story because it’s obvious that the narwhals do not have a voice, and I’ve done my best to fairly represent them as well as the Inuit. As a journalist, I have to tell truthful, unbiased stories of what I see, no matter how difficult it may be at times.”

Ann Novek
Sweden

Geoengineering not the answer to global warming – a note from Luke

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A recent paper by IPCC lead author Kevin Trenberth and Aiguo Dai:
Effects of Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption on the hydrological cycle as an analog of geoengineering

suggests that there would be adverse effects, including drought, as a result of the use of geoengineering in order to offset greenhouse warming:

Abstract
The problem of global warming arises from the buildup of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels and other human activities that change the composition of the atmosphere and alter outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). One geoengineering solution being proposed is to reduce the incoming sunshine by emulating a volcanic eruption. In between the incoming solar radiation and the OLR is the entire weather and climate system and the hydrological cycle. The precipitation and streamflow records from 1950 to 2004 are examined for the effects of volcanic eruptions from El Chichón in March 1982 and Pinatubo in June 1991, taking into account changes from El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 there was a substantial decrease in precipitation over land and a record decrease in runoff and river discharge into the ocean from October 1991–September 1992. The results suggest that major adverse effects, including drought, could arise from geoengineering solutions.

Hurricane ‘handbags’

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As Hurricane Dean works its way through Mexico, we are reminded of the debate between those who link Hurricanes with global warming, and those who don’t. Scientists Chris Landsea of NOAA and Greg Holland of UCAR find themselves on opposite sides of the debate. Holland has recently claimed that tropical storms have doubled due to global warming in a new paper with Peter Webster. Landsea has also published a recent paper entitled Counting Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Back to 1900. Holland is quoted as saying, “….my sense is that we shall see a stabilization in frequencies for a while, followed by potentially another upward swing if global warming continues unabated.” Landsea’s response was to call Holland’s research “sloppy science.”

Roger Pileke Jr, who has several publications on Hurricanes co-authored with Chris Landsea, waded into the debate by asking Webster for his data. Webster told him in no uncertain terms to recreate it himself, so he did.

The storm data set used is divided into halves, each 51 years long:

1905-1955 (51 years) and 1956-2006 (51 years).

The official HURDAT data looks like this:

1905-1955 = 366
1956-2006 = 458

Holland/Webster 2007 looks like this using their storm-count underestimate correction:

1905-1955 = 417
1956-2006 = 458

Landsea also uses a storm-count underestimate correction:

1905-1955 = 529
1956-2006 = 527

It all comes down to which correction is correct.

William Gray has his say here.

Tasmanian Forests – The Wildcard in Australian Politics

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Over the last decade or so Tasmanian forestry issues have emerged as the predictable wildcard in Australian federal politics. I say predictable because the issue is always there but tends to manifests itself in unpredictable ways.

At the last federal election unionists rallied for John Howard, a Liberal Prime Minister, when Mark Latham, the Labor challenger went ‘too green’ in his forestry policies. Neither political party released its forestry policy until the last week of the campaign. Then a few days out from the election, television images of blue-collar workers cheering John Howard at a rally in Launceston stole momentum from the Labor party in the final days of the campaign.

There is another federal election likely sometime before the end of the year and it initially appeared Tasmanian forestry would not be an issue. Both parties have similar policies including on a proposed pulp mill.

But a now former prime ministerial adviser has decided to very publicly attack the environment minister for apparently supporting the pulp mill.

Geoffrey Cousins says he will campaign against Malcolm Turnbull because he is appalled the Minister has fast-tracked the approval process for the proposed $2 billion Gunns pulp mill in northern Tasmania.

As far as I can tell the pulp mill has not been fast tracked. Rather the greens have thrown as many obstacles in the way as they can over many years, and every time one is lifted out of the way, someone is accused of being undemocratic or fast tracking approvals?

And who is Mr Cousins anyway. Why is the media making such a big deal out of his bully-boy tactics?

Previous posts on this issue include:

Tasmanian Pulp Mill assessment process vindicated by the Federal court https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/002209.html

Tasmanian Pulp Mill at Crossroads: A Note from Cinders
https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/001972.html

Digging Up the Roots of the IPCC : An Essay by Tony Gilland

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“Many have criticised the scientific debate [on climate change] for becoming politicised – whether that be in terms of underplaying or overplaying the dangers presented by climate change – and this is an important issue to explore. But what has really been lacking in recent years is any substantive political debate about how we should view and respond to climate change. This has led to a situation where the IPCC, an unelected body, holds an unprecedented influence on the lives of everyone on the planet – and any attempt to question this body’s legitimacy or actions is shouted down as ‘denial’ of the scientific facts. In discussing the origins of the climate change issue and the IPCC, this essay raises the following questions:

1. How much of the global warming issue is shaped by new scientific discoveries, and how much by broader cultural and political trends?

2. How has the interaction between scientists, international institutions, governments, media and activists influenced the development of climate change policy?

3. Was the establishment of the IPCC a visionary act or an expression of political implosion in the West?

This essay does not attempt to provide a comprehensive history of the global warming issue; rather its aim is to contribute to the start of a critique. For whatever the facts about climate change can tell us, they do not tell us that the debate is over…

To keep reading this essay by Tony Gilland click here: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/3540/