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Global Energy Demand, Evaluation of Mining Development Proposals and Resolving Environmental Conflicts in the Public Interest Part 1: Conflict Resolution101 ~ Effective Public Participation (Posted 23 March 2018) KEY WORDS: Global energy; climate change; Adani; coal; CSG; Australia; environmental impacts; community consultation; public participation; goals; ADR; negotiation; power; information conflicts 1.0 Controversy over CSG and coal mining, arising from Australia’s key role to meet global energy demand, has led to non-violent, peaceful protests, litigation and conflict over development and the environment. 2.0 Around one-third of Australia is covered by coal and gas licences and applications. 3.0 Australia was the world’s largest exporter of coal in 2016. Australia will become the world's largest CSG producer in 2018. 4.0 Managing and resolving the complex information conflicts and divergent scientific opinion, a feature of all public interest environmental conflicts, requires a process that facilitates effective collaborative involvement between all competing interests and Government, trust in process and a sense of ownership in outcomes. 5.0 Two public participatory processes are evaluated for their effectiveness for managing and resolving information conflicts. The level of power the community would have in collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution is significantly different between these processes.
PART 2: Climate Change, Global Energy Demands, Sustainable Development and the Paris Accord Rule Book (Posted 01 June 2018) KEY WORDS: Paris Agreement; Paris Rule Book; Bonn Climate Conference 2018; coal; energy; sustainable development; Rio Declaration 1992; 2030 UN Agenda; SDG13 climate action; carbon emissions; equity; multi-objective analysis; global objectives; national objectives 1.0 Climate change and energy are not competing priorities. 2.0 Energy is an intrinsic component for a sustainable future. 3.0 Achieving sustainable development raises two significant challenges for the entire coal value chain. Not only for the adoption of clean coal technology to reduce emissions - but also for future coal production. 4.0 Resolving these challenges requires sustainable solutions. 5.0 Two models are critiqued for achieving this goal: SDG13-Climate Action [of the UN’s 2030 Agenda] and Multi-Objective Analysis [from environmental science and planning]. READ MORE…The full article on this topic can be downloaded on the following LINK. For an outline of the Conclusions that are made in the full article, Click on KEY POINTS
PART3: The Need for Environmental Evaluation & Approval Processes Based on Relevant and Reliable Science and Effective Public Participation - not the Politicization of Science (Posted: 04 July 2019) TAGS: Adani; coal; conflict; best available science; politics; scientific uncertainty; incomplete information; Great Artesian Basin; Black-throated Finch; litigation risk; scientific roundtable; sustainable developent.
1.0 After almost nine years, nine legal reviews and $3.7 billion in “start-up” costs, the Adani Coal Mine Project was finally approved by the Queensland Government in June 2019. 2.0 Could similar problems of conflict and delay occur in the future? Must history repeat? What steps should be taken to avoid such a problem for developent projects that may have significant, adverse enviroenmental impacts? Clearly, some form of review is warranted. 3.0 A problem-solving framework is outlined based on accepted concepts and principles for resolving environmental conflicts. It addresses the scientific and public interest issues that confronted Adani. 4.0 This framework enables an objective review of the scientific and public interest issues that ignited over time, which proved to be problematic for the environmental evaluation and approval processes for Adani. Recommendations are made to address specific issues. 5.0 The aim of the review: To revise and update environmental evaluation and approval processes, as required, to avoid the "Adani history" repeating. |
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