CLIMATE ACTION SHOW

PRODUCED  by Vivien Langford and Rosie Ganino

July 1st 2024

BLASTED SEA    and   DESERT JUNGLE

Guests:
Tomothy Erik Strom -  Editor of Arena on line

https://arena.org.au/blasted-sea/

Professor Laurie Laurenson - Clean Ocean Foundation

OCEAN activists care of We are Explorers- Act Local

 https://weareexplorers.co/act-local/

Jeannie Baker - Author of Desert Jungle

David Rovics singing "Land and Freedom"

Jono Row - Uniting Church Advocacy :This is a disappointing distraction from the urgent need to transition our country to clean and affordable renewable energy- Rev. Mata Havea Hiliau 

The Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT, Rev. Mata Havea Hiliau, is calling for urgent, real and meaningful action on climate change in the wake of the Federal Opposition’s reckless nuclear energy proposal yesterday.

“This is a disappointing distraction from the urgent need to transition our country to clean and affordable renewable energy,” Rev. Mata Havea Hiliau said. 

“The proposal announced yesterday, which appears very light on detail, will only further delay the transition to renewables and lock us in too many more years of reliance on harmful fossil fuels, that are already proving devastating to our planet.

“If this proposal actually eventuates – in a decade or two, and longer – our communities will be suffering from ever more dangerous extreme weather events and islands in the Pacific will be inundated by rising sea levels.

“As a faith leader, and a daughter of the Pacific, I know what’s at stake if we don’t address this climate crisis urgently.

“We are seeing in real time, the unfolding impacts of the climate crisis, not only for our communities here in Australia but for the people of the Pacific, whose livelihoods, homes and culture are under immediate threat.

“Realistically, today’s proposal would mean another 20 years of climate inaction which will prove absolutely devastating for our climate and those on the frontlines of this climate crisis – First Nations and Pasifika communities.

“These are the communities that contribute the least to this issue, but will be harmed first, hardest and longest by climate change and today’s proposal will lock them into this fate.

“Climate change remains one of the most important social and moral challenges in human history and we have lost too much time on pointless political debate,” Rev. Mata Havea Hiliau said.

Uniting NSW.ACT’s Head of Media and Advocacy Alice Salomon said: “We strongly support moves for COP 31 in 2026 to take place in Australia and the Pacific. And the world will be watching us.

“I urge our communities not to get distracted – we need climate action now and the solutions to a safe climate future are within our grasp.

“We have readily available, reliable and cost-saving renewable energy solutions.

“We have the blueprint and the tools to help safeguard a positive and hopeful future for all – right now, today “We must transition without delay to clean, cheap renewable energy in Australia – we don’t have a day to wait,” Alice said.

Letter  by OCEAN to MP Catherine King

You can let let Minister King know that we need an end to seismic blasting by writing something along these lines. Even a postcard will show her that we cannot let this go on.

A Special Prospecting Authority (SPA) is a specific type of permit that allows companies to buy access to large areas of our oceans to use seismic blasting to search for oil and gas, and Carbon Capture and Storage locations below the ocean floor.

Seismic blasts are how the oil and gas industry surveys the ocean floor. Seismic vessels tow an array of airguns and audio receivers (hydrophones) behind them in the water. These powerful airguns fire loud blasts of compressed air every 10 to 15 seconds, 24 hours a day. The sound waves produced penetrate deep into the seabed and bounce back to the audio receivers. From the sound patterns detected, companies can work out the most likely place to find oil and gas reserves under the ocean floor. The next step is exploratory drilling.

These blasts are among the loudest human-made sounds in the ocean, just short of those caused by explosive devices, and have a devastating effect on marine life.

• Seismic blasting has been connected to temporary and permanent hearing loss, habitat abandonment, mating and feeding disruption and possible death in marine mammals like whales.
• The blasts lead to scallop deaths by compromising their immune systems and have been found to irreversibly damage the organs of lobsters.
• Tasmanian research found seismic blasting also triggers extensive death in plankton, including krill, which are crucial foundations of marine food webs, from more than a kilometre away. 

There is a proposal for seismic blasting over 45,000 sq km of ocean between Victoria and Tasmania by joint venture TGS/SLB-Schlumberger, which would see seismic blasting over commonwealth marine parks and endangered blue whale feeding areas. If approved, it will be the world’s largest 3D seismic blasting project on record.

Companies’ applications for plans to conduct seismic blasting go to the regulator NOPSEMA for approval, and then to the administrator NOPTA to be granted an SPA permit.

They are both government bodies answerable to the Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King.

• Minister King is responsible for overseeing the administrator NOPTA, which gives approval to companies seeking SPA permits to conduct seismic blasting. The Minister can refuse a permit.
• Minister King can act to abolish SPAs to clean up the industry and keep some of the largest and most damaging seismic blasting projects out of Australian waters.

This gives Minister King authority on behalf of the Australian Government to shape the industry’s practices and safeguard our marine environments.

We need the Australian Government to take action to abolish these quick, cheap and harmful seismic blasting permits. 

By abolishing SPA permits, we are helping to turn the tide on the harm caused by seismic blasting, removing this permit that fails to assess companies’ fitness and proper standing to operate, and keeping some of the largest and most damaging seismic blasting projects out of Australian waters.

This action is about safeguarding critical marine habitats, preserving biodiversity, and protecting the livelihoods of communities that depend on healthy oceans.

Add your name to send an email to Minister King.

https://www.marineconservation.org.au/what-is-a-special-prospecting-authority-spa-everything-you-need-to-know/

As they did in the community consultation, we refer to TGS through this document as shorthand for its Otway Basin 3D Multiclient Marine Seismic Survey Environment Plan.

We attended the TGS community consultation in Warrnambool and recognised that LGAs, NGOs and community organisations need independent scientific advice about information given by the company.

At ConocoPhillips’ consultation in Warrnambool, the company’s speaker objected to the use of the term ‘seismic blast.’ Nevertheless, we use that term for anything above 120dB.

We confirm that the Clean Ocean Foundation is recognised by NOPSEMA as a relevant person.

Professor James Dunbar

Associate Professor Laurie Laurenson

Dr Michael Coates