Wednesday, 18 February 2009
The global financial crisis has put a crimp in the plans of Spanish pulp company ENCE to build a million ton a year pulp plant in Uruguay.
It's reported ENCE has told officials in Uruguay plans for a million-plus ton pulp plant in the small Latin American country will go on hold until an investment partner can be found.
Media reports in the Uruguay capital, Montevideo, said that ENCE had, however, rejected any suggested it was abandoning the whole operation at this stage, Morcosur reported.
It was reported that the mayor of Colonia - where the plant was to be built - Walter Zimmer said he had met with an ENCE delegation.
He said they had hold him they “would continue with the essentials to keep the free trade zone status and construction permits for the foundations of two jetties, but the whole operation in Uruguay will be delayed and the plant is to be postponed.”
ENCE delegates said that an associate was needed “to share the volumes and cost of the operation” since pulp prices internationally had plummeted 50% and “we need to share the investment.”
However, Zimmer is quoted as saying the delegates said that “six potential partners in the industry have expressed an interest”, so there were no chances of abandoning the project.
In January this year, ENCE informed the Madrid Stock Exchange that it was looking for a partner to share the Uruguay project, “given the new context of the world market”.
The Punta Pereira project of a million plus tons of pulp required an investment of more than a billion Euros of which ENCE has already spent 250 million.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
EXPERT COMMENT: Bushfires' impact on global warming and forest owners under Kyoto rules
EXPERT COMMENT: Bushfires' impact on global warming and forest owners under Kyoto rules
[The following article has been specially produced for southem.com by Richard Hayes of the New Zealand company Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited (EITG) in response to discussion about the Australian bushfires and global warming.]
The impact of the Australian Bush Fires on Global Warming and the Consequences for Forest Owners under the Kyoto Protocol
Much has been said about the recent tragic bush fires in Australia. Added to the loss in human and animal life is comment on the impact on global warming.
Global warming is all about human or so call anthropogenic emissions, that is emissions from human activities on the planet.
Wild fires have been around for eons and will still probably be around if humans ceased to exist.
Whilst many of the fires are suspected arson, the counter argument of course is man fights and therefore limits all kinds of wildfires.
So where did the CO2 come from that was emitted in the fires? Answer is it was taken out of the atmosphere recently, perhaps up to only 40 years ago.
Recycling is happening with C02 moving from the atmosphere into the trees and back again over short periods.
These emissions are unlike the emissions controlled by the Kyoto Protocol. These are a result of the burning of fossil fuels which is C02 removed from the atmosphere many millions of years ago.
At the present time 22% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are created from cutting down forest (deforestation).
Growing forestry (afforestation) removes C02 from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
Part of the Kyoto Protocol acknowledges credit to be given for afforestation and the Government may issue ‘credits’ to those who grow forests.
Due to the 1990 start date of the UN initiatives this has been adopted as an arbitrary date as from when the tracking of the afforestation carbon credits starts. A forest planted post 31/12/1989 resulting in a change of use of the land to forestry is called a ‘Kyoto Forest’ and can attract carbon credits.
Credits from growing forest are added to the limit agreed to with the UN and can be surrendered to the UN to offset emissions above the agreed cap and therefore have a value to those who emit in excess of the 1990 levels.
Signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, of which New Zealand and Australia are two, are permitted to implement the protocol by enacting legislation that creates the outcomes required by the protocol.
How the outcomes are achieved are completely up to the host Government.
Impact on Forest Owners with Carbon Credits in Australia
Under the proposed Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) would forest owners be liable after the fires to surrender carbon credits if they had received them for the forest? In short the answer is no.
The reason is the CPRS is designed to grant credits on an averaging basis and the Australian Federal Government would use this averaging to smooth fluctuations in the actual carbon stored in forest.
This policy arose in part from a significant distrust on the Governments part in the forest industry and the potential inability to find the entity that was accountable for the emissions either through fire or more obviously harvest.
Some forest investment structures in Australian forestry separate land and forest ownership and leave potential disputes as to who is liable.
If the forest was non Kyoto forest this is excluded from the CPRS and no carbon credits are surrendered for deforestation or a fire causing deforestation.
Deforestation once a significant emission for Australia has slowed significantly since 1990. This is due to restrictions in new environmental regulations.
Impact on Forest Owners had the Fires been in New Zealand
So what if the fires occurred in New Zealand under the NZETS? Simply put, if the forest was pre-1990 then replanting, which is covered under most forest insurance policies, would remove any carbon liabilities.
Choosing not to replant would result in full deforestation liability.
The impact of the fires would have to be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) - see the Carbon Monitor volume 14 issue 1.
If the plantation was Kyoto Forest and the owner had been issued NZU units, then there would be a definite liability and requirement to surrender to the Government at the next annual forestry return credits to the amount lost in the fires.
Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited suggests a forest owner who was part of EITG Carbon Pool would not have a problem in this situation.
EITG Carbon Pool is the process of a group of forest owners binding together to achieve economies of scale and/or to manage or offset liabilities.
In its simplest of terms, the pool is analogous to insurance where the participants collectively share a party’s loss thereby reducing the likelihood of any one party having total loss of their assets.
With the harvest liabilities of the Kyoto Protocol, government officials have suggested pooling is the only mechanism where the harvest liability can be managed to give carbon credit income while managing the future harvest liabilities.
In this case the bush fires are a dramatic example of what could happened to forest owners who are part of the NZETS and not in the EITG pool.
Richard Hayes
ph 64 21 310 301
fax 64 9 920 1093
skype richardshayes
email
richard.hayes@eitg.co.nz
www.eitg.co.nz
[The following article has been specially produced for southem.com by Richard Hayes of the New Zealand company Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited (EITG) in response to discussion about the Australian bushfires and global warming.]
The impact of the Australian Bush Fires on Global Warming and the Consequences for Forest Owners under the Kyoto Protocol
Much has been said about the recent tragic bush fires in Australia. Added to the loss in human and animal life is comment on the impact on global warming.
Global warming is all about human or so call anthropogenic emissions, that is emissions from human activities on the planet.
Wild fires have been around for eons and will still probably be around if humans ceased to exist.
Whilst many of the fires are suspected arson, the counter argument of course is man fights and therefore limits all kinds of wildfires.
So where did the CO2 come from that was emitted in the fires? Answer is it was taken out of the atmosphere recently, perhaps up to only 40 years ago.
Recycling is happening with C02 moving from the atmosphere into the trees and back again over short periods.
These emissions are unlike the emissions controlled by the Kyoto Protocol. These are a result of the burning of fossil fuels which is C02 removed from the atmosphere many millions of years ago.
At the present time 22% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are created from cutting down forest (deforestation).
Growing forestry (afforestation) removes C02 from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
Part of the Kyoto Protocol acknowledges credit to be given for afforestation and the Government may issue ‘credits’ to those who grow forests.
Due to the 1990 start date of the UN initiatives this has been adopted as an arbitrary date as from when the tracking of the afforestation carbon credits starts. A forest planted post 31/12/1989 resulting in a change of use of the land to forestry is called a ‘Kyoto Forest’ and can attract carbon credits.
Credits from growing forest are added to the limit agreed to with the UN and can be surrendered to the UN to offset emissions above the agreed cap and therefore have a value to those who emit in excess of the 1990 levels.
Signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, of which New Zealand and Australia are two, are permitted to implement the protocol by enacting legislation that creates the outcomes required by the protocol.
How the outcomes are achieved are completely up to the host Government.
Impact on Forest Owners with Carbon Credits in Australia
Under the proposed Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) would forest owners be liable after the fires to surrender carbon credits if they had received them for the forest? In short the answer is no.
The reason is the CPRS is designed to grant credits on an averaging basis and the Australian Federal Government would use this averaging to smooth fluctuations in the actual carbon stored in forest.
This policy arose in part from a significant distrust on the Governments part in the forest industry and the potential inability to find the entity that was accountable for the emissions either through fire or more obviously harvest.
