Climate change, also known as enhanced global warming, is occurring as a result of a build up of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Whilst the greenhouse effect is a natural process that traps some heat from the sun to make our planet inhabitable, greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are being produced in large quantities from human activity. These activities include burning fossil fuels (such as coal, oil and natural gas) to make electricity and to fuel our cars. Too much of these gases are now in the atmosphere and they are trapping too much heat. As a result of climate change, we are likely to experience temperature rises which will affect weather patterns.

The CSIRO has predicted the following impacts for the Top End:

• Changes in extreme temperatures with more days reaching over 35°C;
• The average temperature in the NT may rise 0.2 to 2.2°C by 2030 and 0.8 to 7.2°C by 2070;
• Changes to rainfall patterns, including less rainfall for the Territory;
• Increased intensity of cyclones and storm surges

These predicted impacts may result in:

• Loss of native animals and plants that are unable to adapt to the changes;
• Impacts on our health, such as increased risk of heat stress and mosquito borne diseases;
• Increased losses due to natural disasters;
• Increased insurance premiums;
• and Lifestyle impacts as the arid zone get even hotter, that could mean difficulty keeping skilled workers in the Centre.

The World Meteorological Organization quotes the following as evidence that climate change has started:

• Global surface temperatures since 1862 increased by about 0.7°C over the 20th Century. Since 1976, it has warmed 3 times that amount.
• In order, the warmest years since recording began in 1861 are 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004;
• The lowest amount of Artic sea-ice cover was recently recorded;
• Changes to weather patterns, such as the first ever recorded hurricane in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2004.

See here for full CSIRO report here: http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/environment/greenhouse/publications/pdf/ntclimatechange.pdf

With the world’s population doubling every 30 years and more and more people gaining access to electricity and cars, there is concern that this problem is going to be exacerbated. Global warming will continue to increase at a greater rate unless the world community can work to bring emissions into check through energy efficiency and renewable energy. Some sectors are promoting nuclear power as a solution to climate change. Independent studies have shown that the difference nuclear power can make globally is very marginal and extremely costly.

Scientists predict that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% - 70% to stabilise the climate.

There is no single greenhouse villain we can point the finger at – everyone needs to do what they can. Since Australians are amongst the highest greenhouse gas emitters per person in the world, we all have a role to play through leading by example.

• Effects on NT – http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/environment/greenhouse/

To download this as a PDF – click here

ENERGY

Production:
Our electricity in Alice Springs is produced by generators run on Natural Gas drawn from the Mereenie gas fields, over 200kms west of town. This natural gas is piped to the Ron Goodin Power Station and the Brewer Estate Power Station. Between these two facilities, our generation capacity is around 70 Megawatts, or 70 000 000 watts.

Usage:
One of the benefits of Natural gas is the ability of turbines to quickly increase and decrease output, according to demand. The power demand is monitored closely by Power and Water and the amount generated is adjusted accordingly.

Now, 70Megawatts may seem like a massive amount of power, but peak loads (especially on hot days) have recently been regularly climbing over 50Megawatts. This is over 70% of capacity and it is steadily increasing each year. As there isn’t a huge amount of industrial power usage in Alice Springs, a majority of the power is generated for residential usage. If we continue to grow as a town and increase our energy demands, more turbines will be required to meet that demand and ultimately those costs will be handed on to us, the consumers.

Greenhouse Emissions:
Natural gas is one of the “cleaner” forms of fossil fuels used for energy production in Australia, but it still has significant greenhouse gas emissions. The greenhouse emissions of natural gas is stated as 0.55kg of Carbon dioxide(cO²) per kilowatt hour (kWh). The average house in Alice Springs uses around 8000kWh per year (or around $1120/yr), this has a profile of 4400kg /yr (or 4.4tonnes). As we reduce our demand, we reduce the amount of generation required and, by default, our greenhouse gas emissions.
(Note- The figure of 0.55kg cO²/kWh is the instant reading at point of generation. It doesn’t include the “embedded” energy of the associated processes of gas extraction, transport and operation of the power stations.)

