Chuditch's Call

Articles for the Chuditch.

All material for the Chuditch�s Call to be sent in Microsoft Word. P l eas e s end material early rather than leaving it until the deadline .

Copy to Suzanne Bairstow - Editor

The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those held by SWEC or the Editor.

South West Environment Centre 101 Victoria Street PO Box 693 Bunbury Phone: 97913210 Fax: 97913333 Email:[email protected] http://www.freewebs.com/swec_wa/

Feb/Mar 2009 Vol.17 Issue 1

Letter to the Editor

Due date for submissions 10th of every second month

Paper used in the Chuditch�s Call

is 50% recycled and 50% plantation.

Inside this issue Page

College Grove Land swap Plan

2

Dryandra Moth 3

Friends of Big Swamp Calendar

5

Warming to Solar Thermal

6&7

WA Clean Beach Challenge

10

Cigarette Butt Facts

8

Recently, in the news media, the environment movement appears to be represented as supporting mill closures and job losses in the timber industry. The environment movement only supports an end to native forest logging which is a minor part of the whole industry. At the same time, we also a dv oc a te t ha t the St a t e government supports those timber workers who will be affected to transition to other jobs within the timber industry where timber is sourced from plantations and tree farms. There is currently enough timber available in plantations to supply all our wood needs and this could be added to by expanding the capacity of tree farms and by supporting this relatively new part o f t h e t i mb e r i n d u s t r y . Having a sustainable timber industry and logging native forest are two different things. Presently, any logging of native forest is unsustainable due to the fact that native forest has been severely over-harvested and that our native forest is much more valuable than the timber in it due to the ecosystem services that it provides - massive carbon storage, clean air and water, healthy soils, homes for our world class and unique animals and plants - and being great places to relax and holiday.

A new study by the Australian National University has found that untouched, unburnt native forest - old growth forest - can store at least 3 times more carbon than previously thought and up to 10 times more. This finding has great potential for reducing our carbon emissions and has yet to be considered and included as a Climate Change solution and into our new Emissions Trading Scheme. It is also now known that native forest logging is being propped up by government subsidies and would not survive financially without these subsidies. In the short term, whilst native forest logging is being halted, these subsidies should be redirected to supporting timber workers to change jobs and in the longer term there would be a saving t o t h e t a x p a y e r . In fact, it is absolutely possible and very necessary to have a sustain-able timber industry by putting an end to native forest logging and having a situation where the timber industry is not only environ-mentally sustainable but also economically sustainable.

Hrimnir Benediktsson

Dalyellup

Support for GreenPower in Western Australia continues to grow

Compliance report confirms increase in GreenPower

sales in Western Australia.

The national GreenPower Accreditation Program gives households and businesses the option of sourcing their electricity from environmentally sustainable, renewable energy generation. The GreenPower Program undertakes an annual, independent audit of energy retailers� sales of GreenPower products. This ensures that for every unit of GreenPower purchased, a matching unit of electricity has been generated by an accredited renewable energy system in Australia and that the energy is additional to that required under the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. The audit results are published and assure GreenPower consumers they get what they pay for. The recently released GreenPower Annual Compliance

Audit shows that in 2007, total GreenPower sales in Western Australia increased to around 56,000 megawatt hours. Western Australian GreenPower sales continue to increase strongly and data is expected to show that they have increased by around 75% over the course of 2008. Growth in sales in Western Australia is somewhat higher than the national average, estimated to be 61% Australia wide for 2008*. Sales growth in Western Australia in 2008 was largely driven by the Western Australian Government�s commitment to meet 20% of its electricity requirements from renewable energy by 2010 and an estimated 50%* growth in the number of commercial customers.

For further information about the GreenPower program or how to buy GreenPower, visit the

national GreenPower website at www.greenpower.gov.au or the Sustainable Energy

Development Office website at www.sedo.energy.wa.gov.au/pages/gpower.asp.