Some forest investment structures in Australian forestry separate land and forest ownership and leave potential disputes as to who is liable.
If the forest was non Kyoto forest this is excluded from the CPRS and no carbon credits are surrendered for deforestation or a fire causing deforestation.
Deforestation once a significant emission for Australia has slowed significantly since 1990. This is due to restrictions in new environmental regulations.
Impact on Forest Owners had the Fires been in New Zealand
So what if the fires occurred in New Zealand under the NZETS? Simply put, if the forest was pre-1990 then replanting, which is covered under most forest insurance policies, would remove any carbon liabilities.
Choosing not to replant would result in full deforestation liability.
The impact of the fires would have to be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) - see the Carbon Monitor volume 14 issue 1.
If the plantation was Kyoto Forest and the owner had been issued NZU units, then there would be a definite liability and requirement to surrender to the Government at the next annual forestry return credits to the amount lost in the fires.
Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited suggests a forest owner who was part of EITG Carbon Pool would not have a problem in this situation.
EITG Carbon Pool is the process of a group of forest owners binding together to achieve economies of scale and/or to manage or offset liabilities.
In its simplest of terms, the pool is analogous to insurance where the participants collectively share a party’s loss thereby reducing the likelihood of any one party having total loss of their assets.
With the harvest liabilities of the Kyoto Protocol, government officials have suggested pooling is the only mechanism where the harvest liability can be managed to give carbon credit income while managing the future harvest liabilities.
In this case the bush fires are a dramatic example of what could happened to forest owners who are part of the NZETS and not in the EITG pool.
Richard Hayes
ph 64 21 310 301
fax 64 9 920 1093
skype richardshayes
richard.hayes@eitg.co.nz
www.eitg.co.nz
Industry bands together to support bushfire victims; wants housing issues examined
Monday, 16 February 2009
Industry organisations in Australia have set up a Community Support Register for anyone who wishes to volunteer their equipment, assistance or messages of support for those affected by the fires in Victoria, the peak plantation forest and paper industry body, A3P, has announced.
An A3P statement said the register is an industry-wide initiative and is hosted on the VAFI website at www.vafi.org.au.
The register is now live and the offers will be matched with those in need and co-ordinated through the TCA office in Healesville.
Anyone with something to offer is encouraged to register it on the site.
“A3P would like to acknowledge the efforts of the employees and contractors of our Victorian members and the many interstate colleagues who have joined them in the major fire fighting effort in Victoria.
“A3P's new office manager Kim Gregory contributed as a member of the 2nd ACT Emergency Services Agency taskforce sent to Victoria last week.
Once all the fires are extinguished, the salvage and recovery process will be long and difficult. A3P and its members look forward to assisting in this process as and when appropriate,” the statement said.
In an additional note, A3P said that following the tragedy that had occurred in Victoria over the past two weeks, a range of issues would arise with respect to the construction of homes in bushfire prone areas.
This matter had been specifically identified in the terms of reference for the Royal Commission the government had launched into the bushfires.
“A3P is supporting other timber industry groups in developing a rational approach…that recognises the merits of a range of initiatives aimed at ensuring existing houses, as well as new houses, can meet agreed standards of construction.”
The response must be scientifically based and meet community expectations, the A3P said.
Copyright Notice
Industry organisations in Australia have set up a Community Support Register for anyone who wishes to volunteer their equipment, assistance or messages of support for those affected by the fires in Victoria, the peak plantation forest and paper industry body, A3P, has announced.
An A3P statement said the register is an industry-wide initiative and is hosted on the VAFI website at www.vafi.org.au.
The register is now live and the offers will be matched with those in need and co-ordinated through the TCA office in Healesville.
Anyone with something to offer is encouraged to register it on the site.
“A3P would like to acknowledge the efforts of the employees and contractors of our Victorian members and the many interstate colleagues who have joined them in the major fire fighting effort in Victoria.
“A3P's new office manager Kim Gregory contributed as a member of the 2nd ACT Emergency Services Agency taskforce sent to Victoria last week.
Once all the fires are extinguished, the salvage and recovery process will be long and difficult. A3P and its members look forward to assisting in this process as and when appropriate,” the statement said.
In an additional note, A3P said that following the tragedy that had occurred in Victoria over the past two weeks, a range of issues would arise with respect to the construction of homes in bushfire prone areas.
This matter had been specifically identified in the terms of reference for the Royal Commission the government had launched into the bushfires.
“A3P is supporting other timber industry groups in developing a rational approach…that recognises the merits of a range of initiatives aimed at ensuring existing houses, as well as new houses, can meet agreed standards of construction.”
The response must be scientifically based and meet community expectations, the A3P said.
Copyright Notice
Australian Govt commits more funds to long-term bushfire recovery
Monday, 16 February 2009
Australia’s Rudd Government has committed additional funding to assist with the long-term recovery of agricultural land damaged in the Victorian bushfires.
Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke have announced in a statement received by Southem.com that more than A$5 million of uncommitted funding from Caring for our Country to support bushfire recovery projects in Victoria.
In addition, natural resource management groups across Australia now have extra time to lodge investment proposals for 2009-10 under Caring for our Country.
Groups have an extra four weeks – to Friday 3 April 2009 – to lodge proposals, which will assist those in both fire- and flood-affected areas who may have difficulty completing the paperwork.
The Ministers said the urgent priority remained searching for loved ones lost in the fires.
However, in the longer-term the funding would assist communities, including farmers, who will need significant investment and support to rebuild and recover from the fires.
The additional Caring for our Country investment could support a range of environmental and landscape repair work, including:
Planting sterile rye grass in agricultural soils at risk of erosion
Fencing around significant vegetation and aquatic sites
Erosion control work on stream banks and around wetlands
Weed control programs in fire-affected areas
Assist with the care and rehabilitation of wildlife and habitat
There are early reports of lost stock, lost fodder and significant damage to permanent plantings and dairies.
Some timber mills have been lost and 100,000 hectares of native forest for timber production has been destroyed, along with up to 30,000 hectares of plantation forests.
The fires have also impacted on some sites of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems and have burnt a range of forests, including wet and sclerophyll forests.
“These funds will give Catchment Management Authorities, community groups and individuals the opportunity to undertake some of the essential environment rehabilitation works that will be so needed as a result of the devastation these fires have caused across the landscape,” Garrett said.
Burke said many farmers were dealing with losing friends and family and it was too early to fully establish damage to farming properties.
“Eventually, this assistance will be essential to help slowly return these scorched farming properties to functioning businesses,” Burke said.
“People can easily understand the impact of a building being destroyed, but the destruction of future productivity through erosion and weeds after a fire can just as devastating.
“It will take some time to work out what has been damaged and what work needs to be done to improve the soil and re-plant native vegetation, crops or permanent plantings.
“This funding support means we will be ready to act to help farming families get back on their feet
Australia’s Rudd Government has committed additional funding to assist with the long-term recovery of agricultural land damaged in the Victorian bushfires.
Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke have announced in a statement received by Southem.com that more than A$5 million of uncommitted funding from Caring for our Country to support bushfire recovery projects in Victoria.
In addition, natural resource management groups across Australia now have extra time to lodge investment proposals for 2009-10 under Caring for our Country.
Groups have an extra four weeks – to Friday 3 April 2009 – to lodge proposals, which will assist those in both fire- and flood-affected areas who may have difficulty completing the paperwork.
The Ministers said the urgent priority remained searching for loved ones lost in the fires.
However, in the longer-term the funding would assist communities, including farmers, who will need significant investment and support to rebuild and recover from the fires.
The additional Caring for our Country investment could support a range of environmental and landscape repair work, including:
Planting sterile rye grass in agricultural soils at risk of erosion
Fencing around significant vegetation and aquatic sites
Erosion control work on stream banks and around wetlands
Weed control programs in fire-affected areas
Assist with the care and rehabilitation of wildlife and habitat
There are early reports of lost stock, lost fodder and significant damage to permanent plantings and dairies.
