Fed Politicians Talk up Clean Coal Technologies

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The World Today - Fed politicians talk up clean coal technologies

[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1869363.htm]

The World Today - Monday, 12 March , 2007 12:10:00

Reporter: Peta Donald

ELEANOR HALL: To federal politics and both major parties are heading into coal regions and talking up clean coal technologies as the best way for Australia to tackle climate change.

Two Federal Government Ministers, Ian Macfarlane and Malcolm Turnbull, are flying in to Victoria's Latrobe Valley this morning to announce government funding for a demonstration clean coal power plant.

And Labor's Environment Spokesman, Peter Garrett, is heading to the New South Wales to the coal-mining region of the Hunter Valley to spruik the Opposition's commitment to preserving jobs in the industry while reducing emissions.

But both parties have been condemned by the Greens leader, Bob Brown, who says clean coal technology is at least a decade away from being available, and that government funding should be invested instead in renewable sources of energy.

In Canberra, Peta Donald reports.

PETA DONALD: Coal mining is suddenly the centre of attention. Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, is standing alongside the Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, today in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. They'll pledge a $100-million towards the building of a demonstration clean coal power plant.

IAN MACFARLANE: It's highly efficient and it will lower emissions from producing electricity from brown coal by between 30 and 50 per cent.

If you look at the old brown coal-fired power stations in Victoria, this new technology will halve the emissions that are currently being produced from those power stations.

PETER GARRETT: Well look, it comes late but it's welcome.

PETA DONALD: The Opposition has been calling for more investment in clean coal technology, leaving Labor's Environment Spokesman, Peter Garrett, with no choice but to support the $100-million investment.

Today he's heading to a coal mine of his own, to talk-up his party's commitment to clean coal, outlined by Labor leader Kevin Rudd a fortnight ago.

PETER GARRETT: I'm visiting a coalmine in Cessnock, and I'll be releasing our discussion paper on future directions for the Australian coal industry. In particular, identifying the fact that we'd establish a national clean coal fund worth $500-million, that would increase Commonwealth funding for the CSIRO by $25-million to drive that.

And also setting a national objective for clean coal technologies. So, we actually do have some timelines and targets for reduction of emissions to try and really aim to get towards near zero emissions going into the national grid by 2030.

PETA DONALD: So, what targets will Labor set for how much electricity generated by clean coal should be going into the grid by 2020?

PETER GARRETT: Well, we think there should be significant reductions entering the grid by 2020, and near zero by 2030. I think the important thing to recognise here is that we stand on the cusp of identifying the necessary technologies that will actually clean our coal and reduce greenhouse emissions considerably.

And we need to that because the likely demand for energy, particularly under the current regime, is going to increase over time.

PETA DONALD: So, are you actually going to set a target, though, for how much should go into the grid by 2020?

PETER GARRETT: Well, we're aiming to get towards near zero by 2030, and I think that once we actually have some deployment of these technologies, we'll get a much clearer and stronger sense of what the possibilities are.

PETA DONALD: But so-called clean coal is not the solution to climate change, according to Greens leader Bob Brown.

He says it's decades away from being available, and that today's pledge of a $100- million for the plant in Victoria is a waste of money.

BOB BROWN: Brown coal is the dirtiest polluter of the energy production alternatives on the face of the planet. This will bring brown coal in line with existing polluting technology from black coal.

Reduce it by 30 per cent and you've got roughly the pollution levels of black coal around the world, which is creating the greatest output of greenhouse gases, the greatest threat to the planet's future.

It's like saying you're going to put $100-million into low-tar cigarettes. The end result is thousands more people getting cancer.

PETA DONALD: Even Bob Brown is off to visit a coal mine to prove his point, going deep into coal mining heartland tomorrow to address miners at Blackwater, in central Queensland.

BOB BROWN: I've spoken to dam builders during the Franklin period where we were told that jobs would be at stake and the economy of Tasmania would be at stake if the Franklin Dam didn't go ahead.

The Greens talked about transferring to a clean, green economy and we've been proven right. It's the same with the coal industry. We have to plan, when you can see the whole world on the move, to tackle the problem of polluting of the atmosphere, you have to plan for the people whose jobs are most at stake in that, and I'm prepared to take part in that.

ELEANOR HALL: That is Greens Senator Bob Brown, ending that report from Peta Donald in Canberra.