Killing the environment; killing humans

As the two intrepid doctors from Wollongong, who are sailing to Port Newcastle in their tiny kayak “No More Fossil Fuel”, in an effort to raise awareness of the continual human health and climate change problems from burning fossil fuel to generate electricity, the Federal Government is still approving new coal mines.

22 November 2023

ALAN HAYES

 

MINING and burning coal and gas is the leading cause of the climate crisis and will leave human society facing more frequent and extreme megafires, heatwaves, floods, droughts, coastal inundation and other catastrophic events. Humans will also feel increasing economic stress, such as paying more for food, petrol, insurance, health services and energy bills.

 

New South Wales is a leading contributor to the climate crisis. As the 4th largest exporter of coal globally, NSW has a key role to play in tackling the climate crisis by phasing out fossil fuels and reducing global emissions – but are they doing enough?

 

Despite accelerating global pledges to reduce fossil fuel consumption and help avert catastrophic climate change, the world’s coal use reached a record high last year, while Australian gas exporters, including Santos and Woodside, made more money than in any year in their history.

 

Yet even though in Australia and around the world, banks and insurers are increasingly abandoning the thermal coal sector because of the financial and ethical risks of contributing to global warming, pushing the cost of capital for coal miners higher, the insanity of approving new coal mines continues.

 

Why? Labor and the Liberal-Nationals are addicted to fossil fuel. Since the Paris Climate Agreement, the Federal Government has approved 26 new coal and gas projects, which will be responsible for 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2, while another eight new coal projects are waiting in the NSW planning system for Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek to sign off on. Just these eight projects alone, would produce a further 1.5 billion tonnes in carbon emissions globally.

 

Australia's coal production has increased more than 40%, and gas production has increased a massive 800%, all since *2005.

 

*2005 is the base year for measurement of reductions (although the UN alerted everyone to the problem in the early 90's and Australia has nearly doubled its emissions since then).

 

But what about the human factor? The impact on human health from airborne pollutants because electricity production is still heavily reliant on the burning of coal.

 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution, such as airborne coal pollution from power stations, was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is one of the largest studies to date looking at the relationship between outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter, and breast cancer incidence. The research was done by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), both part of NIH.

 

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is one of the largest studies to date looking at the relationship between outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter, and breast cancer incidence. The research was done by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), both part of NIH.

 

The researchers saw that the largest increases in breast cancer incidence was among women who on average had higher particulate matter levels (PM2.5) near their home prior to enrolling in the study, compared to those who lived in areas with lower levels of PM2.5. Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. It comes from numerous sources, such as motor vehicle exhaust, combustion processes (e.g., oil, coal), wood smoke/vegetation burning, and industrial emissions. The particulate matter pollution measured in this study was 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller (PM2.5), meaning the particles are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs.

 

“We observed an 8% increase in breast cancer incidence for living in areas with higher PM2.5 exposure. Although this is a relatively modest increase, these findings are significant given that air pollution is a ubiquitous exposure that impacts almost everyone,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., lead author and head of the Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group at NIEHS. “These findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that air pollution is related to breast cancer.”

 

Environmental Justice Australia Senior Campaigner, Joy Toose said “Australians want to breathe clean air. While renewables are surging ahead, coal is giving us more pollution for less electricity.

 

"Coal-burning power stations are among the biggest polluters in Australia, causing serious health impacts in the community, including increasing rates of asthma in children, contributing to low birth weight in newborns and the development of serious heart and lung conditions.

 

"The technology to reduce this pollution exists and is used widely around the world, but shockingly, coal-fired power stations in Australia continue to operate without best-practice controls, exposing millions of Australians to unnecessary levels of toxic air pollution."

 

Communities living near coal-fired power stations, like those people living in the northern suburbs of the Central Coast, are exposed to some of the worst air pollution in the state.

 

In NSW alone:

 

• Total mercury pollution from NSW power stations increased 18% along with a 7% total increase in PM2.5.

 

• Nitrogen oxide pollution rate from NSW power stations was 2.23kg per MW, more than double the 1.3kg per MW recorded in Victoria.

 

• Vales Point Power Station recorded a 6% increase in nitrogen oxide pollution and has since received another exemption from NSW’s EPA allowing it to continue polluting above limits in NSW clean air laws for nitrogen oxide pollution.

 

So, while Australians are dying horrific deaths from cancer and suffering from a plethora of  debilitating coal-pollution-related illnesses what are our politicians really doing to solve the problem. They talk the big game about renewals, yet the Federal Government now admits that it’s not on target to meet its 2030 carbon emission reductions. Its new 2030 target is not enough to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5C. And surprisingly, Treasurer Jim Chalmers conceded Australia is behind in efforts to meet climate targets, signalling a need for more public and private investment to catch up.

 

A petition, calling on the government to implement the 16 recommendations from the Coal Ash Inquiry of the Public Works Committee report dated 4 March 2021, and not grant any exemption licences or extensions to the life of coal power stations in New South Wales, especially Vales Point and Eraring power stations , is to be presented to the NSW Parliament on 27 November. You can still sign the petition here.

 

In August of this year, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur, Dr Marcus Orellana and Halida Nasic, Human Rights Officer, travelled to the Central Coast to personally listen to the issues that residents have on the effects of pollution from coal and coal-fired power stations - from chronic illnesses to contaminated land and waterways, the Central Coast has been exposing the serious health and environmental impacts of coal pollution for years.

 

Communities in the northern suburbs of the Coast have been calling for better regulation of toxic waste,  in particular coal ash dams, from the burning of coal in nearby power stations so that people have clean air to breathe and that they are safe from toxic pollution.

And although the NSW Government’s Climate Change Bill includes targets for emissions reduction, it does not require the whole of government to take responsibility for reducing emissions and preparing for impacts.

 

The Bill has been criticized because it does not include ‘a Duty of Care’ for the government - that the government must ensure that any decisions made by any part of the government must take account of the potential damage to NSW and its people that may occur from that decision. If there is no 'Duty of Care' to protect future people from the impacts of climate change and heath impacts, there is no adequate government response to this crisis.