Some timber mills have been lost and 100,000 hectares of native forest for timber production has been destroyed, along with up to 30,000 hectares of plantation forests.
The fires have also impacted on some sites of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems and have burnt a range of forests, including wet and sclerophyll forests.
“These funds will give Catchment Management Authorities, community groups and individuals the opportunity to undertake some of the essential environment rehabilitation works that will be so needed as a result of the devastation these fires have caused across the landscape,” Garrett said.
Burke said many farmers were dealing with losing friends and family and it was too early to fully establish damage to farming properties.
“Eventually, this assistance will be essential to help slowly return these scorched farming properties to functioning businesses,” Burke said.
“People can easily understand the impact of a building being destroyed, but the destruction of future productivity through erosion and weeds after a fire can just as devastating.
“It will take some time to work out what has been damaged and what work needs to be done to improve the soil and re-plant native vegetation, crops or permanent plantings.
“This funding support means we will be ready to act to help farming families get back on their feet
Victorian industry wants forest management scrutiny in bushfire Royal Commission
Monday, 16 February 2009
The forest industry organization at the heart of state involved in Australia’s deadly bushfire has welcomed a planned inquiry and has added its weight to calls for more scrutiny into forest management practices.
In particular, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries has called for a review of government the policy of “locking up” native forests, so reducing the effectiveness of fuel load reduction as a forest management tool leading to greater bushfire intensity
In a statement, VAFI said it welcomed the State Government’s announcement of the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s bushfires with a call for more scrutiny into forest management practices.
The broad terms of reference have allowed a large capacity of inquiry into all aspects of the fires, a significant part of which the VAFI CEO, Philip Dalidakis, believes should be directed towards forest management policy and the potential role of the Victorian timber industry in reducing fire risk.
“We welcome the terms of reference with the acknowledgement that a detailed investigation of land management and fire prevention will include an examination of the timber industry’s ongoing role in these areas,” Mr Dalidakis said.
“Now more than ever it’s important to recognise that the timber industry can have a strong role in reducing the severity of bushfires through a range of forest management practices including the reduction of fuel loads, the maintenance of key infrastructure and the presence of skilled firefighting personnel.”
In calling for further examination into the timber industry’s role in bushfire mitigation, the VAFI has requested the Royal Commission focus on the following issues:
A review of all public land management to ensure integrated and active forest management
A review of native vegetation requirements and fire planning and management across all land tenures;
A review of successive State Government policies of ‘locking up’ forest estate reducing the effectiveness of fuel load reduction as a forest management tool leading to greater bushfire intensity;
The positive role of the timber industry in building and maintaining key infrastructure (access roads in particular) throughout forest estate;
The positive role of the timber industry in providing essential fire fighting equipment available for quick response and emergency deployment as well as key personnel to operate it; and
The role an increased forestry industry can have in helping to reduce the fuel load, reduce damaging carbon emissions from fire while simultaneously using the timber resource in a way that continues to fight climate change through the carbon storage of wood products.
The forest industry organization at the heart of state involved in Australia’s deadly bushfire has welcomed a planned inquiry and has added its weight to calls for more scrutiny into forest management practices.
In particular, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries has called for a review of government the policy of “locking up” native forests, so reducing the effectiveness of fuel load reduction as a forest management tool leading to greater bushfire intensity
In a statement, VAFI said it welcomed the State Government’s announcement of the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s bushfires with a call for more scrutiny into forest management practices.
The broad terms of reference have allowed a large capacity of inquiry into all aspects of the fires, a significant part of which the VAFI CEO, Philip Dalidakis, believes should be directed towards forest management policy and the potential role of the Victorian timber industry in reducing fire risk.
“We welcome the terms of reference with the acknowledgement that a detailed investigation of land management and fire prevention will include an examination of the timber industry’s ongoing role in these areas,” Mr Dalidakis said.
“Now more than ever it’s important to recognise that the timber industry can have a strong role in reducing the severity of bushfires through a range of forest management practices including the reduction of fuel loads, the maintenance of key infrastructure and the presence of skilled firefighting personnel.”
In calling for further examination into the timber industry’s role in bushfire mitigation, the VAFI has requested the Royal Commission focus on the following issues:
A review of all public land management to ensure integrated and active forest management
A review of native vegetation requirements and fire planning and management across all land tenures;
A review of successive State Government policies of ‘locking up’ forest estate reducing the effectiveness of fuel load reduction as a forest management tool leading to greater bushfire intensity;
The positive role of the timber industry in building and maintaining key infrastructure (access roads in particular) throughout forest estate;
The positive role of the timber industry in providing essential fire fighting equipment available for quick response and emergency deployment as well as key personnel to operate it; and
The role an increased forestry industry can have in helping to reduce the fuel load, reduce damaging carbon emissions from fire while simultaneously using the timber resource in a way that continues to fight climate change through the carbon storage of wood products.
Researchers finding answer to forest fire control in space
Monday, 16 February 2009
At a time when many people are struggling with the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires, Spanish scientists are finding that remote sensing from space will help provide highly accurate parameters for forest fire control.
The observation of the Earth’s surface by satellites can provide basic information for environmental management and the prevention of forest fires, according to an article on www.consumer.es.
Investigators of the Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM in Spanish) are reported to have explained that sensors installed in satellites in orbit around the Earth provide great amount of data whose analysis allows an understanding with high accuracy the various parameters required for fire control.
Thus, it is possible to know, for example, the type of cover on the ground and to classify it in different types of vegetation, such as forest, scrub or pasture, or to even differentiate some groups within that vegetation.
It is possible to discern the type of forest, if it is made up by coniferous or non-evergreen species.
There are other satellites that send weather data, such as the ground temperature, the atmospheric temperature and the relative humidity, but it is also essential to know the level of humidity in the vegetation thus to predict the possible behavior in case of fire.
Space remote sensing can also be applied to other ends, such as updating forest inventory or obtaining a deeper understanding of the structure and composition of forests.
For this reason, researchers in the UPM’s Sustainable Management Technologies and Methodologies Group have been applying their knowledge gained from remote sensing to the land cover study, giving special attention to the forest surface, its composition and structures.
Researcher Lara Arroyo has created a methodology that allows monitor the forests for fire prevention purposes, in areas of special risk, such as neighbourhoods in urban areas.
This methodology allows the generation of forest fuel maps from images gain from the “Quickbird” satellite.
With a resolution of 60 centimeters, "Quickbird" it is able to major provide data to a detailed level, allowing researchers to generate fuel maps, the University said in a statement.
On the other hand, Cristina Pascual, another of the researchers at Tecnatura, used laser technology laser to obtain data of tree heights and was able to calculate biomass, the volume of wood and other data of interest for management purposes.
“Forest companies and natural resource and parks administrators can use this tool as an application of great use in understanding conservation and maintenance of natura areas. It is hoped these results will contribute to conservation and improve our environment,” the UPM said.
[As reported by Lignum]
At a time when many people are struggling with the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires, Spanish scientists are finding that remote sensing from space will help provide highly accurate parameters for forest fire control.
The observation of the Earth’s surface by satellites can provide basic information for environmental management and the prevention of forest fires, according to an article on www.consumer.es.
Investigators of the Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM in Spanish) are reported to have explained that sensors installed in satellites in orbit around the Earth provide great amount of data whose analysis allows an understanding with high accuracy the various parameters required for fire control.
Thus, it is possible to know, for example, the type of cover on the ground and to classify it in different types of vegetation, such as forest, scrub or pasture, or to even differentiate some groups within that vegetation.
It is possible to discern the type of forest, if it is made up by coniferous or non-evergreen species.
There are other satellites that send weather data, such as the ground temperature, the atmospheric temperature and the relative humidity, but it is also essential to know the level of humidity in the vegetation thus to predict the possible behavior in case of fire.
Space remote sensing can also be applied to other ends, such as updating forest inventory or obtaining a deeper understanding of the structure and composition of forests.
