With the election only weeks away, public debate is returning to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the possible construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Taranaki. These debates should be judged against a more direct goal: ending our dependence on fossil fuels as quickly as possible. The New Zealand ETS uses market … Continue reading Stop burning fossil fuels as quickly as possible
Can you imagine that data centres might be part of a just transition from fossil fuels, is Tranaki? You will be aware that, from an environmental perspective, AI uses a lot of energy and water. Imagine data centres designed with circularity in mind as a part of an industry precinct. It is possible that they … Continue reading A just transition away from LNG in Taranaki
We have alternatives to gas. renewable generation options flexible demand pathways multiple transition strategies across sectors. The magnitude of this issue is worthy of a much broader public debate. Reducing gas demand also has a material impact on New Zealand’s emissions profile. Based on current emissions factors, a reduction of 100 petajoules of gas consumption … Continue reading Policy, risk, and the direction of our energy system
The New Zealand government’s decision to build a port for gas imports feels designed for a world with a 1999 use-by date. Only those financially invested in preserving the extractive economy of the twentieth century, or those who have swallowed its kool-aid, persist with the fantasy that that world can continue. It is clear that … Continue reading A port for the past — a call to stop the LNG terminal