By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Australia's North West Reefs Face Threats from Expanding Fossil Fuel Industry
Australia's next significant wave of fossil fuel development is targeting remote environments like Scott Reef. Once part of a vast coral ecosystem comparable to the Great Barrier Reef, Scott Reef now lies nearly 300 km off the sparsely populated north west coast. This area, known for its ecological richness and visual appeal, hosts over 1,500 species, including reef building corals, fish, endangered turtles, sea snakes, and migratory whales.
Dr. Ben Fitzpatrick, a coral reef ecologist, describes Scott Reef as an idyllic coral paradise, home to genetically distinct marine life due to its isolation. However, beneath its surface lies Australia's largest untapped conventional gas basin. Woodside Energy plans to extract gas from the Browse basin, with wells as close as 3 km to the reef. The proposed operation involves a 900 km undersea pipeline from the Timor Sea to Karratha, aiming to supply the North West Shelf LNG processing plant.
The local environmental risks from the gas extraction include chemical releases, sediment disruption, and pollution, potentially causing significant harm to the marine ecosystem. Despite these concerns, the project is advancing through government approval processes, with the federal government considering around 30 fossil fuel developments.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development indicates that new oil and gas exploration by wealthy nations, including Australia, could result in nearly 12 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, undermining global climate commitments. The Australian government disputes these figures but has not provided a comprehensive plan to phase down gas use. Instead, it relies on carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology with limited success in reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Critics argue that the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure delays the transition to renewable energy. In Western Australia, the fossil fuel industry holds significant influence, with Woodside sponsoring numerous local institutions and a revolving door of personnel between political offices and the gas industry.
At the national level, there are calls for Australia to leverage its relationship with Japan to reduce gas reliance and promote decarbonization using Australian clean energy. Analysts challenge the necessity of ongoing gas imports, noting a decline in Japanese demand and rising costs.
The Australian government's current stance does not include banning new fossil fuel projects. Instead, it emphasizes reducing emissions from existing industrial sites through a "safeguard mechanism" legislation. This approach does not address the emissions from Australian LNG burned overseas, which are seen as the responsibility of other nations under international carbon accounting rules.
Scott Reef, having suffered a significant coral bleaching event in 1998, remains vulnerable. Fitzpatrick warns that continued industrial development and global emissions could lead to the reef's demise by 2050. The decisions made today will determine the future of these fragile marine ecosystems.