For this reason, researchers in the UPM’s Sustainable Management Technologies and Methodologies Group have been applying their knowledge gained from remote sensing to the land cover study, giving special attention to the forest surface, its composition and structures.
Researcher Lara Arroyo has created a methodology that allows monitor the forests for fire prevention purposes, in areas of special risk, such as neighbourhoods in urban areas.
This methodology allows the generation of forest fuel maps from images gain from the “Quickbird” satellite.
With a resolution of 60 centimeters, "Quickbird" it is able to major provide data to a detailed level, allowing researchers to generate fuel maps, the University said in a statement.
On the other hand, Cristina Pascual, another of the researchers at Tecnatura, used laser technology laser to obtain data of tree heights and was able to calculate biomass, the volume of wood and other data of interest for management purposes.
“Forest companies and natural resource and parks administrators can use this tool as an application of great use in understanding conservation and maintenance of natura areas. It is hoped these results will contribute to conservation and improve our environment,” the UPM said.
[As reported by Lignum]
Bushfire fighters win praise after exhausting week
Saturday, 14 February 2009
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The efforts of firefighters battling bushfires that continue to burn across the Australian state of Victoria have been praised by the Country Fire Authority's (CFA) chief fire officer.
The CFA is the state authority controlling fire fighting the on private sector land in rural areas, along with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) which covers government resources.
The ABC has reported today (14 February 2009) that the death toll from the fires remains at 181 but is expected to total more than 200, and firefighters have contained 12 of the 25 blazes still active.
The CFA chief fire officer Russell Rees told the ABC it has been an exhausting week for the men and women fighting those fires.
"Some of them feel like they failed here and we've got to say they did everything possible," he said.
"Whether they're volunteer [or] career firies (firefighters), DSE, police - everyone they worked their guts out on Saturday and we need to carry ourselves forward into the future.
"We're not finished yet. We're not going to give up and it's really important that we keep going."
No blazes are currently threatening towns, but Ewan Waller of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) says containing the fire at Healesville is a priority.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
The efforts of firefighters battling bushfires that continue to burn across the Australian state of Victoria have been praised by the Country Fire Authority's (CFA) chief fire officer.
The CFA is the state authority controlling fire fighting the on private sector land in rural areas, along with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) which covers government resources.
The ABC has reported today (14 February 2009) that the death toll from the fires remains at 181 but is expected to total more than 200, and firefighters have contained 12 of the 25 blazes still active.
The CFA chief fire officer Russell Rees told the ABC it has been an exhausting week for the men and women fighting those fires.
"Some of them feel like they failed here and we've got to say they did everything possible," he said.
"Whether they're volunteer [or] career firies (firefighters), DSE, police - everyone they worked their guts out on Saturday and we need to carry ourselves forward into the future.
"We're not finished yet. We're not going to give up and it's really important that we keep going."
No blazes are currently threatening towns, but Ewan Waller of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) says containing the fire at Healesville is a priority.
Monday, February 16, 2009
FURTHER HELI FIRE-FIGHT UPDATE: TV NEWS INTERVIEW:
Hi there,
The crew are still based at Wesburn and remain tasked on the Yarra Reservoir fire. Today started off reasonably quietly however in the late afternoon the helicopter was called in to stop a fire that had breached a containment line.
Having completed this task they were again called urgently, just before dark, to another containment line breach which was fought right up until last light.
The following link is to tonight's TV news story in NZ ... it was Lin's turn in front of the camera today.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwis-begin-back-breaking-work-2489795/video
Regards,
Qwilton
The crew are still based at Wesburn and remain tasked on the Yarra Reservoir fire. Today started off reasonably quietly however in the late afternoon the helicopter was called in to stop a fire that had breached a containment line.
Having completed this task they were again called urgently, just before dark, to another containment line breach which was fought right up until last light.
The following link is to tonight's TV news story in NZ ... it was Lin's turn in front of the camera today.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwis-begin-back-breaking-work-2489795/video
Regards,
Qwilton
AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRES DEBATE: NATIVE BUSH VERSUS PLANTATION FOREST CONTINUES:
Subject: RE: Bushfires in AustraliaDate: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:25:43 +1300
Anthony
Many thanks for your email. Like I noted to Wally, I think it is sad that you should be use a tragedy of this massive proportions to go about pointing the finger at this early stage. It is quite clear that with the number of people you have copied this email to that you are really only just taking “pot shots” at your favourite hobby horse – the plantation sector, rather than trying to find ways of helping those poor people affected by this tragedy.
You could if you wished make a donation to the Red Cross, at http://www.redcross.org.au/
Although given the tenor of your comments, you might be the sort to join this particular facebook group:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/16/2492818.htm
It could that a good psychological profiler could lead one to deduce that hysteria whipped up about plantations could lead to people such as this arsonist taking action:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/16/2492356.htm
But, of course, it is wrong to blame anybody but plantation growers…
I would urge you also to read David Packham’s timely comment, however.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
TMS & BMS Ltd
Mail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Street: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Tel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157
Email: mike.smith@southem.com
Web: http://www.southem.com/
Skype: southemer
From: anthony amis [mailto:anthonyamis@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, 16 February 2009 7:25 p.m.To: wally_m@iafrica.com; mike.smith@southem.
BUSHFIRES IN AUSTRALIA:
if plantations don't cause fires then what the hell is this? image top of page from recent victorian fires.this is after the fire burnt across farmland and before it got anywhere near native forest.http://www.baddevelopers.green.net.au/Docs/Midway3Wandong.htm
From: wally_m@iafrica.comTo: mike.smith@southem.comCC: chris@chrislang.org; sandyoceania@yahoo.com; owen@soft.co.za; rcarrere@wrm.org.uy; Stephanie.long@foe.org.au; anthony.esposito@wilderness.org.au; anthonyamis@hotmail.com; timberwatch.chair@gmail.comSubject: Re: Bushfires in AustraliaDate: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:40:52 +0200
Dear Mike
Thanks for your response to my letter, and the useful expert article.
Whatever your views on the situation, the harsh (and somewhat simple) reality remains.
Far more so than Bush or Forest, plantations desiccate the land directly where they are planted, but also cause the dehydration of adjacent land and vegetation. They generally reduce any natural surface flow, resulting in the degradation of adjacent or downstream wetlands which in turn results in normally perrennial streams drying out during the dry season.
All of the above are major contributing factors to the intensity and spread of fires, by helping create conditions where the fires can start and spread from anywhere in the vicinity of the affected plantations.
I am disappointed that you see my intervention as an attempt to "use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends".
If you knew how much hardship and suffering industrial timber plantations have caused to local communities all over the world, you would realise that what is happening in Australia is far from being a 'natural disaster'. It is the culmination of bad practice and policy that threatens to make things even worse in the future unless things (especially government attitudes and the self-interest of plantation companies) change radically in the very near future.
I sincerely hope that your donation to the Red Cross was a substantial one.
Best wishes
Wally
Wally
Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately it ain’t that simple. These fires did not start in Hancock’s plantations, in fact they started in native bush areas managed as either state or national reserves. Well managed pine plantations do not generally spontaneously leap into flame but it is virtually impossible for forest managers to stop flames from huge bush fires from leaping across roads and fire breaks (200 km/hr winds?). This is the reality. The key problem isn’t the management of the plantation forests, where the companies spend large sums protecting valuable assets, but the management of reserve bush areas.
I have included below an article from an expert in this area, who voices his obvious frustration on this topic. Note: bush as discussed here is indigenous forest; see point 3 re “every objective analysis…” – the emphasis on “objective”.
Finally, I find it really sad (and vaguely disturbing) that you would jump in and use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends. It may be that there is blame to apportion here – to whomever - but at this stage people in Victoria are dealing with upwards of 250 people known to be killed and probably even more. If you feel strongly, feel free to go to the Red Cross web site and contribute a donation.
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
TMS & BMS Ltd
Mail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Street: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Tel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157
Email: mike.smith@southem.com
Web: http://www.southem.com/
Skype: southemer
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
VICTORIA has suffered the most tragic bushfire disaster to have occurred on this continent throughout its period of human habitation.
