The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Csiro, 2012) estimates Australia has a total of 235 tcf (tera cubic feet) of coal seam gas, and estimates eastern Australian CSG volumes are enough to power a city of five million people for one thousand years. According to Keane (n.d), Origin Energy and its liquefied natural gas partner, Conco Phillips signed an agreement with China's Sinopec worth an estimated $90 billion, couple that with the fact that according to Buckingham the NSW Greens spokesman on mining, an estimated 40,000 wells are planned to be implemented in Queensland (2011). Coal seam gas mining seems like an unavoidable part of our future, but is it the right move?
There is much debate about Coal Seam Gas mining, and its application has faced criticism from activists, academics, medical professionals and land holders. According too Wilkinson (2011), "Using CSG to generate electricity reduces CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent compared with coal, and gas is critical to us meeting our greenhouse reduction targets.", according to Danny, who's article was published by Engineers Australia magazine, claims the Queensland electricity generator, CSEnergy’s gas-fired Swanbank E produces 50 per cent less greenhouse emissions than the average coal-fired plant.(2011). However these figures measure the volume of released gases during processing, but fail to consider the volume and types of gases produced during the extraction of these gases.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), "Pound for pound, the comparative impact of CH4 on climate change is over 20 times greater than CO2 over a 100-year period." This leads us to the impending question, is CSG cleaner the coal mining? or has the entire process experienced an astronomical case of "green washing"? If the studies of professor Robert Howarth of Cornell University are to be believed, when considering the transmission, extraction and processing of natural gas, it's emissions are worse for the environment over a 20 year, or 100 year period then other fossil fuels such as coal (2012). Of course, the negative environmental impacts of CSG are not limited to just gas emissions.
A paper published by Duke University, (Osborn, Vengosh, Warner & Jackson, 2011) shows methane concentrations of water wells were substantially higher closer to natural-gas wells. A story extracted from Is Coal Seam Gas Polluting Groundwater? by Osborn 2012: Brian Monk calls himself a coal seam gas refugee. At a protest rally in October 2011 he described the series of events that led him to conclude that his drinking water had been contaminated by coal seam gas activity. (Par 2) He says the first thing that happened was his grandchildren started crying in the bath one night. "We hoicked them out of tile bath and they had a ring around them. Everything that had been in the water was red like a burn, a scald. We stopped using tile water for everything but washing clothes. Shortly after that, the stock (cattle) stopped drinking the water. Then a few months ago, the frogs that were happily living in the tank we pump the water from died." (Par 3)
Water testing of his bore identified high levels of hydrogen sulphide, a corrosive chemical that could have caused the children's burns. Hydrogen sulphide can be released from coal or can be a product of decomposition of organic matter. (Par 13)
David Shearman, the honorary secretary of Doctors for the Environment Australia wrote:
The processes of drilling and forcing fluid into the well delivers methane gas to the surface in the effluent together with hundreds of potentially toxic substances; these are not confined to the chemicals used in drilling for they include countless substances released from disruption of the coal seams. (Par 4)
In coal mining the latter pollutants end up in the air and in coal ash dumps. In CSG mining they pollute the air, the ground water and surrounding land whilst they lie in evaporation ponds for years where they can be released into rivers and streams in inevitable floods. (Par 5)
There is no safe level for some of these substances and we need to be aware that some chemicals adsorb to substances in the environment and can become concentrated. (Par 6)
The situation is even more concerning because the toxic profile of many of these substances is unknown. Many cause immediate symptoms (skin, eye and lung irritation, asthma cough and nausea; dizziness and headaches) in those exposed to them. These symptoms are frequently reported from many CSG communities in the USA and are being investigated by the United States Environment Protection Authority. (Par 7)
The potential long-term effects are more disturbing because some identified toxins are carcinogenic. (Par 8)
In any field of medicine the exposure to any concentration of such substances would be regarded as inappropriate. Even so the Australian body, NICNAS, charged with assessing the toxins from this mining has not produced a report. Has the Minister no responsibility for this? (Par 9)
(2011)
Further health impacts were identified by Doctors for the Environment Australia [DEA (2011)], which include the degradation of valuable farm land and water sources.
What about our future?
According to Buckingham, "COAL seam gas mining threatens our farmlands and water resources, and will lock us into a fossil fuel-powered future when we should be investing in renewable energy such as solar and wind." (2011). This comes as no surprise, according to Smith, 2011 "International and Australian energy companies are pouring more than $70 billion of investment into four world-scale liquefied natural gas projects in Queensland expected to involve drilling more 25,000 wells into coal seams spread across the Surat and Bowen Basins over the next two or three decades.". This comes in direct relation to the statement made by Carey and Shearmen "The International Energy Agency has warned that there is a danger that over reliance on CSG will delay the vital transition to renewable energy."(2011)
If we consider the above statements it's clear to see that investing in CSG is stripping away valuable funding for sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. Social pressure has been placed on CSG through media such as the film Gas Land, 2011 and protest groups such as "Lock the gate". Such pressure is being mostly ignored in society that stands to gain so much economic revenue, despite reports of concern and calls for moratoriums from respectable independent bodies such as the National Toxics Network.
According to the Dowling, Carew & Hadcraft, sustainable development can be defined as "Development which integrates economic growth, social equity, and environmental management so that ecological processes (on which life depends) are maintained in a state sufficient to meet the quality of life needs of present and future generations" (2013, pg. 331)
Considering the implications of CSG in terms of carbon and methane emissions, health risks, damage to agricultural land, air pollution, water pollution and reduction in renewable energy research spending, despite the claims that CSG could power a city of 5 million for 1000 years, I wouldn't classify this as sustainable development.
Coal seam gas, a landholders perspective:
Alright, so maybe CSG isn't the most friendly technology for the environment, but I'm not the environment, I am me.
From a land holders implementing CSG mines can suffer variety negative impacts. As mentioned above, coal seam gas can ruin pollute the water and air ruining agricultural land, and cause major health risks.
So why are so many people allowing CSG mines? Of course, allowing a multi-billion dollar industry onto your property has some serious perks. Landholders are able to negotiate both financial and alternate compensation, such as the construction of fences or irrigation systems. CSG projects can bring millions to the local economy allowing local economies in rural areas to boom. A good article for this can be found at this link:
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Carey, M., & Shearman, D. (2011, July 29). Hidden costs of the CSG rush. In Business Spectator. Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2011/7/29/policy-politics/hidden-costs-csg-rush?utm_source=Climate%20Spectator&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=d1e0470c14-CSPEC_DAILY
CSIRO. (2010, March 15). Unconventional gas fast facts. In Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://www.csiro.au/~/media/CSIROau/Divisions/CSIRO%20Earth%20Science%20and%20Resource%20Engineering/PDFs/Unconventional%20gas%20fast%20facts.pdf
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Dowling, D., Carew, A., & Hadcraft, R. (2013). Engineering your future : an Australasian guide(2nd ed). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, Qld
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