The LNP was attempting to make political capital from the SE Qld floods even before the water started to recede. I am just wondering if Pete Coulson is the same man who was a policy advisor to the Leader of the Opposition in Qld last year, and also a federal candidate for the LNP; and if so, why that wasn't mentioned in his brief bio?

Also, I think it would have been germane to mention in an article about politics and the Wivenhoe Dam the LNP's pushing in October 2010 for the Wivenhoe Dam to be filled up completely, which would have made it entirely useless for flood mitigation. The Bligh Government said, "No, that would be grossly irresponsible."

So tell me again Mr Coulson how politics contributed to this disaster?

Interesting Chris, the truth of the claims are not important, just any political affiliations of the writer.

From your post, I would have to assume that you accept the post as factually correct, but wish to stop any damage to our wonderful government.

I left the ALP in 1990 after serving on the (Victoria) Conservation & Environment Policy Committee because I was disheartened with the constant referral of issues to further Committees. Decisions could not be made because they might be the 'wrong' decisions.
IF Wivenhoe dam was built for flood mitigation purposes and then used for drinking water storage, it stands to reason that, regardless of the writer's politics, the reason for this must be determined.
If the ALP believes so adamantly in global warming - to the detriment of the rest of us - then they have to be held to account.
Anyone who still believes the AGW mantra, must be incapable of researching the issue. Carbon dioxide is an essential of life not a pollutant. There is no science that proves it is a pollutant. The USA Supreme Court determined that it is but that was a legal decision, not a scientific one.
The Qld flood was not a political decision. The fact that it could not be better controlled is

Carbon dioxide is indeed not a pollutant but the argument is about the effects of too much carbon.

That's what the term "too much" means.

Dear wobbles,
Too much carbon?
What on earth are you talking about?
Research the following;
1. What volume of CO2 is used to grow hydroponic vegetables? Around 500ppm.
2. What volume of CO2 is used in a submarine? Around 4000ppm.
3. Are there records that show that there has been higher levels of CO2 on the planet? Yes. Read Ian Plimers book.
Humans will not drop dead of too much CO2. There are fewer deaths from sunstroke than there are from freezing to death.
If you sincerely believe in AGW you must have a blind faith.

We are not talking about growing tomatoes, we are talking about the level of co2 in the upper atmosphere.

Anyone remember the well held and widely publicised belief we would be in a continuous drought because of AGW?

The Labor party believed this and built the desal plant in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. (By the way is the Brisbane desal plant underwater ?)

Left wing ideology goes wrong once again but will they recognise it? Of course not, the Left will continue down the Global Warming path making incorrect prediction after incorrect prediction, and never acknowledging them and Labor govts will spend billions following them and getting it wrong all at our expense.

Queensland could have captured enough water for many years had they built dams prior to this inundation.

I don't think I will get an informed and unbiassed opinion about the effects of burning fossil fuels from a mining company lobbyist.

Until he presents his data for scrutiny or has it published in peer review journals it remains an unverifiable opinion.

Why don't you read this book and see what the historical origins of AGW skepticism are?

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2011/3101369.htm

Wobbles, would it not be prudent to wait until the IPCC runs its
computer models with the new fossil fuel availability quantities before
we get ourselves into a tizz over just how much CO2 will be available ?

Due to the health risks associated with carbon dioxide exposure, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that average exposure for healthy adults during an eight-hour work day should not exceed 5,000 ppm (0.5%). The maximum safe level for infants, children, the elderly and individuals with cardio-pulmonary health issues is significantly less. For short-term (under ten minutes) exposure, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) limit is 30,000 ppm (3%). NIOSH also states that carbon dioxide concentrations exceeding 4% are immediately dangerous to life and health[57] although physiological experiments show that such levels can be tolerated for some time.[58]

Adaptation to increased levels of CO2 occurs in humans. Continuous inhalation of CO2 can be tolerated at three percent inspired concentrations for at least one month and four percent inspired concentrations for over a week. It was suggested that 2.0 percent inspired concentrations could be used for closed air spaces (e.g. a submarine) since the adaptation is physiological and reversible. Decrement in performance or in normal physical activity does not happen at this level.[58][59] However, it should be noted that submarines have carbon dioxide scrubbers which reduce a significant amount of the CO2 present.[60]

These figures are valid for pure carbon dioxide. In indoor spaces occupied by people the carbon dioxide concentration will reach higher levels than in pure outdoor air. Concentrations higher than 1,000 ppm will cause discomfort in more than 20% of occupants, and the discomfort will increase with increasing CO2 concentration. The discomfort will be caused by various gases coming from human respiration and perspiration, and not by CO2 itself. At 2,000 ppm the majority of occupants will feel a significant degree of discomfort, and many will develop nausea and headaches. The CO2 concentration between 300 and 2,500 ppm is used as an indicator of indoor air quality.

