[Greens-Media] Ethanol and ecology

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey MEDIA RELEASE
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24 Aug 06



Ethanol: ecological + economic possibilities


Deb Foskey, ACT Greens MLA, today welcomed the ACT Chief Minister's cautious request to join NSW's investigation of a 10% ethanol content in petrol.

"The Chief Minister is wise to be cautious, because crop production for fuel may become an exacerbating cause of hunger in our unevenly fed world" said Dr Foskey today.

"However, we need to be in the conversation; and joining NSW makes sense because the ACT lacks the resources and population to go it alone."

"We should, however, also be investigating whether there are opportunities for the ACT in ethanol production."

"Since the Government has wisely decided to abandon commercial pine plantations, there are large areas of burned and degraded land which should be primarily restored to grassy woodlands."

"However, there may be areas suited to producing lignocellulose from coppiced woody plants while assisting soil recovery from the devastating impacts of fire and erosion."

"In WA, an ethanol industry is developing by harvesting oil mallee trees planted to mitigate against salinity."

"Coppicing trees - cutting stems which then regrow - doesn't disturb soil and lets the roots do their important job of stabilisation."

"I will be asking the Government to investigate suitable species for our soils and climate, so that we can achieve dual ends of economic and ecological benefit while providing jobs as well."

"Ethanol is just part of our transport future, which should aim to move us away from cars."

"But we will always need oil and its substitutes, so the ACT should investigate lignocellulose production and become part of the solution" said Dr Foskey.

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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
====== www.debfoskey.com ======= 
  
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