Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

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Wivenhoe Dam and Brisbane Flood Mitigation: A Note from Tony

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 WITH respect to what has happened in this major flood disaster in Brisbane, the role played by the huge Wivenhoe Dam in this flood will be called into question, and as the cleanup is starting now, many more questions will be asked in the wash up, if you’ll excuse the lame pun, and a lot of those questions will have political ramifications.

There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this monster dam played an absolutely crucial role in preventing what could have been an even worse disaster. I have mentioned earlier that this huge dam held back water that would have made this flood something not worth even contemplating.

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Flood Crisis Consistent with Accentuated Hydrological Cycle: A Note from Luke Walker

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Yesterday David Karoly from Melbourne University’s school of earth sciences told the Sydney Morning Herald that while individual events could not be attributed to climate change, the wild extremes being experienced on the continent were in keeping with scientists’ forecasts of more flooding associated with increased heavy rain events and more droughts as a result of high temperatures and more evaporation.

”On some measures, it’s the strongest La Nina in recorded history … [but] we also have record-high ocean temperatures in northern Australia, which means more moisture evaporating into the air,” he said. ”And that means lots of heavy rain.”

Regular commentator at this blog Luke is of a similar opinion and sent me two charts as supporting information.  Click on the images for a larger, better view.

Luke writes about the charts:

“The first shows the 3pm vapour pressure (VP) averaged over eastern Australian the 3pm vapour – a measure of humidity.   As one can see there is some correlation with eastern Australian rainfall.

“Also shown is Australian tropical sea surface temperatures (SST) averaged for the same period with vapour pressure at 3pm.

“Both SSTs and VP are the highest for the 2010 period – highest since 1970.

“These data are consistent with an enhanced AGW hydrological cycle i.e. much greater atmospheric water content and source of convection.

“I am not saying that AGW caused this La Nina but the data are consistent with AGW adding to the propensity for rainfall as suggested by CSIRO studies and AGW theory.

“Interestingly these January 2011 Brisbane and Fitzroy floods were not caused by tropical cyclones.

“The charts should be of interest to serious sceptics.”

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Relevant CSIRO Report:
Abbs, D.J., McInnes, K.L. and Rafter, T. 2007, The impact of climate change on extreme rainfall and coastal sea levels over South East Queensland, Part 2: A high-resolution modelling study of the effect of climate change on the intensity of extreme rainfall events, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research – A report prepared for the Gold Coast City Council
http://www.hpsc.csiro.au/users/abb029/Seth_Westra/GCCC_Phase2_final.pdf

Comment from David Karoly http://www.smh.com.au/environment/fates-conspire-to-concoct-a-recipe-for-disaster-20110111-19mp7.html

Forget Climate Taxes –Climate always Changes, and Man must Adapt: Viv Forbes

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THE Carbon Sense Coalition today accused Western Governments of massive waste of community savings on frivolous climate “research” and alternative energy toys while neglecting the infrastructure needed to maintain sustainable societies in the face of an unknown climate future.

The Chairman of Carbon Sense, Mr Viv Forbes, said that none of the massive government climate spending has produced anything of long term use to the people paying their bills.

“The US government spends over two thousand million dollars  per year on “climate research” but the recipients were completely unable to forecast the frigid winter they are now suffering. That money would be better spent on snow ploughs and highway improvements.

“Australian governments are spending at least eight hundred million dollars per year on “climate research”, but were unable to forecast the massive floods now affecting much of Australia. That money would have been better spent on water storage and flood-proofing roads, bridges and airports.

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UK Met Office: National Joke

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First it was a national joke. Then its professional failings became a national disaster. Now, the dishonesty of its attempts to fight off a barrage of criticism has become a real national scandal. I am talking yet again of that sad organisation the UK Met Office, as it now defends its bizarre record with claims as embarrassingly absurd as any which can ever have been made by highly-paid government officials.  Read more here.

Brisbane Valley Being Evaculated

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This afternoon there was flash flooding in Toowoomba. 

This evening parts of the Brisbane Valley are being evaculated.   Up to 5,000 people may be affected. 

Snowy Hydro – The Business: Part 2, by Max Talbot

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OVER the last few weeks I have posted information suggesting that Snowy Hydro has not managed the vast waters under its control appropriately and in particular that it has failed to store flood waters for subsequence seasons and even exacerbated flooding in the Riverina by making water releases from Lake Eucumbene – the system’s central reservoir.

Max Talbot was the Executive Officer Strategic Engineering at Snowy Hydro and Operations Engineer Snowy Mountains Council for many years, retiring in 2003.  He has written extensively on the Corporation and recently updated a document ‘Snowy Hydro – The Business’ penned in 2008.   Mr Talbot has generously given permission for me to publish this document as a four part series.  Following is Part 2 – explaining sources of revenue and more.

Snowy Hydro Ltd. – a Corporate Entity

Overview

The Snowy Scheme was corporatised and began operation as Snowy Hydro Ltd in 2002.  Snowy Hydro is incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 and is a public company limited by shares.  Shares were issued gratis to the Commonwealth, NSW and Victorian governments in the percentages of their electricity entitlements, i.e., 13, 58 and 29% respectively.  The Snowy Mountains Authority’s outstanding debt of about $700m was transferred to Snowy Hydro who was required to refinance it and repay the Commonwealth.

Corporatisation was achieved via the negotiation and implementation of a series of “agreements” (46 in total) of which the 75 year water licence – that sets out Snowy Hydro’s rights and obligations with respect to management of the Snowy Schemes water resource – and the transfer of the Schemes infrastructure and assets are of critical importance to the viability of its business

Snowy Hydro is a successful member of the NEM where it occupies a unique position selling peak and shoulder energy and energy services to the market and risk management products to other market participants. Since corporatisation it has widened its activities beyond the Scheme into gas turbine generation and electricity retailing. It had an income of $781.9m in 2009-10 and a net profit of $266.9m after tax of $113.7m.

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