Maybe we can evolve in time to breath it:)

BLUE

Carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere is considered a trace gas currently occurring at an average concentration of about 390 parts per million by volume or 591 parts per million by mass.[25] The total mass of atmospheric carbon dioxide is 3.16×1015 kg (about 3,000 gigatonnes). Its concentration varies seasonally (see graph at right) and also considerably on a regional basis, especially near the ground. In urban areas concentrations are generally higher and indoors they can reach 10 times background levels. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
Yearly increase of atmospheric CO2: In the 1960s, the average annual increase was 37% of the 2000-2007 average.[26]

Five hundred million years ago carbon dioxide was 20 times more prevalent than today, decreasing to 4-5 times during the Jurassic period and then slowly declining with a particularly swift reduction occurring 49 million years ago.[27][28] Human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation have caused the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to increase by about 35% since the beginning of the age of industrialization.[29]

Up to 40% of the gas emitted by some volcanoes during subaerial eruptions is carbon dioxide.[30] It is estimated that volcanoes release about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Here, in a bowl-shaped depression of about 100 m diameter, local concentrations of CO2 rise to above 75% overnight, sufficient to kill insects and small animals, but it warms rapidly when sunlit and the gas is dispersed by convection during the day.[31] Locally high concentrations of CO2, produced by disturbance of deep lake water saturated with CO2 are thought to have caused 37 fatalities at Lake Monoun, Cameroon in 1984 and 1700 casualties at Lake Nyos, Cameroon in 1986.[32] Emissions of CO2 by human activities are currently more than 130 times greater than the quantity emitted by volcanoes, amounting to about 27 billion tonnes per year.[33]

Now Iam sure.....Co2 is not anything to worry about:).....earth takes it in....then man lets out out.......and then the people wonder why there getting tired.

Interesting.

BLUE

Much blame and shame has been regurgitated in the past few weeks by dopey Journalist, Party faithfuls, retired Engineers with an axe to grind, etc regarding the Queensland 2011 Floods, and it's tragic aftermath. There has been so much idle speculation and conspiracy theories, it behooves Justice Holmes to set a date, and subsequently resolve the issue, once and for all - wishful thinking hmm ?

The Bligh Govt is in full damage control following the publication of SEQW Wivenhoe Dam Maintenance Manual. Pertinent chapters have been blanked out, which indicates to all and sundry, a particularly ominous sign !

Flood Operations Officer Graham Keegan, and CEO Denham acquiesced, this was done deliberately to dissuade would be terrorism !
No surprise. The twin Dams Somerset and Wivenhoe, and 204 other Dams, and weirs, in Qld, are open to the public 24/7 without restrictions. The facilities provided by taxpayers are a real money earner, and enjoyed by all who visit the sites.

The Manual is the lynch-pin to the Inquiry. Legal Officers will be scrutinizing it's contents religiously. Moreover, should Dam Officers be found guilty of misdemeanor eg. Opening the 5 Gates contrary to the manual, they forfeit immunity from legal prosecution, and class action from the Insurance Industry and flood victims.

Ever since Beattie's drought proofing SE Queensland, and the laying of 450 klms of adjoining pipeline to major Dams; and the white elephant Tugun Desalination Plant @ rubbery $ 1.5 ,water has overnight become a very costly commodity at $2.68 /kl. Water distribution services have risen to $ 446.00 per household. Four quasi-govt entities eg. Allconnex, GCCC etc, manage this gross imposition. Clearly, water retained in Dams is money securely in the Bank. Dumping water downstream would be an act of vandalism.

The Wivenhoe Dam catchment area borders on 7000 sq/m and works in tandem with Somerset Dam, which normally operates with it's Gates open. Natural runoff is precipitated via Wivenhoe. Water storage peaked at El 74.0 on the 11th January 2011, and 20,000 cumecs was released at 8.30 pm. All 5 Dam Gates were opened, presumably to preserve the integrity of the Dam wall. In the 1974 Floods which devastated Brisbane and environs, only 7,500 cumecs was recorded at gauge boards downstream of the Bremer River, at Lowood and Moggil stations. The ETA then in Brisbane was 1.5 days ? It doesn't take a Hydrologist to work out if you increase the outflow 266.6 %, and raised the height of the Bremer 23m, the speed / time, is proportionately trebled. Making it impossible for flood prone residential areas, to respond to critical emergency evacuation, and saving of vital possessions.