Page 2

COLLEGE GROVE LANDSWAP PLAN

Dear Bush Lover Happy New Year! As you are aware last year was a busy and sad one with more native bush and habitat destruction occurring at College Grove. However we are hopeful the "Castrilli Landswap Plan" will enable some bush to be saved from the bulldozer. In order to motivate local and state officials to support the landswap, we do need to be proactive in this regard and letters to papers, local and state officials, as well as phone calls are worthwhile contributions. Brendan Grylls, Minister for Regional De-velopment and Lands (and LandCorp) - http://www.premier.wa.gov.au/Minister.html John Day, Minister for Planning - http://www.premier.wa.gov.au/Minister.html John Castrilli, Member for Bunbury - http://www.johncastrilli.com.au/contact.php David Smith (and Councillors), Mayor City of Bunbury � http://www.bunbury.wa.gov.au/pdf/Council/Councillors/081127_Councillor_List_Public.pdf

Also, to help to raise funds to continue the battle to Save College Grove Bushland, SWEC is booked to conduct a Valentine's Day sausage sizzle fundraiser on Saturday, February 14th at the Farmers Market on the corner of Blair St and Sandridge Rd in Bunbury. The sausage sizzle will run from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and we are in need of helpers to run this. If you are able to donate a couple of hours to help with setting up, selling or clean up, contact:

Thora Ramsey on 9791 1856 or e-mail at [email protected]

or contact the SWEC office on

9791 3210 or email at [email protected].

If you can�t find time to help out with the sausage sizzle, please drop by to grab a

snagger and have a chat.

Thora Ramsey South West Environment

Carthaea saturnioides Walker (Lepidoptera: Carthaeidae)

Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WA INC

Earth Day Expo

March/April of each year at Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley campus The next Expo will be on: Friday April 3rd 2009.

Earth Day is celebrated around the world in more than 300 countries. AAEE (WA) together with Edith

Cowan University and the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council host primary school children, parents and teachers for a day of learning about sustainability. This is part of an international Earth Day Network

initiative for global action. Animal encounters, environmental programs, hands-on activities and music feature in the day.

The exquisite dryandra moth is endemic to the southwest of WA. It is the only representative in the genus Carthaea and the family Carthaeidae, and is closely related to the moth family Saturnidae to which another gorgeous moth (Opodiphthera helena) belongs.

The distinctive eye-spots are used in defence (probably against bird predation when disturbed the moth shows its hind wings and rhythmically vibrates them. The larvae also have distinctive eye-spots and feed on various species of plants in the Proteaceae family. Adults come to lights, generally in the later part of the night and early morning and usually fly from October to December.

From DEC website www.dec.wa.gov.au

�Invertebrate of the Month� .

Nothing scares politicians more than talking directly to their constituents, so Getup is aiming to letterbox electorates across the country with their own climate change flyers.

GetUp has created flyers that fold out into a postage paid submission to the Government's climate change community consultation process. The campaign is aimed at generating a flood of submissions to show the government that the community demands strong climate policy. Order a pack of flyers (or more if you're keen) and letterbox your street or neighbour-hood. You can also order a 'Climate Action Now' placard to erect in your window or front yard.

Go to ww.getup.org.au

Issue 18 of The Planning Diary newsletter is now available for viewing and download online: www.dec.wa.gov.au/management-and-p r o t e c t i o n / l a n d - m a n a g e m e n t -planning/index.html The newsletter is produced three times a year by DEC�s Planning Unit, and circulated to around 1000 individuals and organisations who have registered their interest in management planning in the State. This Issue provides a progress summary of the following management plans:

Marine: - Proposed Dampier Archipeago / Regnard Marine Conservation Reserves; - Proposed 'Ngari Capes' Marine Park; - Muiron Islands Marine Management Area; - Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach Project; - Rowley Shoals Marine Park; - Shoalwater Islands Marine Park; - South Coast Regional Marine Strategic Plan; and - Proposed Walpole and Nornalup Inlets Marine Park.

Terrestrial: - Barrow, Boodie, Double and Middle Island Nature Reserves; - Cape Range National Park; - Dryandra Woodland; - Parks and Reserves of the Lake Muir, Perup, Kingston, Tone and Unicup; - Parks of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Scott National Park and Gingilup Swamps Nature Reserve; - Millstream Chichester National Park and Mungaroona Range Nature Reserve; - Proposed Murujuga National Park; - Shannon and D'Entrecasteaux National Parks; - Tuart Forest National Park - Walpole Wilderness and Adjacent Parks and Reserves; and - Wellington National Park, Westralia Conservation Park and Wellington Discovery Forest.

Page 4 The DEC Planning Diary newsletter Issue 18

Calendar of Events 2009

Wednesday 11 February Meeting

Saturday 14 February Bird Count

Sunday 22 February Busy Bee

Wednesday 11 March Meeting AGM

Saturday 14 March Bird Count

Sunday 29 March Busy Bee

Saturday 11 April Bird Count

Sunday 22 April Busy Bee

Saturday 9 May Bird Count

Wednesday 13 May Meeting

Sunday 24 May Busy Bee

Saturday 13 June Bird Count

Sunday 28 June Busy Bee

Wednesday 8 July Meeting

Saturday 11 July Bird Count

Sunday 26 July Busy Bee

Meeting Places

Bird Count Meet at the southern side of the swamp at the bench opposite the intersection of Carob Street and Prince Phillip Drive at 9.00 am.

