❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks data on CO2 emissions from prescribed burns by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The answer states that no measurements exist and that emissions are not reported due to assumed carbon recapture by regrowing vegetation.
AnsweredQoN 4938Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many tonnes of CO2 were released into the atmosphere in 2005 and 2006 as a consequence of the Department of Environment and Conservation’s (previously Conservation and Land Management) prescribed burning policy?
(2) What percentage of released CO2 was due to the loss of control of the prescribed burn?
(3) What percentage of the state’s total CO2 emissions came from prescribed burning in 2005 and 2006?
(2) What percentage of released CO2 was due to the loss of control of the prescribed burn?
(3) What percentage of the state’s total CO2 emissions came from prescribed burning in 2005 and 2006?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 August 2007
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Climate Change
Response time
69 days
(1) - (3) There have been no measurements of CO2 emissions from prescribed burns or wildfires in Western Australia. As indicated in its
National Inventory Report (2005)
, the Australian Greenhouse Office follows the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2003
guidelines in not reporting on CO2 emissions from planned fires as it is assumed that an equivalent amount of CO2 is replaced by regrowing vegetation in subsequent years.
The Environmental Protection Authority report "Fire Management in the Kimberley and other Rangelands Regions of Western Australia" (Bulletin 1243) in December 2006 stated, in reference to Greenhouse Gas emissions, that "Carbon Dioxide is not an accountable gas as it is assumed that new growth will take up emissions from burning in the previous season."
Wildfires generally release significantly greater quantities of CO2 per hectare than prescribed burns because of the amount of fuel they burn. Wildfires also consume large woody debris, releasing CO2 that would otherwise be locked up for many decades.
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National Inventory Report (2005)
, the Australian Greenhouse Office follows the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2003
guidelines in not reporting on CO2 emissions from planned fires as it is assumed that an equivalent amount of CO2 is replaced by regrowing vegetation in subsequent years.
The Environmental Protection Authority report "Fire Management in the Kimberley and other Rangelands Regions of Western Australia" (Bulletin 1243) in December 2006 stated, in reference to Greenhouse Gas emissions, that "Carbon Dioxide is not an accountable gas as it is assumed that new growth will take up emissions from burning in the previous season."
Wildfires generally release significantly greater quantities of CO2 per hectare than prescribed burns because of the amount of fuel they burn. Wildfires also consume large woody debris, releasing CO2 that would otherwise be locked up for many decades.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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