Mid Canterbury ‘already equipped’ to decarbonise
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Shutting down the district's coal burners will reduce the same amount of emissions as removing all vehicles in the district, EA Networks chief executive Roger Sutton says.
The Mid-South Canterbury region’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and what it needs to do to transition to a low emissions economy, is outlined in a new report published by the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA).
The Mid-South Canterbury Regional Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA) report is the result of months of collaboration between Venture Timaru (Timaru district’s economic development agency) and EECA, with EA Networks, Transpower, Alpine Energy, and Network Waitaki, local biomass suppliers and forest owners, energy generators and retailers and medium to large industrial energy users.
Mid Canterbury already had a head start, Sutton said.
“We have a network which, because it was built for the big irrigation loads, is much more ready for customers to decarbonise than many other parts of the country.
“The coal boilers in our region emit more carbon than all the cars and utes combined.
“We are working closely with many of the big boiler owners to help them decarbonise.”
That included Ashburton Hospital and Ashburton College, which are in the process of decommissioning coal boiler systems.
And the transition to clean energy is already under way.
A large solar farm being consented in Lauriston will be able to add power to the grid from the end of next year, while there is an established hydro station at Highbank.
EECA business group manager Nicki Sutherland said the report’s insights show the potential for many of the region’s decarbonisation projects to be cost neutral in the coming years.
“While there will be the need for capital investment, over the longer term, switching to clean and clever tech is frequently not going to cost more than continuing to emit carbon."
Businesses need to commit now, she said.
“This will mean they will streamline their efforts, and collectively unlock other supply chains, infrastructure and cost efficiencies for the region."
Included in the report is the significant role biomass will play as a renewable fuel into the future, with $75 million (over 15 years) worth of wood residues sitting in Mid-South Canterbury’s forests.
Up to 40% of the region’s energy needs could be met by biomass as a complement to electricity.
There are 33 sites across Mid-South Canterbury covered by RETA and the report details various emissions reduction pathways which will eliminate more than 90% of emissions in the region by 2036.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62% Summer
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36.5% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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