Comments on: In the heat of the (Arctic) night http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night Global warming and the future of New Zealand Wed, 23 May 2012 07:02:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jonno http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3732 Jonno Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:34:23 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3732 Re: Lark This sums you guys up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okt8PTBg5TA Re: Lark

This sums you guys up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okt8PTBg5TA

]]> By: cindy http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3730 cindy Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:47:03 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3730 Xtract people will claim anything. oil shale extraction is an unproven process, so far, in my understanding. what we DO know is that it's very, very dirty, very high on both greenhouse gas emissions and all sorts of other toxic wastes associated. It would need huge supplies of water - and presumably that water, now laden with heavy metals, etc, would find its way back - erm - into the Kawarau? Lake Wakatipu? Here's another briefing - from GP Australia (old - 2003) but still relevant. http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/australia/resources/fact-sheets/climate-change/stuart-oil-shale-project.pdf Xtract people will claim anything.
oil shale extraction is an unproven process, so far, in my understanding.

what we DO know is that it’s very, very dirty, very high on both greenhouse gas emissions and all sorts of other toxic wastes associated. It would need huge supplies of water – and presumably that water, now laden with heavy metals, etc, would find its way back – erm – into the Kawarau? Lake Wakatipu?

Here’s another briefing – from GP Australia (old – 2003) but still relevant.
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/australia/resources/fact-sheets/climate-change/stuart-oil-shale-project.pdf

]]> By: Carol Stewart http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3729 Carol Stewart Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:43:39 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3729 Gareth: For sure (and seabed) :-) Gareth:
For sure (and seabed) :-)

]]> By: Jonno http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3728 Jonno Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:40:14 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3728 Is there really a change in the air.. or BAU? Is there really a change in the air.. or BAU?

]]> By: fragment http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3727 fragment Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:36:04 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3727 These Xtract people are claiming their process is less emissions intensive and more energy efficient than traditional oil shale extraction... but they would say that, wouldn't they? The best way for us to be sure is for carbon to have a cost. These Xtract people are claiming their process is less emissions intensive and more energy efficient than traditional oil shale extraction… but they would say that, wouldn’t they? The best way for us to be sure is for carbon to have a cost.

]]> By: Gareth http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3725 Gareth Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:28:27 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3725 I may be misremembering, but there may be some hope that it will be possible to "cook" the shale in situ, allowing oil extraction without huge mining operations. Still not good in CO2 terms - or in energy return (more energy in than you get back). Carol: If you can email, then yes please! I may be misremembering, but there may be some hope that it will be possible to “cook” the shale in situ, allowing oil extraction without huge mining operations. Still not good in CO2 terms – or in energy return (more energy in than you get back).

Carol: If you can email, then yes please!

]]> By: cindy http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3724 cindy Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:24:55 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3724 oil shale the dirtiest form of fuel - even dirtier than coal, in climate terms. Greenpeace UK did a recent report on BP and Shell's investments in oil sands (related to shale - I think shale is actually dirtier, emissions-wise)... http://greenpeace.org.uk/files/pdfs/climate/RisingRisks.pdf worth a look. moreover, they haven't actually managed to nail down the technology which would extract oil from shale. There were big efforts in Australia (Gladstone) for a while, but Greenpeace Australia got it shut down on climate terms. As with a recent effort near the Great Barrier reef - for even more obvious reasons (erm, threats to the reef!). Ripping apart the Remarkables for a climate-killing fuel? well, I guess under a National Govt with its promised revisions to the RMA, it might get the go-ahead... oil shale
the dirtiest form of fuel – even dirtier than coal, in climate terms.

Greenpeace UK did a recent report on BP and Shell’s investments in oil sands (related to shale – I think shale is actually dirtier, emissions-wise)…

http://greenpeace.org.uk/files/pdfs/climate/RisingRisks.pdf

worth a look.

moreover, they haven’t actually managed to nail down the technology which would extract oil from shale. There were big efforts in Australia (Gladstone) for a while, but Greenpeace Australia got it shut down on climate terms. As with a recent effort near the Great Barrier reef – for even more obvious reasons (erm, threats to the reef!).

Ripping apart the Remarkables for a climate-killing fuel? well, I guess under a National Govt with its promised revisions to the RMA, it might get the go-ahead…

]]> By: Carol Stewart http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3722 Carol Stewart Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:16:26 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3722 Gareth, The Maori party sent me a whole bunch of information about their environment and energy policy, including views on the ETS. I'm happy to forward it your way. Gareth, The Maori party sent me a whole bunch of information about their environment and energy policy, including views on the ETS. I’m happy to forward it your way.

]]> By: fragment http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3721 fragment Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:03:25 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3721 Oil shale looks interesting. <a href="//www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Energy+NZ/Oil+hunt+in+Central+Otago.html" rel="nofollow">More info here</a>. I wonder what all those opposing windfarms in Central Otago would think of the godawful mess an oil shale operation would produce. As far as emissions go, if that novel process works out I guess it wouldn't be as horrible as it could be, but it's still all about fossil fuels rather than moving to alternatives as much as possible. But unless and until the ETS becomes actually effective, the incentives are still going to favour this kind of fossil fuel exploitation. I might have to go wander up that valley before it's ruined. See if I can find some <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/Geology/Fossils/6/ENZ-Resources/Standard/1/en" rel="nofollow">Lake Manuherikia</a> fossils before they're cooked into petrol. Oil shale looks interesting. More info here. I wonder what all those opposing windfarms in Central Otago would think of the godawful mess an oil shale operation would produce. As far as emissions go, if that novel process works out I guess it wouldn’t be as horrible as it could be, but it’s still all about fossil fuels rather than moving to alternatives as much as possible. But unless and until the ETS becomes actually effective, the incentives are still going to favour this kind of fossil fuel exploitation.

I might have to go wander up that valley before it’s ruined. See if I can find some Lake Manuherikia fossils before they’re cooked into petrol.

]]> By: Gareth http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3720 Gareth Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:49:36 +0000 http://hot-topic.co.nz/in-the-heat-of-the-arctic-night/#comment-3720 The next post will election-relevant, so plenty of scope for argument there... The next post will election-relevant, so plenty of scope for argument there…

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