The deaths, loss of homes and businesses and the blow to our feeling of security will take decades to fade into history. The trauma will live with the victims, who, to a greater or lesser extent, are all of us. How could this happen when we have been told in a withering, continuous barrage of public relations that with technology and well-polished uniforms, we can cope with the unleashing of huge forces of nature. I have been a bushfire scientist for more than 50 years, dealing with all aspects of bushfires, from prescribed burning to flame chemistry, and serving as supervisor of fire weather services for Australia. We need to understand what has happened so that we can accept or prevent future fire disasters. That this disaster was about to happen became clear when the weather bureau issued an accurate fire weather forecast last Wednesday, which prompted me, as a private citizen, to raise the alarm through a memo distributed to concerned residents. The science is simple. A fire disaster of this nature requires a combination of hot, dry, windy weather in drought conditions. It also requires a source of ignition. In the past, this purpose has been served by lightning. In this disaster, lightning has not played a big part, and for this Victorians should be grateful. But other sources of ignition are ever-present. When the temperature and wind increase to extreme levels, small events -- perhaps the scrape of metal across a rock, a transformer overheating or sparks from a diesel engine -- are capable of starting a fire that can in minutes become unstoppable if the fuel is present. The third and only controllable factor in this deadly triangle is fuel: the dead leaves, pieces of bark and grass that become the gas that feeds the 50m high flames that roar through the bush with the sound of jet engines. Fuels build up year after year at an approximate rate of one tonne a hectare a year, up to a maximum of about 30 tonnes a hectare. If the fuels exceed about eight tonnes a hectare, disastrous fires can and will occur. Every objective analysis of the dynamics of fuel and fire concludes that unless the fuels are maintained at near the levels that our indigenous stewards of the land achieved, then we will have unhealthy and unsafe forests that from time to time will generate disasters such as the one that erupted on saturday. [My underlining just in case you missed the point.]It has been a difficult lesson for me to accept that despite the severe damage to our forests and even a fatal fire in our nation's capital, the political decision has been to do nothing that will change the extreme threat to which our forests and rural lands are exposed. The decision to ignore the threat has been encouraged by some shocking pseudo-science from a few academics who use arguments that may have a place in political discourse but should have no place in managing our environment and protecting it and us from the bushfire threat. The conclusion of these academics is that high intensity fires are good for the environment and that the resulting mudslides after rains are merely localised and serve to redistribute nutrients. The purpose of this failed policy is to secure uninformed city votes. Only a few expert retired fire managers, experienced bushies and some courageous politicians are prepared to buck the decision to lock up our bush and leave it to burn. The politicians who willingly accept this rubbish use it to justify the perpetuation of the greatest threat to our forests, water supplies, homes and lives in order to secure a minority green vote. They continue to throw millions (and no doubt soon billions) at ineffective suppression toys, while the few foresters and bush people who know how to manage our public lands are starved of the resources they need to reduce fuel loads. It is hard for me to see this perversion of public policy and to accept that the folk of the bush have lost their battle to live a safe life in a cared-for rural and forest environment, all because of the environmental fantasies of outraged extremists and latte conservationists. In a letter to my local paper, the Weekly Times, on January 25, I predicted we were facing a very critical situation in which 1000 to 2000 homes could be lost in the Yarra catchment, the Otways and/or the Strezleckies; that 100 souls could be lost in a most horrible and violent way; and that there was even a threat to Melbourne's water supply, which could be rendered unusable by the ash and debris. Horrifically, much of this has come to pass, and it is not yet the end of the bushfire season. In the face of this inferno, the perpetrators of this obscenity should have the decency to stand up and say they were wrong. Southeast Australia is the worst place in the world for bushfires, and we must not waste any time in getting down to the task of making our bush healthy and safe. But don't hold your breath. Do you hear that lovely sound the warbling pigs make as they fly by? David Packham OAM is an honorary senior research fellow at Monash University's school of geography and environmental science.
From: Wally Menne [mailto:wally_m@iafrica.com] Sent: Friday, 13 February 2009 3:27 a.m.To: mike.smith@southem.comCc: Dear Mike
I am a member of a South African NGO called Timberwatch.
Here in South Africa there has been a steady increase in the incidence of plantation fires
over the past 7 years. Those affected have been mostly of Eucalyptus spp. with Pinus spp.
coming a close second. Last year a total of about 70 000 hectares was burned.
After listening to your interview with Linda Sewell I realised that our experiences here in Africa
are remarkably similar to what has just taken place in your country, and that the underlying
causes of the fires are probably much the same.
To confirm my fears I took a quick tour by Google Earth of the area near Kinglake in southern
Victoria that was affected by fires , and sure enough all the signs appear to be there: non-existent
fire belts; unmanaged scrub; catchments planted to the brim with fast growing, water devouring,
even age tree monocultures. (see attached)
These plantations, albeit made up largely of what were originally native Australian species, are very
different from your mixed-age, biodiversity rich natural forests, that have now also suffered as a
consequence of being in close proximity to areas that have been converted from meadow, scrub
and forest into tinder time-bombs.
The question that needs to be asked is this: Who will hold the timber companies, which own the
affected plantations, responsible for the damage that has been caused? Not likely the government,
because they are complicit in their expansion through subsidies to the timber companies. Ideally
it should be the Australian public, not just those who have lost their cars, homes and family, but those
who will be threatened in the future as the government's daffy "2020" plantation scheme unfolds.
See http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/plantation-farm-forestry/plantations/2020
I could go on and on, but I am relying on you to go out and do some homework, and then to make
certain that the truth about the fires, and not just Hancock's biased propaganda, will be heard.
Yours sincerely
Wally Mennewally_m@iafrica.comTel: +27 (0)82 4442083Skype: wally.menne
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Lang
To: Wally Menne
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 1:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: Bushfires in Australia - Hancock Victoria Plantations impacts
FYI
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Mike Smith <mike.smith@southem.com>Date: 2009/2/11Subject: Bushfires in Australia - Hancock Victoria Plantations impactsTo: Mike Smith <mike.smith@southem.com>
Hi I have attached a link to a webcast of an interview with Linda Sewell, CEO of HVP Plantations, regarding the impact of the devastating bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=47&task=videodirectlink&id=18 Kind regardsMike SmithEditor and DirectorTMS & BMS LtdMail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandStreet: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandTel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157Email: mike.smith@southem.comWeb: http://www.southem.com/Skype: southemer --
Anthony
Many thanks for your email. Like I noted to Wally, I think it is sad that you should be use a tragedy of this massive proportions to go about pointing the finger at this early stage. It is quite clear that with the number of people you have copied this email to that you are really only just taking “pot shots” at your favourite hobby horse – the plantation sector, rather than trying to find ways of helping those poor people affected by this tragedy.
You could if you wished make a donation to the Red Cross, at http://www.redcross.org.au/
Although given the tenor of your comments, you might be the sort to join this particular facebook group:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/16/2492818.htm
It could that a good psychological profiler could lead one to deduce that hysteria whipped up about plantations could lead to people such as this arsonist taking action:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/16/2492356.htm
But, of course, it is wrong to blame anybody but plantation growers…
I would urge you also to read David Packham’s timely comment, however.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
TMS & BMS Ltd
Mail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Street: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Tel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157
Email: mike.smith@southem.com
Web: http://www.southem.com/
Skype: southemer
From: anthony amis [mailto:anthonyamis@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, 16 February 2009 7:25 p.m.To: wally_m@iafrica.com; mike.smith@southem.
BUSHFIRES IN AUSTRALIA:
if plantations don't cause fires then what the hell is this? image top of page from recent victorian fires.this is after the fire burnt across farmland and before it got anywhere near native forest.http://www.baddevelopers.green.net.au/Docs/Midway3Wandong.htm
From: wally_m@iafrica.comTo: mike.smith@southem.comCC: chris@chrislang.org; sandyoceania@yahoo.com; owen@soft.co.za; rcarrere@wrm.org.uy; Stephanie.long@foe.org.au; anthony.esposito@wilderness.org.au; anthonyamis@hotmail.com; timberwatch.chair@gmail.comSubject: Re: Bushfires in AustraliaDate: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:40:52 +0200
Dear Mike
Thanks for your response to my letter, and the useful expert article.
