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BURNING FACTS

Many people are concerned about climate change but most are a bit mystified as
to how Australia stands. Here are some facts and figures.

Australia burns about 120 million tonnes of fossil fuels per year, producing
some 300 million tonnes of CO2. Australia also burns over one million hectares
of bush each year, releasing 150 million tonnes of CO2 or 30% of its total CO2
output. Last summer's bushfires produced considerably more greenhouse gases
than Australia's normal yearly output from all other sources.

The current S.E. 'hazard reduction' burn, involving some 60000 hectares of SE
forests, will convert well over one million tonnes of forest litter into three
million tonnes of CO2 and one million tonnes of water vapour....equivalent to
three days of Australia's total fossil usage and about six times the yearly
output of all SE residents and tourists. 

When burned, one tonne of dry forest litter produces 5000 KwH of heat energy or
about half as much as does the same weight of petrol. The current program will
release over five billion Kwh of heat into the atmosphere, worth some $600
million retail. That's enough to power Eurobodalla for about four years or keep
the whole of Canberra warm over winter...and it's literally all going up in
smoke...as well as in our eyes, up our noses and down our lungs. This is most
unfortunate to say the least.
 
We live in an energy hungry world and cannot afford to simply burn this
valuable material as though there is an infinite supply. There isn't...and when
oil and coal become scarce we'll certainly have to harness every form of energy
we can. 

There's an element of pyromania in all of us since fire was always associated
with warmth, food, good times and security. It isn't surprising therefore that
the age-old myth about forests requiring regular burning has attracted a large
cult following of those with a psychological or financial interest in seeing
things burn. The well-organised pro-fire lobby has now amassed such a vast
collection of so called 'scientific evidence' to support their obsession that
no politician or group of citizens has the ability or courage to stand up to
them and question their motives.

In reality, although new green shoots look most impressive against a blackened
background, fire spells almost total disaster for a forest. Often a completely
new ecosystem emerges from the ashes, complete with weeds, flammable shrubs and
exotic flora and fauna. Not only are huge amounts of heat and CO2 pumped into
the atmosphere but also enough particulate matter to considerably reduce the
chances of rain. Not only does it destroy the material that protects the earth
and supplies the forest with nutrients but also it wipes out the countless
millions of essential creatures that would normally compost that litter into
fertile topsoil. Because plants need hundreds of times their own weight of
water to grow, an extra metre or so of rain is required just to restore a burnt
forest to its previous condition. 

We all know that hot bush fires are to be avoided wherever possible and we all
respect the work of our essential fire crews. However one must seriously
question whether regular hazard reduction burns are either effective or wise.
They wipe out both the engine room of the forest and the fuel that is supposed
to make it run well into the future. Surely, in today's climate, there are more
constructive and less polluting uses for this valuable commodity. 

Here are some suggestions. Firstly, call on research bodies to devise efficient
ways to collect surplus material. (Remember its heat content is potentially
worth about $500 per tonne retail). Then:

Turn it into ethanol or gas for use as fuel.
Make brickettes out of it and use it for all kinds of heating.
Use it to heat water, which can be transported into townships and sold.
Burn it cleanly to generate electricity.
Use it for space heating of large buildings.
And note: The litter on a one-hectare block would easily run a steam car for a
year.

......So who wants to become a billionaire?????