NO to Seismic Blasting in the Otway Basin

I am providing Public Comment regarding the Otway Basin 3D Multi-client Marine Seismic Survey proposal.

I am writing to you as a relevant person who is concerned about the impacts of the proposed seismic blasting.

The impacts from the proposed project have not been reduced to Acceptable Levels. The Environment Plan (EP) submitted to NOPSEMA to conduct seismic blasting in the Otway Basin is lacking in sufficient detail on the impacts and measures to mitigate these impacts.

This seismic blasting will cause direct harm to the ocean ecosystem. It is lethal for marine life, impacting all levels of the food chain from zooplankton (1) to whales (2). Krill and zooplankton are cornerstone species that are the main source of food for many larger animals. Their eradication would cause a catastrophic chain reaction that would affect the entire marine ecosystem.

Seismic blasts impact the breeding, feeding, and migration of whales, making them vulnerable to errors in navigation and to predation. They can cause whales to experience temporary or permanent hearing loss, which impacts their navigation, communication, and search for food since they rely on echolocation.

Impacts to our ocean environment and marine life have not been adequately considered, and the measures to mitigate these impacts are not sufficient. The use of a marine fauna spotter to spot whales and reduce the scale of seismic blasting frequency if they are spotted is ineffective as many of the affected species can dive for prolonged periods of time, and will not be sighted if in the area below water. This does not stop the impact of causing mortality in small fish and zooplankton.

This EP will not protect local fishing industries. Seismic blasting is deadly for marine life and decimates seafood populations, causing mortality in small fish and reducing catch size (3). These stocks may take many years to recover. Seafood and fish stocks may take many years to recover, as has been the case in commercial scallop fisheries in Bass Strait (4).

There is an unacceptable level of risk to the local tourism industry. Local seafood and wildlife and recreational activities such as fishing are a massive part of the local marine tourism industries that will be affected by this seismic blasting.

The OA extends through whale Songline Country. Traditional owners, keepers of whale songlines, have stated that this and any other gas and oil projects within their traditional waters have no permission to proceed. The Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective’s Citizens Protection Declaration condemns all new and existing seismic testing and gas mining exploration approvals across the south west Victorian coastal waters covering Gunditjmara Sea Country.

The proposed project contravenes the OPGGS Act, as it interferes with fishing, marine conservation, and activities of other marine based industry. It also contravenes the EPBC Act* protecting threatened and migratory species, natural ecosystems and marine areas, as well as Article 32, Item 2 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

The proposal to conduct seismic blasting using Special Prospecting Authority (SPA) permits sidesteps the usual government bidding and decision-making process, facilitating hasty and highly damaging oil and gas exploration proposals to progress rapidly through the regulatory approvals process.

A Senate Inquiry into the use of seismic blasting to locate and drill for oil and gas under the seabed found opposition from coastal communities, weak regulation, and outdated science. No more seismic blasting should be done until there is an understanding of the broader impacts of seismic testing on marine ecosystems. 

This seismic blasting proposal should be refused due to the unacceptable impacts noted above.  

I am a frequent visitor to the Surf Coast and the Great Ocean Road. I consider the environmental, cultural and social impacts of seismic blasting in the Otway Basin unacceptable.

(1) McCauley, R, Day, R, Swadling, K, Fitzgibbon, Q, Watson, R and Semmens, J, 2017, ‘Widely used marine seismic survey air gun operations negatively impact zooplankton’, Nature Ecology & Evolution, vol. 1(7), (accessed June 2021).

(2) Weilgart, L. (2013). “A review of the impacts of seismic airgun surveys on marine life.” Submitted to the CBD Expert Workshop on Underwater Noise and its Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, 25-27 February 2014, London, UK. Available at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=MCBEM-2014-01 

(3) ‘Seismic surveying reduces whiting catch rate by 99.5 per cent, research finds’, Rio Davis, https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12502930

(4) Submission to the senate inquiry: Impact of seismic testing on fisheries and the marine environment. 2019. IMAS Submission 34. Hobart: IMAS [online], https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/SeismicTesting/Public_Hearings  (accessed June 2021)

*Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Yours sincerely,

Peter Campbell

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic and opportunities for a new and better future

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic 

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption for life as we know it.  In no particular order:

Economies have slowed drastically due to restrictions on many businesses operating.

Many people have lost their jobs and are now unemployed.  Unemployment is reaching levels not seen since the 1930 depression.

Many shops cannot pay rents as they have no income while they are shut down.

Many housing tenants cannot pay rent as they have no income.