Busy Bee Meet at the Wildlife Park Carpark at 9.00am to pick up tools.

Meetings For information on the venue and times of our meetings please contact Terri on 9721 1709.

New members are very welcome or feel free to just join us for a busy bee or bird count.

For any extra information, please contact Terri on 9721 1709.

FRIENDS OF BIG SWAMP Page 5

Page 6 Warming to Solar Thermal

Spain and California have embraced Solar Thermal energy. Will Australia grow to love it too?

Australia has huge potential for generating electricity from Solar Thermal plants due to high levels of solar radiation. This potential has been rather neglected until now. Engineering company Worley Parsons is planning to develop Australia�s first large-scale Solar Thermal plant in the middle of the desert. It�s hoped that the first 250MW unit may be up and running by 2011 at a cost of about $1 billion. According to TREC-UK, and organisation run by volunteers who aim to raise awareness of solar power�s potential, every year �each square kilometre of desert receives solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil.� Australia is already using Solar Thermal power on a small scale. A 1MW Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) power station in Liddell, NSW, works in conjunction with the local coal-fired power station to pre-heat steam. In addition, a project supported by the Queensland government has been commissioned for Cloncurry for a 10MW solar thermal tower, including heat storage capable of providing a 24-hour electricity supply.

How does it work? The basic principles of Solar Thermal plants are the same as in nuclear of fossil-fuel fired power stations. Water is heated to produce high-pressure steam, which is then used to power a conventional turbine and produce electricity. The main difference is the means used to heat the water. Solar Thermal doesn�t burn fuel; instead it harnesses the power of the sun by using mirrors to concentrate the sunlight onto heat exchangers. This heats water to generate the steam and can obtain temperatures between 280°C and 1000°C. There are four types of Solar Thermal power station:

• CLFR, where rows of flat mirrors are used instead of curved ones.

• Solar tower, where a group of heliostats (mirrors) track the sun and concentrate the sunlight onto a point on a tower, heating a fluid that will then be used to generate the steam.

• Parabolic dish, where a mirror shaped like a satellite dish concentrates sunlight onto a focal point in front of the dish.

Parabolic trough, currently the most popular design, where the fluid passes through a tube heated by a curved mirror.

The benefits of flexibility Solar Thermal technologies are very flexible. The technology can be deployed on large and small scales because it�s extremely modular. A Solar Thermal installation can be added to a coal-fired power station to pre-heat the steam and reduce the amount of fuel burnt. Unlike the photovoltaic solar models, Solar Thermal can include heat storage to cope with variability. Energy storage can occur via steam storage, molten salt storage, or even in solid materials. Solar thermal technology represents a major leap forward, having the potential to provide electricity around the clock. In other countries there are already installations with seven-hour storage capacities, and companies like Ausra are claiming to have achieved up to 16 hours. They say they will eventually be able to supply up to 92% of US electricity demand.

The US and Spain California and Spain have been the pioneers of Solar Thermal technology. They introduced tax credits and feed-in tariffs respectively, to encourage investment in the industry. Solar Thermal plants in California have been around since the 1980�s. Ausra, a company that began in Australia, announced a power purchase agreement late last year to build a 177MW Solar Thermal plant in central California that will provide electricity for around 120,000 homes. Europe�s first commercial Solar Thermal tower near Seville, Spain, generates 11MW of power, enough for 6000 homes. Further towers are planned that will contribute more than 300MW of power by 2013. Solar thermal market developments were extraordinary in 2007. The pipeline for new projects grew from less than 1GW to 8GW of total electricity generation capacity.

The future of Solar Thermal Solar Thermal is still more expensive than fossil fuels. It therefore relies on government support or national quotas that require a proportion of the nation�s electricity to come from renewable technology.

Continued next page...

Article by Miguel Brandao and Cat O�Donovan.

Reproduced from ReNew magazine, Issue 105, Oct-Dec 2008 � page 58.

Page 7 Warming to Solar Thermal continued�.