Reducing Greenhouse Emissions:
The good news is - there is much that we can do as individuals and much of it is simple and cheap. Quite often changes you can make, with a bit of forethought and planning will benefit your house in both summer and winter.

Standby Power:
Standby power is the energy used by appliances when they plugged in but switched off, usually by a remote control. Look for an LED light remaining on after the appliance has been turned off. There is only a small energy demand from each appliance, but it certainly adds up over a year. Combined costs can add up to $50 - $70 a year. The best way to overcome this issue is to turn appliances off at the point or powerboard.

Top Tips:

• Install insulation into your ceiling. This will help keep your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter, meaning you will require less heating/cooling to be comfortable.
• Paint your roof a light colour to reduce the heat penetrating into your house in summer.
• Make sure your external walls and windows are shaded in summer.
• Reduce the hours you have the Air conditioner running.
• Also, running your evaporative cooler on Low rather than High, or increasing the temperature of the cooling cycle on a split system will save energy (10% for each 1ºC)
• Lower your hot water system thermostat to 60ºC to lower it’s energy demand
• Turn off the booster on your solar hot water system
• Install a low-flow showerhead to reduce demand for hot water
• Replace “normal” incandescent bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluoros (CFL’s)
• Check the seals of the fridge & freezer. If the seals can hold a $5 note firmly, they are OK. If not, replace with new seals.
• Turn off at the point any appliances that use Standby Power. The main culprits are: TV, DVD player, Computer screen, Stereo, Microwave.

To download this as a PDF – click here

WATER

Source & Extraction:
Our domestic water in Alice Springs is drawn from the Roe Ck bore field, which is situated about 15km south of town. The water lies in underground aquifers and is recharged from rainwater. It is pumped up from around 150m below the surface into town and provides water to all residence in town. The aquifer, when extraction was first started in1964, was at a level of about 90m.

With this dropping water level, and knowledge of the hydrology of the region, shows that the rate at which water is being recharged by rainfall is about 5% of the rate of extraction. In 2005 we extracted around 11000 mega litres (or eleven thousand million litres) per year.

Also, there is a town basin, which sits directly under the CBD, the Gap, parts of Gillen and Sadadeen.. This aquifer is recharged by town stormwater and Todd River flows which makes it non-drinkable. This source is used for irrigating some ovals, the golf course and other industrial applications.

Usage:
Alice Springs has the second highest per capita water use in Australia, second only to Kalgoorlie. This equates to an average of 1015 litres per person per day. The average American uses 805 litres per day and the average Gambian uses only 4.5 litres per day -8

The average house water usage is 700kilo litres per year, which amounts to $470. The average unit water usage is 350kilolitres per year, or $235. This residential water use accounts for about 52% of the total town water use.

Studies have been undertaken in Alice Springs to see just where that water goes. The graph above explains the results quite clearly. Obviously, we have very thirsty gardens.. This may be because we are planting species from tropical or coastal areas that require far more water than local native species which are used to local conditions and climate.

Greenhouse Emissions:
“What does water have to do with Greenhouse Gas?” I hear you ask. Because we draw our water from underground aquifers about 15km out of town, it is quite an energy intensive process to pump it up and into town. The process of extraction and pumping into town makes it the third most expensive water supply process in Australia. Currently the figure is approximately $150 or 1,100 kWh per Mega Litre. Based on these figures, an average house adds about half a tonne of greenhouse gas per year, through their water use. This will increase as the aquifer level falls further. So, if your water demand is reduced, so are your greenhouse gas emissions.

Reducing Usage:
Everyone has a part to play in lowering the towns water demands and extending the longevity of the available water resources.

Top Tips:

• Fix any leaks or dripping taps
• Reduce the frequency of watering, giving plants a bit more water, but less often
• Irrigate or water in the evening or early morning to reduce evaporation.
• Install a low flow showerhead – this can save tens of thousands of litres over a year. Also, reduce the length of your showers.
• Run your dishwashers and washing machines on short or “economy” cycles.
• Install tap aerators or flow restrictors into taps.
• Run rainwater from your roof onto the garden, rather than into drain.
• Install a rainwater tank or greywater re-use system.

To download this as a PDF – click here