Governments have provided stimulatory spending including providing wage replacements to those who have been stood down by companies due to lack of work.  Some groups of people are not getting payments, including international students and casual workers who have been employed with a company for less than a year.

Social distancing to reduce the spread of infection has halted many social conventions including hugs, kisses and handshakes.

Social distancing has also been introduced in supermarkets and retail shops that remain open.

Panic buying has seen supplies of toilet paper and many food supplies depleted.

Many school and all university students are being schooled from home via the Internet.

People are walking and cycling in local parks either alone, with another person or with a family group from the same household.

People are heeding government advice to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel.  The roads are very quiet.

Police are fining some people who break social distancing and other regulations imposed under a state of emergency.

Many people are working from home via the Internet.

The arts and music industries have ground to a halt with all public performances and exhibitions closed.

Sports are stopped and many sporting clubs and organisations are suffering cash flow problems. Some say they won't survive.

The stock market has suffered major losses with share prices falling [link]

Countries have closed their borders to most travel.

People on cruise ships have become marooned when no country will allow them to berth due to concerns about infection risk.

Air pollution has dropped along with automobile and industry emissions.

Families are spending time together with parents and children all at home during lockdowns.

People are cooking more - meals, bread, pastries, cakes etc.

Hand washing has become routine, along with disinfectant hand cleaner in some shops.

A National Cabinet has been formed to expedite decision making and align federal and state policies and actions for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Union leaders are talking to federal government ministers to develop appropriate support measures for companies and employees.

Companies with large debts and/or "just in time" manufacturing/retail models have been hit hard by the lockdowns imposed by governments.  Many, such as Virgin Australia, are in big trouble.  Some will fail.

Opportunities for a new and better future

Individuals, societies and governments can change how things are done when they want or need to.

We can pay a universal basic income to people who are unemployed.

Governments can build infrastructure that generates employment and benefits people including:

• High quality bike paths, free from traffic
• High speed rail links between cities
• More public transport to give people the option for convenient and sustainable travel

Provide a universal public health system that delivers health services for all citizens and provides economies of scale.

Provide more government funding for research and development into various sectors including:

• Public health and disease prevention
• Renewable energy and energy storage solutions
• Rebuilding centralised electricity grids to support micro-grids, distributed storage and distribution of renewable energy

Impose a travel tax on all car and truck travel.

• Car users and trucks don't directly pay for roads so many people feel they are free to use.  However, increased road usage creates more demands for roads, creating a vicious cycle.

Support work from home as an ongoing arrangement

• Less travel would free up a lot of time for many people
• People could work from home, possibly on a roster system, for 1 to 5 days per week

Price air travel appropriately.

• Excessive air travel is a luxury the planet cannot afford.  It should be priced to cover greenhouse gas emissions, leading to reductions in non-essential trips.
• Local holidays are a more sustainable option

Protect forests and plant trees

• Forest provide natural resources and are "services" such as producing water and drawing down CO2.  They also provide habitat for animals and plants and support biodiversity
• Cease logging of native forests  
• Plant trees on degraded farm land and public land to generate employment and increase the world's forest cover.

Transition to renewable energy

• Develop are roadmap to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and transition off fossil fuels including oil, gas and coal.
• Generate employment in manufacturing and services for renewable energy

Make all elected MPs part of government

• Reform politics and government so that all elected MPs have a role to play
• Ditch political parties and "the opposition"

Feel free to add any suggestions in the comments.

Senator Kim Carr happily subsidises fossil fuel but not electric vehicles

It is very disappointing that the Australian Government continues to provide massive subsidies for fossil fuels - around $9 billion per year - while Senator Kim Carr has ruled out any subsidies for electric vehicles.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

The federal government instead believes the future of the car industry lies in the development of existing technology across petrol, diesel and LPG engines.

''It's not our intention to run programs to support any particular form of technology,'' Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Kim Carr said.

This is yet another example of the failure of the Australian Government and our elected representatives to provide leadership towards a low carbon future.

Electric vehicles can reduce our carbon emissions if they replace fossil fuel powered vehicles, and they can achieve zero emissions when the source of electricity for recharging them is 100% renewable energy.

This is also a missed opportunity to develop an electric vehicle that could be exported around the world.  China, France, Japan, the United States, Germany, Korea and India are all building electric vehicles.

Kim Carr's so called "green car fund" spends $1billion of Australian taxpayers money on very dubious projects such as a "green 6 cyclinder motor" (Ford Australia).

Not surprisingly, the oil companies in Australia regard their profits from fossil fuels to be "safe for 10 years".

