Im sorry, but this post is so wrong I had to register an account for the 1st time so I could refute it:
Originally Posted by
Infieldg
The guy in charge of the pipeline said the biggest problem with a redundant pipeline (eg. from Tauranga for true reduncancy) is our Resource Management Act (RMA) blocking it.
You mean the Refining NZ spokesperson? As a rep for heavy industry, they are often not in favour of legislation that favours environmental protection over industrial development, but in this case it is not the RMA that would block a second pipeline, but rather the people who who use it to prevent something they personally do not approve of.
Refining NZ for example have strong lobby groups trying to loosen RMA restrictions currently.
Originally Posted by
Infieldg
For example hydro electric dam proposals are rejected resulting in 20% of our electricity being generated by burning gas and coal meaning every additional electric car we plug in is 100% powered by fossil fuels
I'm sorry but that is factually incorrect. both the 20% & 100% numbers you have quoted are absolutely incorrect - approximately 20% of our generation capacity IS indeed fossil fuel-sourced, but these plants typically only operate during peak periods, and the remainder of the time are offline or in stand-by modes. During typical spring weather for example, when we often have wind & sunny conditions, more than 99% of the grid load is generated by renewable sources currently.
As for the electric cars - no matter what the sticker on the charging station, they pull power from the national grid, meaning they have the same share on renewable/ non-renewable power sources as your toaster & my tv.
Originally Posted by
Infieldg
Incredibly, the response from the Green party was, as best I can remember it from watching it on TV yesterday morning, that the leak indicates that the Resource Management Act needs TIGHTENING.
There has to be a teeny bit of wriggle room for the really important stuff.
Well I'll agree with you on that point; the Greens can be more than a little hysterical at times...