Continued from page 6�� By 2020, Greenpeace predicts that Solar Thermal energy will rival fossil fuels in affordability in Australia. However, this will depend on the prices set in the emissions trading scheme set to commence in 2010. The current low generation costs of coal-fired power stations (due to heavy government subsidies) make it impossible for Solar Thermal energy to thrive without specific support like that received in Cloncurry in Queensland. The less flexible coal-fired power stations have well proven environmental problems such as CO2 emissions and huge water usage, which make them a risky bet, both environmentally and economically. Australia needs its governments to acknowledge Solar Thermal energy and support its development directly, following the lead of California and Spain. Solar Thermal in Australia will allow for climate and energy security in the years to come.

For more information, go to www.trec-uk.org.uk or www.abengoasolar.com, for details about Solucar,

Europe�s first Solar Thermal station.

Article by Miguel Brandao and Cat O�Donovan.

Reproduced from ReNew magazine, Issue 105, Oct-Dec 2008 � page 58.

Article Sourced for Chuditch�s Call by �Frosty�

To subscribe to ReNew magazine, go to this web address -

http://shop.ata.org.au/cart.php?target=category&category_id=306 ;

at the Alternative Technology Association website - http://www.ata.org.au/

See also: US Dept. of Energy, Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy (EERE), Concentrating Solar Power - http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/csp_program.html

Australia specific report: A Bright Future: 25%

Renewable Energy for Australia by 2020 - http://www.acfonline.org.au/uploads/res/res_a_brig

ht_future.pdf (Solar Thermal on page 17)

All of WAs southwest electricity grid needs could be supplied with just 200 km2 of solar thermal collectors

(i.e. an area 14km by 14km). Australia's current primary energy consumption could be met by an area of 4000 km2 of solar collectors with an average 20%

conversion efficiency. This equates to an area of 64km by 64km.

(Figures courtesy of Sustainable Energy Now - http://www.sen.asn.au/solar.html)

Footnote: CO2 = Carbon Dioxide, MW = Megawatt = 1,000,000 (one million) watts of electricity, GW = Gigawatt = 1,000,000,000 (one billion) watts of electricity.

Page 8

Conservation Week 2009 � Connecting Community and the Environment

March 28 � April 5 2009 Conservation Week is the largest community focused environment event in WA that aims to connect the community and the environment as well as celebrate the work of conservation organisations, community groups and individuals across the state. Community groups, environment organisations, schools, local businesses and individuals are invited to participate by registering an event already happening during the week or consider organising a special event to communicate the importance of the environment to host during the week. It's a great opportunity to showcase the fantastic work being done to protect the environment in your local community. In 2009 there are also a number of activities you can get involved in including the Biodiversity in our Backyard Photography Competition and Citizen Science Project plus the 2009 Conservation Awards.

To find out more about these activities and how to get involved visit www.conservationwa.asn.au

or contact Jessie Cochrane on (08) 9420 7266 or email [email protected]

Conservation Week 2009

DID YOU KNOW? • Cigarette smoke contains up to

4,000 chemicals • Cigarette butts take, on average,

1.5 years to break down. • Almost 50% of all litter in urban

areas is tobacco related products including butts, cellophane wrap-ping, foil inserts and packaging.

• An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year.

• About 24 billion cigarettes are sold in Australia each year. It is estimated that 7 billion of these cigarettes are littered.

• An estimated 100,000 tonnes of

polluted air is exhaled by smokers in NSW each year.

• You can be fined for littering cigarette butts in WA

• Cigarettes accounted for 17% of the total rubbish items collected on the 2004 Clean Up Australia Day.

• A cigarette butt can smolder for up to three hours causing a grass fire of even a bush-fire.

For more information

see the website www.cleanup.com.au

THANK YOU Thank you to Sue Kalab for the use of her wonderful drawings, Leanne for photocopying, John Castrilli MLA Member for Bunbury for equipment use.

Page 9 Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia (ANAWA)

DO YOUR BIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT�.

Register for the SWEC

INFOMAIL and you will be kept up to date on all events as they come

to hand.

Please also register to receive the Chuditch�s Call newsletter by email

to help save trees and conserve postage costs for

SWEC.

Contact Suzanne for further details on : [email protected]

BONUS�you get the newsletter in

COLOUR

Bunbury Anti Nuclear Information Workshop Sunday, 8th February from 1.30-4.30pm

Milligan House Cnr Brittain Rd & Milligan Street

South Bunbury

Please RSVP by February 2nd

to either Annemarie - ph9201 0582, email [email protected] ; or Joan Jenkins - [email protected]

This is mainly for catering purposes

(please mention any special dietary requirements when registering), and to get some indication of how many people will participate.

If you have trouble accessing the internet but would like some of the internet information in this newsletter - contact SWEC so that we can download the information and send it to you via the post. See front page for contact details.

