Backing the coal industry - Howard gives another $50 million for geo-sequestration

[Willis, Katrina (Sen B. Brown)]

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Thursday, 6 May 2004 

Backing the coal industry - Howard gives another $50 million for
geo-sequestration 

The Prime Minister's science and innovation statement, Backing
Australia's Ability, gives coal and geo-sequestration another $50
million through the CSIRO Flagships Energy transformed program, adding
to the $20 million already committed by CSIRO, Greens Senator Bob Brown
said today.

"This comes on top of the $92 million for fossil fuel Cooperative
Research Centres (CRC) since 1997 (see table below), and the Howard
government's $35 million, 24-year interest-free loan to Rio Tinto for
research into biological sequestration of carbon dioxide in November
2002," Senator Brown said.

"The coal industry is profiting at the expense of environmental and
public benefit research - earlier this week, the Howard government axed
CRC applications for research into solar energy, the Great Barrier Reef,
rainforests, coastal management, groundwater, hydrogen and
bio-discovery.

"Backing Australia's Ability is supposed to be about science and
innovation but it is turning Australia's research funding into another
bucket of corporate welfare," Senator Brown said.

Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Robin Batterham, advises the Ministerial
Implementation Committee for Backing Australia's Ability.  He is also
Chief Technologist for coal and mining giant, Rio Tinto.

More information: Katrina Willis 02 6277 3170 or 0419 704 095

Fossil fuel CRCs - total funding to date $92.1 million
Australian Petroleum CRC	1997-2004	$18.3	
Greenhouse gas technologies, focusing on carbon capture and
geo-sequestration (formerly Australian Petroleum CRC)	2004-2011
	$21.8
$23.4* 	
Coal in sustainable development (formerly CRC for black coal
utilisation)	2001-2008	$14.5	
Clean power from lignite (brown coal)	1999-2006	$14.1	
Clean power from lignite (brown coal)	Application to renew approved

*Additional government funding in August 2003 through Geoscience
Australia, CSIRO and the Australian Greenhouse Office
Renewable energy CRCs - total funding $10.4 million
Australian Centre for Renewable Energy	1997-2004	$10.4	
Solar CRC	Application rejected		







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