Anti-Mining Activists Would Keep Kiwis Poor
ACT New Zealand Parliamentary Leader Hon John Boscawen welcomes news that two new proposed South Island coal mines could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the New Zealand economy.
"Takitimu Coal has applied to the Southland District Council and Environment Southland for resource consents for its Coaldale project which could be worth an estimated $80 million in coal sales alone. That figure doesn’t even take into account the positive flow on effects of having such a major industry in the region”, Mr Boscawen said.
"In addition there is a second proposal for a coal mine on the West Coast that it is estimated would inject up to $200 million into that local economy. This is great news.
"Complaints by singled-minded-greenies such as Jeannette Fitzsimons that such projects should not go ahead because they will contribute to climate change, miss the real issue. One New Zealand coal mine will make will make no difference to global emissions – the reality is that coal consumers like China will continue to purchase and burn coal regardless of where it is mined.
"The decision for New Zealand is whether they buy our coal or Australia’s.
"While a balance must be struck between environmental concerns and raising living standards, all too often the environmental lobby gets its way. New Zealand has a floundering economy and masses of natural resources at its disposal; it is ridiculous not to use them,” Mr Boscawen said.
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Heather Roy's Diary
Japan and the China Syndrome
Many people over 40 will remember the film “The China Syndrome” starring a young Jane Fonda as a journalist investigating reports of unsafe activities at a nuclear power plant.
The film is a thriller in which Fonda forms an alliance with a nuclear engineer to prevent the 'China Syndrome' happening whilst being impeded by a dishonest management and distracted by anti-nuclear campaigners.
The “China Syndrome” refers to the situation where the cooling system in a nuclear reactor fails and the pile of uranium fuel becomes so hot that it melts anything it touches including its steel and concrete container. It then supposedly sinks into the Earth and would keep on sinking until it went right through the Earth to come out again in China. It was a serious film of its time and nobody believed that a uranium meltdown could end up in China, but when the meltdown hit ground water it was accepted there would be an explosion which would scatter radioactive material far and wide.
This syndrome of course has never happened although the word “meltdown” has entered everyday conversation and is frequently used to describe the worst possible outcome of a problem situation.
A scenario of this kind is tragically occurring right now to a group of very brave Japanese men who are doing everything possible to avoid a meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant following the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. They are largely unknown although we do know that they live at the Power Station in difficult circumstances with limited food. They sleep on the ground under a blanket and many of them expect to die on the job. Their communications with the outside world are poor and it would be a committed journalist who popped in for a chat.
Nobody knows for sure how many these men number but it is thought to be about one hundred. They are a diverse group of power station workers, firemen and assorted subcontractors. Neither is it known how they were chosen or if they are volunteers but I expect that they asked themselves the question: “If not us, then who? And if not now, then when?”
These men, the Fukushima Hundred, have laboured to keep the reactors from melting down, or if they do melt, to keep the radioactive uranium within its containment capsule.
Only the initial events are known with any certainty. When the earthquake struck there was only one confirmed casualty - a crane operator on a smokestack. Aside from that the Fukushima plant was unaffected and the uranium rods were withdrawn from the pile to stop the uranium burning. Safety measures in place for an earthquake worked exactly as planned. However it takes a long time for the uranium rods to cool and they need a continuous supply of water just as a motor vehicle’s engine will seize up if deprived of water coolant when running.
Then came the Tsunami. The Fukushima plant was designed to withstand a 5 metre Tsunami but instead the intensity of the earthquake produced one of 14 metres. The result was the cutting out of the electricity supply and flooding of the cooling pumps.
There are six reactors on the site and three were in peril but the workers were able to restore the cooling to one after a few hours. They resorted to flooding the whole system in the others using seawater but back-up generators ran out of fuel. In desperation they asked the fire service to send their trucks so that the trucks’ pumps could be used.
Differing measurements of radioactivity outside the plant mean assessment of levels have varied enormously and made it hard to monitor progress effectively. Critics of all things nuclear have taken advantage of the opportunity to further demean nuclear power despite the fact that safety measures worked as they should.
Much more importantly for the moment however, within the Fukushima plant these men are fighting a life and death struggle for their country. This particular story will play out for some time yet - only time will tell us the outcome.
