The unadjusted emissions by sector table shows that electricity emissions, the largest sector by far for Australia’s total emissions, jumped 3 per cent in comparing the 2013-14 year to 2014-15 year. <\/p>\n
Ploughing a bit deeper into the report reveals that “generation from black coal increasing 1.4%, brown coal increasing by 9.7%, and from wind and other renewables (excluding small-scale solar) increasing 12.2% when compared with the previous twelve months.” Over the same period Gas generation decreased by 6.2% and hydroelectric power was also down by 30.3%.<\/p>\n
![\"Australian](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/20151224-Aus-nggi-quarterly-ipdate-unadjusted-emissions.jpg?resize=667%2C381\")
<\/a>Australian Greenhouse gas emissions report to June 2015<\/p><\/div>\n
This highlights that the brown coal operators in Victoria’s La Trobe Valley are maximising their generating potential to make the most of their assets. These assets are ageing and the owners know they are running out of time to generate profits before being closed down.<\/p>\n
Hydro-power generators, since the abolition of the carbon price in July 2014, have had little incentive to maintain the same level of generation in competition with the huge social subsidies and marginal production costs of coal power. <\/p>\n
In fact, Tasmania has experienced several months of below average rainfall which has compromised the health of Tasmanian hydro storages. “By the end of October, Tasmanian hydro capacity was already below 30 per cent capacity, and falling calamitously, despite a dramatic reduction in Tasmanian hydro power output.” explains<\/a> Mike Sandiford from Melbourne University at The Conversation<\/em> in November 2015.<\/p>\n As there is no price on carbon polluion, the environmental and health costs of running the La Trobe Valley mines and power stations at maximum capacity are being borne by the public. These health and social costs are not to be sneezed at. A recent report prepared for Environment Victoria estimated the annual health costs of coal-fired power for Victoria at $831.5 million and the annual social carbon costs at $2.882 billion, according to The Age<\/a><\/em> report.<\/p>\n If you go to my article on the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory in December 2014<\/a>, it details “that in the 2013-2014 year to June 2014 (when the carbon tax was in force) greenhouse gas emissions for the energy – electricity sector were reduced by 4 per cent compared to 2012-2013. The rate of reduction had also accelerated from the previous year. Overall, from all sectors annual emissions reduced by 1.4 per cent.” <\/p>\n So from a 1.4 per cent reduction in emissions in 2013-14 (excluding land use change emissions) when we had carbon pricing, we have changed and increased emissions by 0.8 per cent. So while Global Carbon Budget Emissions appear to have stalled<\/a>, and may even decline in 2015, Australia has effectively added to global emissions. Congratulations Environment Minister Greg Hunt in taking us backwards.<\/p>\n Arguments will be put forward that due to Australia’s population growth, our emissions are declining in emissions intensity and on a per capita basis. But the important thing to remember is that Greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, is cumulative. It is whether we are decreasing total emissions that is the important statistic.<\/p>\n Professor Will Steffen from the Climate Council said, “The atmosphere doesn’t care about emissions intensity. What matters is what we put into the atmosphere and if we’re putting more into the atmosphere than the year before, than we’re heading in the wrong direction,” he said. “We’ve got to drop emissions fast. We’ve got to get out of fossil fuels very quickly, coal first \u2013 there can no new coal mines anywhere in the world.” according to Latika Bourke<\/a> writing in the Sydney Morning Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n There are also disturbing confirmed cases of black lung<\/a> diagnosed from Queensland underground coal mines. Black Lung is caused by coal dust and is a result of poor health and safety conditions during mining, transport or processing of coal. The coal miners union, the CFMEU, have called for a public inquiry<\/a> into the re-emergence of this disease.<\/p>\n The National greenhouse gas accounts show that Emissions from agriculture fell by 3.4 per cent. Agriculture makes up about 15 per cent of Australia’s total emissions. <\/p>\n This reduction was a result of declining beef cattle populations (from 26.3 to 24.2 million), a 1.3 million reduction in sheep numbers and reduced production of many key crops. <\/p>\n With near El Nino conditions last year and a strong El Nino this year, drought conditions are prevalent for many inland areas, especially for Queensland. Beef herd numbers have hit a twenty year low<\/a>, according to The Land<\/em><\/p>\n Ruminants like beef and sheep are a major source of methane emissions. See Ripple et al (2014) – Ruminants, climate change and climate policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The other disturbing figure in the national greenhouse gas accounts is the 33.1 per cent increase in Land use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) emissions from the previous year. Emissions in this area grew from 9.2 Mt CO2-e to 12.3 Mt CO2-e. The report says that “The primary driver for this increase has been increased emissions from deforestation (11.2%).”<\/p>\n Much of this deforestation is continued land clearing in Queensland to create pastures, undertaken under the Newman Government when they rolled back conservation and land clearing legislation.<\/p>\n emissions by sector, electricity jumps. land sector a worry as Qld land clearing rebounds https:\/\/t.co\/VmkSq6Iii3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mAUXXdqv6z<\/a><\/p>\n — John Connor (@jconnoroz) December 24, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"20150419-social-cost-victorian-coal-plants\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20150419-social-cost-victorian-coal-plants.png?resize=666%2C218\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAgriculture emissions fall as beef and sheep herds reduce<\/h3>\n
Land Use and Forestry emissions suffer 33 per cent increase<\/h3>\n
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