No Dam!

[hefevice]

It's always dangerous getting on a soap box on this one, but...

Are the environmental impacts of running a Desal plant more acceptible to those of creating a dam? It certainly doesn't seem that a cross -impact study has been conducted...

[snip]

Andy

Probably not, but I think it is a classic false dichotomy perpetuated by political spin doctors.

Right decision was made, but probably for the wrong reasons. I think it was a dumb place for a dam in the first place, and would have taken out a significant chunk of existing highly productive farming land. God knows how much water would have been lost to evaporation and into the ground (would have been a shallow dam over a large surface area on alluvial soils).

I believe there were (and still are) better alternative dam site options available.

 

[komodo]

Im sorry Bum but you've missed the point entirely.

You obviously missed the grade 3 lesson in averages and you fail to understand the concept of storage. I guess we should all **** off gain silos and start growing grain as we need it too? Brew beer as we feel like a drink too I guess? Hell why make hay when the sun shines - the grass will grow again when the cattle get hungry.

I spose you dont understand why the government is putting in infrastructure to link and balance all the current dams either?

Come back when you have a valid arguement and not something you grabbed from John Thwaites / Tim Holdings breifcase.

 

[bum]

A dam is not storage. It is a handbrake. A dam is not a solution. It is a band-aid.

You could dam every water-course in the state (ENVIRONMENT BE DAM(N)ED!!!) and it still would not solve the problem long-term.

My arguments are valid (you have no bicycles on your feet). You happening to disagree with something does not make it invalid.

 

[MarkBastard]

How is a dam not storage?

 

[bum]

Because storage implies you just put something somewhere and that same thing will be there later.

[EDIT: I should point out that this obviously doesn't apply in the same way to farm-type dams as it does to a dammed river as being discussed]

 

[MarkBastard]

Get that one straight from bum's dictionary did you?

 

[bum]

I pulled it from somewhere similar.

You'll probably find that my actual point was juxtaposed with that statement (as opposed to trying to ignite a debate on semantics).

 

[Cube]

I pulled it from my ass.

Damn right hippy.

B)

 

[Bribie G]

We will probably get a desal plant on Bribie Island. Personally I think it's a good idea. It's a common misconception, put around mostly by property spruikers, that the interior of Bribie Island is actually pristine national park. Ballocks. Most of the interior of the Island is badly degraded ex pine plantation with hardly any wildlife. Not that you or I can go and have a look because much of it is closed to public access. That's right, if you set foot there you can (theoretically) be arrested and charged with trespass. However anyone with a 4wd who wants to come and have a look and risk a fine, I'll show you around, It's sad.

It's potentially a good site for a plant. It could have a negative carbon footprint, powered by a big solar array. The plant would be invisible from the beach - there is currently a huge prawn and aquaculture station that everyone knows is there but you wouldn't know.

Also Bribie is quite North of Moreton bay and the brine outlet would discharge into the Coral Sea and should have minimal impact on the Bay.

I'd be in favour of it as long as it's carbon neutral and the surrounding area rehabilited with native veg and wildlife as part of the project cost. Win win.



Edit: As you can see from the map there's even a construction road there that used to run up to the huge woodchip plant, it's highway quality bitumen road. Oh and yes closed to public access by a gate but popular with cyclists training for triathlons.