Whatever your views on the situation, the harsh (and somewhat simple) reality remains.
Far more so than Bush or Forest, plantations desiccate the land directly where they are planted, but also cause the dehydration of adjacent land and vegetation. They generally reduce any natural surface flow, resulting in the degradation of adjacent or downstream wetlands which in turn results in normally perrennial streams drying out during the dry season.
All of the above are major contributing factors to the intensity and spread of fires, by helping create conditions where the fires can start and spread from anywhere in the vicinity of the affected plantations.
I am disappointed that you see my intervention as an attempt to "use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends".
If you knew how much hardship and suffering industrial timber plantations have caused to local communities all over the world, you would realise that what is happening in Australia is far from being a 'natural disaster'. It is the culmination of bad practice and policy that threatens to make things even worse in the future unless things (especially government attitudes and the self-interest of plantation companies) change radically in the very near future.
I sincerely hope that your donation to the Red Cross was a substantial one.
Best wishes
Wally
Wally
Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately it ain’t that simple. These fires did not start in Hancock’s plantations, in fact they started in native bush areas managed as either state or national reserves. Well managed pine plantations do not generally spontaneously leap into flame but it is virtually impossible for forest managers to stop flames from huge bush fires from leaping across roads and fire breaks (200 km/hr winds?). This is the reality. The key problem isn’t the management of the plantation forests, where the companies spend large sums protecting valuable assets, but the management of reserve bush areas.
I have included below an article from an expert in this area, who voices his obvious frustration on this topic. Note: bush as discussed here is indigenous forest; see point 3 re “every objective analysis…” – the emphasis on “objective”.
Finally, I find it really sad (and vaguely disturbing) that you would jump in and use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends. It may be that there is blame to apportion here – to whomever - but at this stage people in Victoria are dealing with upwards of 250 people known to be killed and probably even more. If you feel strongly, feel free to go to the Red Cross web site and contribute a donation.
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
TMS & BMS Ltd
Mail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Street: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Tel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157
Email: mike.smith@southem.com
Web: http://www.southem.com/
Skype: southemer
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
VICTORIA has suffered the most tragic bushfire disaster to have occurred on this continent throughout its period of human habitation.
The deaths, loss of homes and businesses and the blow to our feeling of security will take decades to fade into history. The trauma will live with the victims, who, to a greater or lesser extent, are all of us. How could this happen when we have been told in a withering, continuous barrage of public relations that with technology and well-polished uniforms, we can cope with the unleashing of huge forces of nature. I have been a bushfire scientist for more than 50 years, dealing with all aspects of bushfires, from prescribed burning to flame chemistry, and serving as supervisor of fire weather services for Australia. We need to understand what has happened so that we can accept or prevent future fire disasters. That this disaster was about to happen became clear when the weather bureau issued an accurate fire weather forecast last Wednesday, which prompted me, as a private citizen, to raise the alarm through a memo distributed to concerned residents. The science is simple. A fire disaster of this nature requires a combination of hot, dry, windy weather in drought conditions. It also requires a source of ignition. In the past, this purpose has been served by lightning. In this disaster, lightning has not played a big part, and for this Victorians should be grateful. But other sources of ignition are ever-present. When the temperature and wind increase to extreme levels, small events -- perhaps the scrape of metal across a rock, a transformer overheating or sparks from a diesel engine -- are capable of starting a fire that can in minutes become unstoppable if the fuel is present. The third and only controllable factor in this deadly triangle is fuel: the dead leaves, pieces of bark and grass that become the gas that feeds the 50m high flames that roar through the bush with the sound of jet engines. Fuels build up year after year at an approximate rate of one tonne a hectare a year, up to a maximum of about 30 tonnes a hectare. If the fuels exceed about eight tonnes a hectare, disastrous fires can and will occur. Every objective analysis of the dynamics of fuel and fire concludes that unless the fuels are maintained at near the levels that our indigenous stewards of the land achieved, then we will have unhealthy and unsafe forests that from time to time will generate disasters such as the one that erupted on saturday. [My underlining just in case you missed the point.]It has been a difficult lesson for me to accept that despite the severe damage to our forests and even a fatal fire in our nation's capital, the political decision has been to do nothing that will change the extreme threat to which our forests and rural lands are exposed. The decision to ignore the threat has been encouraged by some shocking pseudo-science from a few academics who use arguments that may have a place in political discourse but should have no place in managing our environment and protecting it and us from the bushfire threat. The conclusion of these academics is that high intensity fires are good for the environment and that the resulting mudslides after rains are merely localised and serve to redistribute nutrients. The purpose of this failed policy is to secure uninformed city votes. Only a few expert retired fire managers, experienced bushies and some courageous politicians are prepared to buck the decision to lock up our bush and leave it to burn. The politicians who willingly accept this rubbish use it to justify the perpetuation of the greatest threat to our forests, water supplies, homes and lives in order to secure a minority green vote. They continue to throw millions (and no doubt soon billions) at ineffective suppression toys, while the few foresters and bush people who know how to manage our public lands are starved of the resources they need to reduce fuel loads. It is hard for me to see this perversion of public policy and to accept that the folk of the bush have lost their battle to live a safe life in a cared-for rural and forest environment, all because of the environmental fantasies of outraged extremists and latte conservationists. In a letter to my local paper, the Weekly Times, on January 25, I predicted we were facing a very critical situation in which 1000 to 2000 homes could be lost in the Yarra catchment, the Otways and/or the Strezleckies; that 100 souls could be lost in a most horrible and violent way; and that there was even a threat to Melbourne's water supply, which could be rendered unusable by the ash and debris. Horrifically, much of this has come to pass, and it is not yet the end of the bushfire season. In the face of this inferno, the perpetrators of this obscenity should have the decency to stand up and say they were wrong. Southeast Australia is the worst place in the world for bushfires, and we must not waste any time in getting down to the task of making our bush healthy and safe. But don't hold your breath. Do you hear that lovely sound the warbling pigs make as they fly by? David Packham OAM is an honorary senior research fellow at Monash University's school of geography and environmental science.
From: Wally Menne [mailto:wally_m@iafrica.com] Sent: Friday, 13 February 2009 3:27 a.m.To: mike.smith@southem.comCc: Dear Mike
I am a member of a South African NGO called Timberwatch.
Here in South Africa there has been a steady increase in the incidence of plantation fires
over the past 7 years. Those affected have been mostly of Eucalyptus spp. with Pinus spp.
coming a close second. Last year a total of about 70 000 hectares was burned.
After listening to your interview with Linda Sewell I realised that our experiences here in Africa
are remarkably similar to what has just taken place in your country, and that the underlying
causes of the fires are probably much the same.
To confirm my fears I took a quick tour by Google Earth of the area near Kinglake in southern
Victoria that was affected by fires , and sure enough all the signs appear to be there: non-existent
fire belts; unmanaged scrub; catchments planted to the brim with fast growing, water devouring,
even age tree monocultures. (see attached)
These plantations, albeit made up largely of what were originally native Australian species, are very
different from your mixed-age, biodiversity rich natural forests, that have now also suffered as a
consequence of being in close proximity to areas that have been converted from meadow, scrub
and forest into tinder time-bombs.
The question that needs to be asked is this: Who will hold the timber companies, which own the
affected plantations, responsible for the damage that has been caused? Not likely the government,
because they are complicit in their expansion through subsidies to the timber companies. Ideally
it should be the Australian public, not just those who have lost their cars, homes and family, but those
who will be threatened in the future as the government's daffy "2020" plantation scheme unfolds.
See http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/plantation-farm-forestry/plantations/2020
I could go on and on, but I am relying on you to go out and do some homework, and then to make
certain that the truth about the fires, and not just Hancock's biased propaganda, will be heard.
