here is the problem

Hi fellow CNX'ers,

to those who wonder why the CSIRO technology behind CNX is not getting the express lane through DERM, check out this recent article in The Australian, that highlights exactly why CNX is under scrutiny and facing delays...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/high-risk-demands-stronger-regulation-of-mining-projects/story-e6frgd0x-1226206432183

the mistakes made in allowing the CSG industry to flourish are now catching up with our politicians, and they are doing everything they can to cover their own behinds... and as such, CNX is suffering...

however, whether we CNX shareholders like it or not, CNX's UCG technique is not without environmental risk, but what energy extraction technique is riskless?

- oil spills are nasty

- wars over oil are pretty nasty

- extraction of oil from oil sands is nasty

- nuclear meltdowns are nasty

- acid raid from coal fired power stations is nasty (not to mention that open cut coal mining is nasty!)

- solar & wind turbines need rare earths which are nasty

- CSG & fraccing is nasty

- old Russian style UCG is nasty

- CNX's UCG technique could be nasty as well

however, risks need to be kept in perspective... and IMHO the lack of perspective is crippling the entire energy extraction business in Australia... and as usual, the best causes often do not have the best advocates! (can CNX match the firepower of BG or Origin-Conoco?)

IMHO the Australian public, politicians, EPA and DERM need to acknowledge that our western way of life needs energy, and as such we need to accept a bit of appropriate risk...

so, given we all accept that powering our opulent western lifestyle requires oodles of energy, we also have to live with the occasional environmental disaster. Therefore, surely we should be trying to find the energy extraction business that offers the least risk, and/or leaves the smallest "footprint" on earth?

ipso facto, in direct comparison to CSG (which is what has caused DERM to panic), the simple land use equation involved in CNX's UCG technique implies by its very nature that CNX must surely pose a fraction of the environmental risk of an equivalent CSG player?

IMVHO, if this government had balls, they would realise that CSG is really really bad, revoke all the CSG licences, pay billions of dollars in compensation to the multi-nationals who are queuing up to rape & pillage the countryside, and then give CNX the long overdue green light...

mind you, if CNX were wanting to put down a panel in my backyard of my leafy suburb of Melbourne, then I might feel differently!!! (lol - hypocrisy is everywhere my friends!!)