Lest We Forget – April 5, 1955: Sir Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister
At the age of 80 Sir Winston Churchill resigned as prime minister of Britain on 5 April 1955 due to his failing health. Churchill is considered Britain’s greatest wartime leader and the recent portrayal of this inspirational Briton in the movie ‘The King’s Speech’ is fitting of his place in history.
Churchill’s political career began as a Conservative MP in 1900, but disillusioned with his party he defected to the Liberal party in 1906. He became Prime Minister in 1940 (as a Conservative again) and led the wartime Coalition Government during World War II. He is remembered for inspiring courage throughout Britain despite famously promising nothing more than “blood, toil, tears and sweat”. His promise that “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender” came to epitomise Britain and the world’s resistance to tyranny.
After the war the Coalition Government disbanded and Churchill resigned as Prime Minister in May 1945. He was asked by the King to form a new government and his second tenure as Prime Minister, this time of a caretaker government, began. In peacetime he wasn’t regarded as well and was heavily defeated by a Labour Government led by Clement Attlee in July 1945. In 1951 - following a change in government - at the age of 77 Sir Winston Churchill became Prime Minister for the third time. Though he resigned as Prime Minister in 1955 he remained a back bench MP until 1964.
Churchill died on 24 January 1965, aged 90.
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Govt To Get Windfall Profits At Your Expense
Receiving ever increasing dividends from State-owned power companies – such as the $89.5m payout announced today by Meridian Energy - is something the Government will ‘have to get used to’ once the Emissions Trading Scheme comes into effect, ACT New Zealand Climate Change Spokesman John Boscawen said today.
"From July 1, Treasury forecast that power prices will rise by five percent, as generators seek to recover the additional costs incurred from burning fossil fuels - such as coal and gas – due to the ETS,” Mr Boscawen said.
"However, the same ETS will allow companies which have a large proportion of renewable energy sources - such as Meridian - to make massive windfall profits. This is because of the way the NZ electricity system works, with all generators receiving the same wholesale prices regardless of whether they have to pay for their emissions or not.
"So, when Genesis seeks to recover the cost of burning coal and gas at Huntly, Meridian – which is 100 percent renewable – will be able to increase its prices by the same amount without paying any extra cost.
"The ETS will lead to greater windfall profits and dividends, not just to the Government owned generators, but also to the privately owned TrustPower and Contact Energy.
"New Zealanders – specifically those on low-incomes – who are already struggling to pay their bills will be penalised by the ETS while the Government receives windfall dividends at their expense.
"Not one of our major trading partners has introduced – or looks likely to introduce – an ETS. France has just suspended its carbon tax regime. It’s time that National ended this expensive experiment and moves to suspend our ETS,” Mr Boscawen said.
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Free Market Best for Energy Consumers, Generators and Environment
A new book by two Victoria University researchers, criticising Labour's regulation of the electricity market, is being welcomed by ACT Leader Rodney Hide.
"Once again, Labour's craving for a regulated market is being debunked", Mr Hide said.
"The book, to be launched tomorrow, concludes that pro-market reforms provided greater security of supply than Labour's regulated energy environment.
"Red tape and regulation, including the Resource Management Act, is preventing the construction of adequate energy infrastructure.
"Labour knows we need to invest in infrastructure - letting Kiwis spend another winter under the threat of blackouts is intolerable.
"What we need is more market and less government.
"Reducing red tape would let construction of new generation get underway - ending our reliance on hydro power and fossil fuels.
"ACT has promoted competitive supply and an unregulated electricity market since 1996. We still believe that a free market in energy would be best for consumers, generators and the environment.
"As we head for another winter of power shortages, Labour has to decide - either turn the lights out on Kiwis or relax the red tape", Mr Hide said.
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Keep The Lights On - Switch Off The RMA
Getting rid of government red tape and the Resource Management Act is the only way New Zealand can avoid power blackouts, says ACT Leader Rodney Hide.
"Laws, regulations and even Ministers cannot generate enough light or heat when our hydro lake levels fall.
"Simply warning householders that they should save power or spend another winter under the threat of blackouts is intolerable. Labour knows we need investment in our energy infrastructure, but the Resource Management Act makes it riskier than playing roulette", Mr Hide said.
"Labour talks about developing renewable energy, but how can New Zealand move beyond its dependence on hydro power and fossil fuels when proposed wind generation at Makara is one of the worst examples of the RMA preventing development?"
"ACT believes that we should untie the red tape and leave the light on for those who want to invest in power generation", Mr Hide said.
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