Kim, the government should subside the development of low emissions technologies.  You should also remove all subsidies on fossil fuel use.

Record petrol prices, when do we hit $5 per litre?

Yesterday in Melbourne, petrol prices hit an all time high of $1.55 per litre, with some motoring groups voicing concerns that the price could reach $1.60 per litre and that "petrol stations were 'pushing the envelope too much' by charging such high prices" and that "new prices reflected the industry's agenda to keep pushing up fuel prices".

While there is some possibility that oil companies and petrol stations can raise their prices without warning in an opportunistic manner, I think it must now be obvious that the basic supply and demand law of economics is the real concern here.

The world demand for oil now exceeds supply, the phenomenon known as "peak oil". So the price is going up.

As oil supplies dwindle and demand continues to increase (e.g. from China, India and other growing economies) then the price will continue to rise.

How high? Well, I can imagine that $2.00 per litre could be reached by the end of 2009, and a $5.00 per litre is possible by 2012. When will it reach $10.00 a litre, perhaps by 2020.

In Europe (e.g. Norway and Italy), the price is over $2.20 per litre already. In the United States, where Hummers and 8 litre V8s are still bought, the price is currently $0.70 per litre.

Petrol 9(and other fossil fuel) price rises will have dramatic effect on our lifestyles and our economy. Fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, LGP and CNG (which is more abundant) are used heavily for food growing, transport and distribution. Private cars using fossil fuels are used heavily for personal transport, often for simple commuting to and from work.

So the price of food and transport will rise dramatically in coming years unless governments take action to put policies in place to shift towards alternative renewable energy sources for food production and transport and indeed to fabric of our society.

Unfortunately the current state of play in Australia is not good, as per the following:

• Freeways and roads are being built rather than rail and cycling infrastructure
• CNG is being shipped overseas rather than used locally, and no effective CNG refuelling infrastructure is in place
• Many thousands of trucks (mostly diesel) are used daily for goods and food transport, including thousands doing routine trips such as along the Melbourne Sydney route
• Their is no significant low emissions and/or hybrid car manufacturing in Australia; the Ford and General Motors plants are still focussed on building six and eight cylinder cars (such as the new GM ute for export to the United States, and Governments are still buying them for their car fleets.
  

When will our politicians wake up from their fossil-fuel fugue? Hopefully before petrol reaches $5.00 per litre. They are elected to provide leadership on such matters, but currently they are not. Some, like Senator Kim Carr, are trying to get hybrids built in Australia, but he is a lone voice and he is not succeeding. And he drives a Ford Territory gas guzzler. Actions speak louder than words.

For the record, I drive a 1993 Mitusbishi 4WD van, which I bought as the 2.5 litre motor uses half the fuel of a comparable 6 cyclinder 4WD. I also ride my bike a lot.

Making green cars is a good option.

Links

• Fuel price record in Melbourne, The Age
• Petrol prices pumping motorists dry | Herald Sun
• Green cars, Greenlivingpedia
  

Remove $8.9 billion fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change

Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull's announcement that all incandescent light bulbs will be banned in Australia from 2009-10 is a step in the right direction and is long overdue. However, we need to do much more than this.

The real problem is that electricity produced in Australia from fossil fuel such as coal is subsidised to the tune of an astounding $8.9 billion, so it is far too cheap. If these subsidies were removed, and a carbon tax applied to polluting energy producers, then renewable energy would successfully compete and the free market would steer us in the right direction of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This would also provide strong incentives for Australian manufacturers to produce energy efficient appliances that would be competitive in export markets. Australian appliances are lagging global standards on power consumption because electrical power is so cheap in Australia. Currently, if you want a really energy efficient fridge or dishwasher you have to buy one from a European country such as Germany or Sweden.

With renewable energy on a competitive footing, and demand for electricity greatly reduced through the use of more energy efficient appliances, we would avoid building new coal-fired power stations or going down the non-renewable and dangerous nuclear path favoured by John Howard.

It is time for our politicians to display some real leadership on climate change before we reach the looming crisis point.

Overall, this would be cheaper than funding projects across Australia such as building a barrage across the Port Phillip Bay Heads to stop rising seawater levels flooding Melbourne’s bayside regions.

Some further information:

• Canberra sees the light on energy-saving globes The Age
• Hazelwood is the dirtiest power station in Australia and the most polluting power station in the industrialised world (based on CO₂ per megawatt hour sent out)
• Australia is the largest coal exporter in the world, exporting 247.6 million tonnes in 2004, which was more than twice the amount of any other country.
• Research paper on coal subsidies (PDF) which details the scandal of the century.