Chuditch call�s

website Address

Check it out at

http://www.freewebs.com/swec_wa/

20 February 2009: WA Clean Beach Challenge -

nominations close 20 February 2009 (WA)

The WA Clean Beach Challenge is a community pride program coordinated by Keep Australia Beautiful WA (KABWA) and Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) which rewards communities for protecting and en-

hancing their local beaches.

Who can enter: Any group such as community groups, tourism associations, businesses, service groups, Local Government Authorities, coastal area schools, Surf Life Saving clubs, coast care groups, environment groups and

recreational fishing groups can nominate a local beach.

How does it work?

The WA Clean Beach Challenge is a competition open to all communities and beaches within WA.

Complete the nomination form and prepare written information about each category.

Send to Keep Australia Beautiful WA with lots of photos.

All written submissions and photos will be assessed by judges from Keep Australia Beautiful WA and Surf Life Saving WA. Finalists will be selected and will be visited by a judge to help determine the overall winner. All finalists

will be invited to attend the awards ceremony. The WA Cleanest Beach will be entered in the National Clean Beach Challenge.

Categories: �WA�s Cleanest Beach Award� (Overall winner)

Plus: Outstanding Accomplishment Awards:

1. FriendlyBeach Award 2. Community Action Award

3. Protection of the Environment 4. Natural Resource Management

5. Litter Prevention Award

Nominations close Friday 20 February 2009 and should be sent to:

Keep Australia Beautiful Locked Bag 104

Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983

[email protected]

Further information: visit www.kabc.wa.gov.au or www.mybeach.com.au, email [email protected] or call (08) 6467 5143

WA Clean Beach Challenge Page 10

www.cycletrek.com.au 0427 214 217 [email protected]

HELP TO MAKE A GREENER FUTURE

Presented by JON DOUST AND HOVEA GRANT

Jon is a fifth generation Lower South Western, yarn spinner, comedian, ex apple grower and gen-eral nuisance. Hovea, on the other hand is a de-lightful young mum who knows what information visitors are looking for about the local area. Tourist Radio stations are designed to have a range of 3 to 5 km. Look for the blue tourist radio signs and tune to the FM channel shown. For best results we suggest you fully extend you aerial and manually tune to the frequency, then set to a preset channel. Bunbury 98.4FM Busselton 96.5FM Dunsborough 98.4FM Cowaramup 96.5FM Karridale 95.3FM East Perth 87.6FM

Visit www.touristradio.com.au For links to sponsors and other great

South Web sites

Jazz Combos - Duos to Quintet Functions Cocktails Mood Music

Swingin� the South West Call Andrew 97961996 or Steve 97291090

Email: [email protected]

GLYNIS JEFFERY Medicinal herbalist & naturopath

Herbal Medicine

Iridology

Natural fertility management

Dietary and lifestyle advise

Ultra lite weight loss consultant Diploma of Herbal Medicine (UK)

Diploma of Naturopathy (UK)

Member of National Herbalists Assoc. of Australia

Ph: (08) 9791 8950

Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus

The blue whale is the largest known animal ever to live on sea or land. Individuals can reach more than 33 metres and weigh nearly 180 tonnes.

This is more than the weight of 50 adult elephants!

Page 11 Warming to Solar Thermal continued�.

If undeliverable return to SW Environment Centre PO Box 693 BUNBURY WA 6231

Print Post Approved PP631937/042

Chuditch�s Call

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Page 12

The content of The Chuditch�s Call Newsletter is provided for information purposes only. No claim is made as to the accuracy of authenticity of the content of the newsletter. In no event will the South West Environment Centre, consisting of its members and it�s member organisations be liable for the accuracy of the information contained on this newsletter nor its use of reliance placed on it. The information in the newsletter is provided on the basis that all persons reading the newsletter undertake responsibility for assess-ing the relevance and accuracy of its content. The members and member organisations of the South West Environment Centre do not necessarily endorse any company or organization linked to this newsletter.

SW Environment Centre (Inc) Membership Form ABN 38 024 987 507 PO Box 693 Bunbury 6231 Name:

Address: Phone: (H) (Mob)

Email:

Membership Details (Place X in Box) $20 (Family - Individual - Non profit Group

$50 (Govt or Businesses)

$10 (Concession Card Holders)

Donations $__________(Tax Deductible)

$__________(Office Costs NOT DEDUCTIBLE)

Total Amount Paid

$___________

Office use Only

Date received____________________

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Receipt No.______________________