With modern day Computer technology and NBN, Australia's Synchrotron ( www.sgi.com ) and significantly www.top500.org, it's imperative, more is utilized to predict weather patterns / global warming / strategic investments, etc which have such an overwhelming effect on our daily lives. Significantly ANU Supercomputing Facility in Canberra. ACT, with graphics / simulations / scientific / engineering / medical etc could / should have quite competently analysised SEQW's procedures, and recommended precise advice, and thus avoided the catastrophe that claimed lives, ruined homes and property, and more importantly prevent a repetition of 1974 and 2011 Queensland Flood disaster.

In retrospect, there should be a National undertaking to make it mandatory that Dams, Weirs, Barrages, catchment areas throughout Australia, be subject to ANU's finite analysis and recommendations. In the long term, it will save lives, countless billions of loss property, vegetation, crops etc, and ultimately be for the good of this wonderful Nation, we call HOME.

Just think about it !

Now while they bull to you all, this gas will slowly snuff out life and they know it. True, it takes a long time, but with our growth, dangerous levels will come................so now when you come home from work and you feel so low that you cant do anything but rest......just think of C02.

BLUE

. The decreased binding to carbon dioxide in the blood due to increased oxygen levels is known as the Haldane Effect, and is important in the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Conversely, a rise in the partial pressure of CO2 or a lower pH will cause offloading of oxygen from hemoglobin, which is known as the Bohr Effect.

Carbon dioxide is one of the mediators of local autoregulation of blood supply. If its levels are high, the capillaries expand to allow a greater blood flow to that tissue.

Bicarbonate ions are crucial for regulating blood pH. A person's breathing rate influences the level of CO2 in their blood. Breathing that is too slow or shallow causes respiratory acidosis, while breathing that is too rapid leads to hyperventilation, which can cause respiratory alkalosis.

Although the body requires oxygen for metabolism, low oxygen levels do not stimulate breathing. Rather, breathing is stimulated by higher carbon dioxide levels. As a result, breathing low-pressure air or a gas mixture with no oxygen at all (such as pure nitrogen) can lead to loss of consciousness without ever experiencing air hunger. This is especially perilous for high-altitude fighter pilots. It is also why flight attendants instruct passengers, in case of loss of cabin pressure, to apply the oxygen mask to themselves first before helping others; otherwise, one risks losing consciousness.[61]

The respiratory centers try to maintain an arterial CO2 pressure of 40 mm Hg. With intentional hyperventilation, the CO2 content of arterial blood may be lowered to 10–20 mm Hg (the oxygen content of the blood is little affected), and the respiratory drive is diminished. This is why one can hold one's breath longer after hyperventilating than without hyperventilating. This carries the risk that unconsciousness may result before the need to breathe becomes overwhelming, which is why hyperventilation is particularly dangerous before free diving.

Breathing produces approximately 2.3 pounds (1 kg) of carbon dioxide per day per person.[62]

BLUE

Now times that by 6.7 billion people and trillions of life forms, times deforestation times industrial pollutants times the 35% of C02 that's already here, times 10 billion in 40 years time equals............well you do the maths:)

Live long and prosper.

see ay

BLUE

I'd like to correct some factual errors made by 'dalma' above.

Wivenhoe never discharged '20,000 cumecs at 8.30pm',as that quantity is physically impossible for the spillway to pass per second,according to the specifications of the spillway. The highest transient flow released according to SEQwater's press release was equivalent to 645,000ML/day which is 7465 cumecs, at around midnight on the 11th.Water levels peaked at around 74.5m in the lake. This information is/was in the public domain. Any calculations based on dalma's misconception therefore are wrong.

Speculation about the peak flow number for the flood has to take into account that whatever PF is at release at the dam gate,it changes as the water passes successive gauging points downstream of the dam. The peak slows down,spreads out and is added to by other streams in flood all the way downstream.

We do not yet have in the public domain accurate peak flow and daily volume figures for the input streams downstream of the dam,so all estimates for breakdowns of various stream contributions are speculation so far,including those of News Ltd journalists.