Yours sincerely
Wally Mennewally_m@iafrica.comTel: +27 (0)82 4442083Skype: wally.menne
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Lang
To: Wally Menne
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 1:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: Bushfires in Australia - Hancock Victoria Plantations impacts
FYI
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Mike Smith <mike.smith@southem.com>Date: 2009/2/11Subject: Bushfires in Australia - Hancock Victoria Plantations impactsTo: Mike Smith <mike.smith@southem.com>
Hi I have attached a link to a webcast of an interview with Linda Sewell, CEO of HVP Plantations, regarding the impact of the devastating bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=47&task=videodirectlink&id=18 Kind regardsMike SmithEditor and DirectorTMS & BMS LtdMail: P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandStreet: 5 High Street, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandTel: 64-7-349 4107; Fax: 64-7-3494157Email: mike.smith@southem.comWeb: http://www.southem.com/Skype: southemer --
Sunday, February 15, 2009
FIREFIGHTING UPDATE: UPPER YARRA RESERVOIR
The report from Melbourne today is that the crew have continued to work with Phos-Chek fire retardant in the Upper Yarra Reservoir catchment area.
Today's task was to put a fire containment line into place in an area of steep gorges within the catchment. This was achieved over a period of two hours flying throughout the day as smoke conditions permitted.
For those of you with a bit of knowledge of how the bucket/pump system works, Grant reports that it takes 50 seconds to pump-fill a 3-tonne load of Phos-Chek .... apparently it has the consistency of rubber glue!
Today's task was to put a fire containment line into place in an area of steep gorges within the catchment. This was achieved over a period of two hours flying throughout the day as smoke conditions permitted.
For those of you with a bit of knowledge of how the bucket/pump system works, Grant reports that it takes 50 seconds to pump-fill a 3-tonne load of Phos-Chek .... apparently it has the consistency of rubber glue!
BUSHFIRE HELI-HARVEST FIREFIGHTING UPDATE
The helicopter flew 3.5 hours on firefighting operations following its tasking to Wesburn on Friday afternoon.
Saturday morning has seen the team tasked back to Wesburn again where they are operating in the catchment area for the Upper Yarra Reservoir which provides water to the city of Melbourne.
Today will see the Bambi Bucket system configured to deliver Phos-Chek redardant onto containment lines that have been established by ground firefighting teams over recent days.
Reports from the crew indicate that they are settling into operations well.
The aircraft and bucket are performing fine and we now have all the phone, radio, and pager links in place with the State Airdesk who control taskings of all aircraft.
Regards,
Qwilton Biel
Saturday morning has seen the team tasked back to Wesburn again where they are operating in the catchment area for the Upper Yarra Reservoir which provides water to the city of Melbourne.
Today will see the Bambi Bucket system configured to deliver Phos-Chek redardant onto containment lines that have been established by ground firefighting teams over recent days.
Reports from the crew indicate that they are settling into operations well.
The aircraft and bucket are performing fine and we now have all the phone, radio, and pager links in place with the State Airdesk who control taskings of all aircraft.
Regards,
Qwilton Biel
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Qwilton Biel from Heli Harvest talks about the call to action to fight Aussie Bushfires
A large, Russian-made helicopter has made a two-day trip across the Tasman Sea to help fight bushfires in Australia. We talk with Qwilton Biel of the New Zealand firm Heli Harvest Ltd about the trip.
SA Green takes pot shot at plantation forests over Australian bushfires
Wally Menne, a member of a South African non-governmental organisation (NGO) has written an email commenting on Southem’s coverage of the bushfires in Australia. Emails directly to Southem are generally regarded as private but it is noted that he copied the message to a number of similar groups, including those in Australia. We have provided a reply below his comments.
Dear Mike
I am a member of a South African NGO called Timberwatch.
Here in South Africa there has been a steady increase in the incidence of plantation fires over the past 7 years. Those affected have been mostly of Eucalyptus spp. with Pinus spp. coming a close second. Last year a total of about 70 000 hectares was burned.
After listening to your interview with Linda Sewell I realised that our experiences here in Africa are remarkably similar to what has just taken place in your country, and that the underlying causes of the fires are probably much the same.
To confirm my fears I took a quick tour by Google Earth of the area near Kinglake in southern Victoria that was affected by fires , and sure enough all the signs appear to be there: non-existent fire belts; unmanaged scrub; catchments planted to the brim with fast growing, water devouring, even age tree monocultures.
These plantations, albeit made up largely of what were originally native Australian species, are very different from your mixed-age, biodiversity rich natural forests, that have now also suffered as a consequence of being in close proximity to areas that have been converted from meadow, scrub and forest into tinder time-bombs.
The question that needs to be asked is this: Who will hold the timber companies, which own the affected plantations, responsible for the damage that has been caused? Not likely the government, because they are complicit in their expansion through subsidies to the timber companies. Ideally it should be the Australian public, not just those who have lost their cars, homes and family, but those who will be threatened in the future as the government's daffy "2020" plantation scheme unfolds.
See http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/plantation-farm-forestry/plantations/2020
I could go on and on, but I am relying on you to go out and do some homework, and then to make certain that the truth about the fires, and not just Hancock's biased propaganda, will be heard.
Yours sincerely
Wally Menne
Southem editor Mike Smith replies:
Wally,
Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. These fires did not start in Hancock’s plantations. Well-managed pine plantations do not generally spontaneously leap into flame but it is virtually impossible for forest managers to stop flames from huge, indigenous bush fires from leaping across roads and fire breaks (200 km/hr winds?). This is the reality. The key problem isn’t the management of the plantation forests, where the companies spend large sums protecting valuable assets, but the management of reserve bush areas.
I have included below a link to an article from an expert in this area, who voices his obvious frustration on this topic. Note: bush as discussed here is indigenous forest; see point 3 re “every objective analysis…” – the emphasis is on “objective”.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
Finally, I find it really sad (and vaguely disturbing) that you would jump in and use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends. It may be that there is blame to apportion here – to whomever - but at this stage people in Victoria are dealing with upwards of 250 people known to be killed and probably even more. If you feel strongly, feel free to go to the Red Cross web site and contribute a donation.
http://www.redcross.org.au/
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
southem.com
Next >
Dear Mike
I am a member of a South African NGO called Timberwatch.
Here in South Africa there has been a steady increase in the incidence of plantation fires over the past 7 years. Those affected have been mostly of Eucalyptus spp. with Pinus spp. coming a close second. Last year a total of about 70 000 hectares was burned.
After listening to your interview with Linda Sewell I realised that our experiences here in Africa are remarkably similar to what has just taken place in your country, and that the underlying causes of the fires are probably much the same.
To confirm my fears I took a quick tour by Google Earth of the area near Kinglake in southern Victoria that was affected by fires , and sure enough all the signs appear to be there: non-existent fire belts; unmanaged scrub; catchments planted to the brim with fast growing, water devouring, even age tree monocultures.
These plantations, albeit made up largely of what were originally native Australian species, are very different from your mixed-age, biodiversity rich natural forests, that have now also suffered as a consequence of being in close proximity to areas that have been converted from meadow, scrub and forest into tinder time-bombs.
The question that needs to be asked is this: Who will hold the timber companies, which own the affected plantations, responsible for the damage that has been caused? Not likely the government, because they are complicit in their expansion through subsidies to the timber companies. Ideally it should be the Australian public, not just those who have lost their cars, homes and family, but those who will be threatened in the future as the government's daffy "2020" plantation scheme unfolds.
See http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/plantation-farm-forestry/plantations/2020
I could go on and on, but I am relying on you to go out and do some homework, and then to make certain that the truth about the fires, and not just Hancock's biased propaganda, will be heard.
