The Mad King of the East Coast Gas Cartel is up to her old tricks today:
The Albanese government has given the green light to a new round of offshore gas exploration, consistent with its policy position that gas will be needed for several more decades to firm renewables during the energy transition, and enable manufacturing to continue.
In a bid to soften the environmental backlash, Resources Minister Madeleine King granted permits to enable exploration of carbon capture and storage to trap emissions from gas projects.
In finalising the new offshore gas exploration permits for both the West Coast and the Otway and Sorrel Basins off Victoria and Tasmania, Ms King also stipulated there could be no seismic surveying as part of the exploration process, to minimise the impact on marine life.
Don’t get me wrong, I support gas extraction. But let’s not pretend it will be environmentally friendly with fantasy CCS and unseismic surveying:
The Australian Marine Conservation Society said the permits were a “farce” as allowing more exploration and dumping carbon pollution under the sea floor would increase pressure on stressed oceans and already endangered marine life.
“Permits released today will allow companies such as Esso/ExxonMobil to repurpose rusting old rigs and infrastructure, which have had two reported leaks and spills just this year, for dumping carbon in Bass Strait,” campaigner Louise Morris said.
We need the gas for the energy transition and nobody will take on the gas export cartel so the oceans must suffer.
End of story.
