Coal seam gas in the context of global energy and climate change scenarios

Environmental and Planning Law Journal

Volumn 29, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 91-100

  Lyster, Rosemary ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CLIMATE CHANGE; COAL SEAM; ENERGY MARKET; GREENHOUSE GAS; STATE ROLE;

AUSTRALIA; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84867124915     PISSN: 0813300X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (68)

1. The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association Ltd, for example, states that "[e]lectricity generated using gas produces up to 70% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than some existing coal generation technology, meaning coal seam gas has a significant role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions", http://www.appea.com.au/csg/introduction.html viewed 1 March 2012.
2. International Energy Agency (IEA), Are We Entering a Golden Age of Gas? (Special Report, 2011), http://www.iea.org/weo/docs/weo2011/WEO2011_GoldenAgeofGasReport.pdf viewed 17 January 2012.
3. Howarth RW, Santoro R and Ingraffea A, "Methane and the Greenhouse-Gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations: A Letter", Climate Change (2011), http://www.sustainablefuture.cornell.edu/news/attachments/Howarth-EtAl-2011.pdf viewed 17 January 2012.
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5. The New Policy Scenario trends are in line with stabilising the concentration of greenhouse gases at over 650 parts per million (ppm) of Carbon Dioxide-equivalent (eq), resulting in a likely temperature rise of more than 3.5°C in the long term. They accept that current national commitments to reduce GHGs make it impossible to hold global temperature rise below 2°C, which would require stabilisation at 450 ppm.
6. Birol F, "World Energy Outlook 2011" (Speech delivered at the Rio Tinto and Energy Alliance of Australia Energy Exchange Breakfast, Brisbane, 13 December 2011).
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8. Shell, n 7 at 10.
9. Shell, n 7 at 24.
10. Shell, n 7 at 11.
11. Shell, n 7 at 49.
12. Shell refers to Obama's initial decision to open more of the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling which was reversed by a moratorium following Deepwater Horizon; at 65.
13. Shell, n 7 at 28.
14. Shell, n 7 at 28.
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17. BP, n 14 at 23.
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19. The report was launched in Abu Dhabi given the United Arab Emirate's commitment to renewable energy through its Masdar Initiative launched in 2006 which includes the 6km2 Masdar City which is emerging as a global clean-technology cluster, http://www.masdar.ae/en/Menu/index.aspx?MenuID=42&CatID=12&mnu=Cat viewed 20 May 2011.
20. The UAE was also recently appointed to permanently host the International Renewable Energy Agency, http://www.irena.org/News/Description.aspx?NType=NWS&PriMenuID=16&mnu=Pri&News_ID=112 viewed 20 May 2011.
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22. Note that there has been some controversy about the close involvement of Greenpeace International in the writing of the report and the IPCC's Press Release, particularly the headlining of the most optimistic scenario in that Release; see "IPCC SRREN Report Reveals Legitimate Issues with the Organisation's Communications", The Carbon Brief (17 June 2011), http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2011/06/the-ipcc-and-the-srren-report viewed 18 January 2012.
23. IPCC, n 19.
24. IPCC, n 17 at 5.
25. IPCC, n 19 at 3.
26. IPCC, n 17 at "Summary for Policy Makers", 23.
27. IPCC, n 19 at 4.
28. IPCC, n 17 at "Summary for Policy Makers", 16.
29. IPCC, n 17 at "Summary for Policy Makers", 18.
30. Note that these developments have been reviewed extensively by the author in Lyster R, Lipman Z, Franklin N, Pearson L and Wiffen G, Environmental and Planning Law in New South Wales (Federation Press, 3rd ed, 2012), Ch 7. For this reason an abbreviated discussion appears here.
31. Conference of the Parties, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP, UNFCCC), Report of the Conference of the Parties on its Sixteenth Session, Held in Cancun from 29 November to 10 December 2010 - Addendum - Part 2: Action Taken by the Conference of the Parties at Its Sixteenth Session, FCCC/CP/2010/7/Add.1 (15 March 2011) at Decision 1/CP.16, http://www.unfccc.int/resource/docs/2010/cop16/eng/07a01.pdf#page=2 viewed 29 June 2011.
32. Report of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol on its Sixth Session, Held in Cancun from 29 November to 10 December 2010 - Addendum - Part Two: Action Taken by the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol at its Sixth Session, FCCC/KP/CMP/2010/12/Add.1 (15 March 2011) at Decisions 1/CMP.6 and 2/CMP.6, http://www.unfccc.int/resource/docs/2010/cmp6/eng/12a01.pdf#page=5 viewed 29 June 2011.
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35. COP, UNFCCC, n 30, Art 4. See also Establishment of an Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, FCCC/CP/2011/L.X (2011), http://www.unfccc.int/files/meetings/durban_nov_2011/decisions/application/pdf/cop17_durbanplatform.pdf viewed 13 December 2011.
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38. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 1.
39. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 5.
40. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, at Annex II.
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42. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, at Part B, Preamble.
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44. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 32.
45. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 33.
46. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 35.
47. COP, UNFCCC, n 33, Art 45.
48. COP, UNFCCC, n 31.
49. COP, UNFCCC, n 31 at Preamble
50. COP, UNFCCC, n 31, Art 6.
51. Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, Draft Energy White Paper 2011: Strengthening the Foundations for Australia's Energy Future (December 2011) p 86, http://www.ret.gov.au/energy/Documents/ewp/draft-ewp-2011/Draft-EWP-chap5.pdf viewed 23 January 2012.
52. Howarth et al, n 3 at 1.
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54. NSW Farmers Federation, A Framework for Sustainable Development Planning for Agriculture and Extractive Industries (2010).
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56. Senate Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee, n 51 at [1.30]-[1.33].
57. Fraser A and Barrett R, "Gas Plants Will Feed Discharge Water into River System", The Australian (21 October 2010).
58. "Cancer-Causing Chemical Confirmed in CSG Wells", Brisbane Times (18 November 2010).
59. United States EPA, Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan (November 2011), http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy viewed 20 January 2012.
60. United States EPA, n 55 at viii-ix.
61. United States EPA, Draft Findings of Pavillion, Wyoming Ground Water Investigation for Public Comment and Independent Scientific Review (8 December 2011), http://www.yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/20ed1dfa1751192c8525735900400c30/ef35bd26a80d6ce3852579600065c94e!OpenDocument viewed 20 January 2012.
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63. Encana Corporation, Why Ecana Refutes U.S. EPA Pavillion Groundwater Report, http://www.encana.com/news-stories/news-releases/details.html?release=632327 viewed 20 January 2012.
64. The updated Position statement, National Water Commission, Coal Seam Gas Update December 2011, http://www.nwc.gov.au/reform/position/coal-seam-gas viewed 20 January 2012.
65. Water Management Act 2000 (NSW), s 60I. This clause had not yet commenced.
66. Water Management (General) Amendment (Aquifer Interference) Regulation 2011 (NSW), Sch 7, cl 27.
67. National Water Commission. Onshore Co-Produced Water: Extent and Management (September 2011), http://www.nwc.gov.au/publications/waterlines/onshore-co-produced-water-extent-and-management viewed 20 January 2012.
68. National Water Commission, n 62 at viii-ix.