Yours sincerely
Wally Menne
Southem editor Mike Smith replies:
Wally,
Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. These fires did not start in Hancock’s plantations. Well-managed pine plantations do not generally spontaneously leap into flame but it is virtually impossible for forest managers to stop flames from huge, indigenous bush fires from leaping across roads and fire breaks (200 km/hr winds?). This is the reality. The key problem isn’t the management of the plantation forests, where the companies spend large sums protecting valuable assets, but the management of reserve bush areas.
I have included below a link to an article from an expert in this area, who voices his obvious frustration on this topic. Note: bush as discussed here is indigenous forest; see point 3 re “every objective analysis…” – the emphasis is on “objective”.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25031389-7583,00.html
Finally, I find it really sad (and vaguely disturbing) that you would jump in and use such a devastating tragedy for your own policy ends. It may be that there is blame to apportion here – to whomever - but at this stage people in Victoria are dealing with upwards of 250 people known to be killed and probably even more. If you feel strongly, feel free to go to the Red Cross web site and contribute a donation.
http://www.redcross.org.au/
Kind regards
Mike Smith
Editor and Director
southem.com
Next >
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
DIGITAL COUNTRY REPORTS: ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, CHILE, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, URUGUAY
Need to fix your sights quickly on a country in the Southern Hemisphere?
Digital Country Reports (DCRs) provide the necessary facts and figures.
Background data is built up about each country, with a brief commentary.
A typical DIGITAL COUNTRY REPORT includes the following:
GEOGRAPHY - Area, River, Terrain, Regions, Climate & Main Land Uses
GENERAL, ECONOMIC & POLITICAL - Population, Political System, Forest Political Structure, Transportation, Economic Performance, Financial Information
FORESTRY RESOURCES - Native Forests, Plantation Forest Areas, Resources and Ownership, New Plantation Areas, Forest Land Availability, Costs and Returns, Forest Growth Characteristics
ROUNDWOOD RESOURCES - Roundwood Removals, Sawlog Consumption, Projected Wood Supplies
FOREST PRODUCTS - Output of Wood Products by Industry
FOREST PRODUCTS TRADE - Exports and Imports of Forest Products
OUTLOOK
To buy Digital Country Reports, go to http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=731&Itemid=31
Digital Country Reports (DCRs) provide the necessary facts and figures.
Background data is built up about each country, with a brief commentary.
A typical DIGITAL COUNTRY REPORT includes the following:
GEOGRAPHY - Area, River, Terrain, Regions, Climate & Main Land Uses
GENERAL, ECONOMIC & POLITICAL - Population, Political System, Forest Political Structure, Transportation, Economic Performance, Financial Information
FORESTRY RESOURCES - Native Forests, Plantation Forest Areas, Resources and Ownership, New Plantation Areas, Forest Land Availability, Costs and Returns, Forest Growth Characteristics
ROUNDWOOD RESOURCES - Roundwood Removals, Sawlog Consumption, Projected Wood Supplies
FOREST PRODUCTS - Output of Wood Products by Industry
FOREST PRODUCTS TRADE - Exports and Imports of Forest Products
OUTLOOK
To buy Digital Country Reports, go to http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=731&Itemid=31
AUSTRALIA CUTS INTEREST RATE AS OUTLOOK WORSENS
The Reserve Bank of Australia has slashed interest rates as it joins the government in grappling with the impact of the global financial crisis.
In a statement, RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said the Board decided to reduce the cash rate by a further 100 basis points, to 3.25 per cent, effective 4 February 2009.
He explained the cut in the context of a significant deterioration in world economic conditions late in 2008. The effects on household and business confidence of the financial turmoil following Lehman’s collapse, and continuing strains on major financial institutions, saw a significant downturn in demand around the world.
As a result, the major advanced economies contracted sharply in the December quarter, as did a number of emerging market economies. The Chinese economy, though still growing, had slowed markedly. Global inflation, having reached high rates during the middle of 2008, was now declining.
Measures to stabilise financial systems had contributed to an improvement in the functioning of credit markets over the past couple of months. This, in conjunction with expansionary macroeconomic policy measures being taken around the world, should assist in promoting global recovery over time.
“But the near-term outlook for the global economy is the weakest for many years,” Stevens said.
“Economic conditions in Australia have also been affected, though less than in other advanced economies. Australia’s financial system remains in a strong condition and large interest rate reductions over recent months have been passed through in substantial measure to end borrowers.
“Nonetheless, the combination of last year’s financial turmoil, a severe global downturn and substantial falls in commodity prices has had a significant dampening effect on confidence, and therefore on prospects for growth in demand. Inflation has begun to moderate and, given recent developments, it is likely to continue to decline.”
In these circumstances, the Board judged that a further sizable reduction in the cash rate was appropriate, to give further support to demand.
In making its decision, the Board took into account the package of measures announced by the Government earlier today.
“The combination of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies now in place will help to cushion the Australian economy from the contractionary forces coming from abroad, Stevens said.
http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=851&Itemid=2
In a statement, RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said the Board decided to reduce the cash rate by a further 100 basis points, to 3.25 per cent, effective 4 February 2009.
He explained the cut in the context of a significant deterioration in world economic conditions late in 2008. The effects on household and business confidence of the financial turmoil following Lehman’s collapse, and continuing strains on major financial institutions, saw a significant downturn in demand around the world.
As a result, the major advanced economies contracted sharply in the December quarter, as did a number of emerging market economies. The Chinese economy, though still growing, had slowed markedly. Global inflation, having reached high rates during the middle of 2008, was now declining.
Measures to stabilise financial systems had contributed to an improvement in the functioning of credit markets over the past couple of months. This, in conjunction with expansionary macroeconomic policy measures being taken around the world, should assist in promoting global recovery over time.
“But the near-term outlook for the global economy is the weakest for many years,” Stevens said.
“Economic conditions in Australia have also been affected, though less than in other advanced economies. Australia’s financial system remains in a strong condition and large interest rate reductions over recent months have been passed through in substantial measure to end borrowers.
“Nonetheless, the combination of last year’s financial turmoil, a severe global downturn and substantial falls in commodity prices has had a significant dampening effect on confidence, and therefore on prospects for growth in demand. Inflation has begun to moderate and, given recent developments, it is likely to continue to decline.”
In these circumstances, the Board judged that a further sizable reduction in the cash rate was appropriate, to give further support to demand.
In making its decision, the Board took into account the package of measures announced by the Government earlier today.
“The combination of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies now in place will help to cushion the Australian economy from the contractionary forces coming from abroad, Stevens said.
http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=851&Itemid=2
GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS IMPACTS AND REACTIONS
Global financial crisis impacts and reactions are the main focus of the latest edition of the Southern Hemisphere Forest Industry Journal.
The global financial crisis is setting the stage for a re-shaping of the Southern Hemisphere forest industry. In this edition of the Journal forest industry leaders and commentators to help put the impacts and responses into perspective for readers. Although each country has had different reactions, most had some similarities to a certain extent.
As Chile's Aldo Cerda put it, forestry has been caught in a "perfect storm" where tumbling markets and lower prices meet tighter credit controls.
New Zealand's Dave Anderson notes how the severity of this downturn could be expected to deliver a rationalisation of the industry, so that only the large survive. ournal. For more information, go Southern Hemisphere Forest Industry Journal Vol 14 No 4 .
The global financial crisis is setting the stage for a re-shaping of the Southern Hemisphere forest industry. In this edition of the Journal forest industry leaders and commentators to help put the impacts and responses into perspective for readers. Although each country has had different reactions, most had some similarities to a certain extent.
As Chile's Aldo Cerda put it, forestry has been caught in a "perfect storm" where tumbling markets and lower prices meet tighter credit controls.
New Zealand's Dave Anderson notes how the severity of this downturn could be expected to deliver a rationalisation of the industry, so that only the large survive. ournal. For more information, go Southern Hemisphere Forest Industry Journal Vol 14 No 4 .
NEW FORESTRY LEADER DETERMINDED TO BOOST SECTOR
Cortés, the new head of the Argentine Government’s forestry agency, is determined to continue forest planting initiatives and promote wood products in construction in the country.
http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=827
http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=827
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