Conservasion 2: What a mess - lets clean up the environment of environmentalism

What a mess - lets clean up the environment of environmentalism

In Australia we have a terrible mis-balance of power toward stupidity in Government.

If we only get the 'Government we deserve' then we must have done something really bad to have the karma bus deliver the sort of policy that we currently enjoy in Australia.

If the Liberal's GST wasn't enough, now the current Labor government wants to implement a carbon trading scheme that will push up electricity prices, while our taxes will go to the 'poor' coal and other polluting industries, because they will be 'disadvantaged'!!! So, the public get slugged twice! As this interesting article in The Age states,

"The problem with the Rudd Government's scheme is that many economists now argue it has become so watered down by concessions to special interest groups and incumbent polluters with highly paid lobbyists that the market signal has been dulled to the point of meaninglessness."

I believe a carbon tax is a much better idea in order to reduce carbon emissions. If an industry is so polluting that it can't sustain itself with the tax impacts, and users can't afford the electricity price hikes to (again) pay for these industries, then like those automotive and banking companies in the United States that needed bailing out, these coal and electricity producing companies should die. Adapt, or Die.

Government's job is to manage this death of the coal industry and ensure that a stable supply of essential electricity is provided to the community through a transition period. Again, in my view, any other approach is a fool's paradise if convincing ourselves that we're doing some good when carbon emissions remain unchanged; polluters keep polluting and we pay for the privilege.

What the source of our energy needs will be has been discussed in previous posts, however I'm sure I have not predicted the eventual way forward, rather than simply a display of my preferences.

Interestingly some Liberal Party members are re-introducing the potential for nuclear power - thank goodness. As many are re-thinking nuclear power, I believe there is a chance Australia will come to it's senses. And maybe some politicians are leading, rather than following the masses.

A review of power options is available here and it also contains a link to a report by Professor Lanzen of Sydney University and Sydney's Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis. This report details in well referenced academic terms the potential ways forward for electricity generation and summarises the current research available as at 2009. While the Australian Uranium Association had asked Professor Lenzen to review the most up-to-date literature on electricity generation technologies, reading the document shows it to be a thorough study of available options.

Give it a read.

When will we learn - clean coal is dirty

In today's Australian newspaper, the "Australian Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute" tells us that clean coal is too expensive to establish. A carbon price of $60 a tonne (I wonder how many minutes of coal fired operation that is) is required before it's viable.

Then we bury the carbon underground, where there is a risk of leakage apparently. So I wonder why we aren't burying nuclear waste and having a cleaner type of power to start of with?

Oh yes, nuclear is "bad". We can sell our yellow (cake) overseas but we (the intelligent nation - with our very own education revolution) can't use it ourselves. So 2030 is the date upon which we have estimates of when carbon will reach this price.. yet even in the most dire of predictions we can have working nuclear power plants up and running by 2020. So, we're willing to keep on stalling and throwing our arms up in the air are hanging onto this idea of clean coal while opportunity goes begging.

Fucking amazing.

Yep, tell the thousands of patients per day who benefit from nuclear medicine every day. It's really bad!!! Attach the word nuclear to something and see people cringe, or frown. Why? Early technology developments have problems and the cost of not maintain these facilities (like when your entire politico-economic structure falls down - ala Communist Russia) is clear. Yet today some advanced countries like Germany and France have large parts of their power requirements safely generated by nuclear power. In Germany's case it's over 50%.

Australia, get smarter, get wiser. Nuclear isn't "bad" it's smarter technology and cleaner. It's our way to being environmentally sustainable - keeping our development and advanced status in the world while engaging in an environmentally responsible generation of electricity.

It doesn't take a $100million a year institute - even Kevin and Julia's education revolution should be able to tell us that.


Incidentally why is this an 'Australian Global' institute, is it like The World Series, where only American's play? Is this Australian's Global institute that only Australians are part of...?

It's hard to know what to do with the Taliban

It's hard to know what to do with the Taliban when all they show for their human endevour is cowardice. The recently reported kidnapping of Professor Athanasion Larounis is another shameful display from a group that has: no honour, no respect for human life and no tolerance for differences between mankind.
When will someone tell these buffoons that there is no such thing as a Holy War. Targeting the Kalash tribes is an international disgrace.

I can understand how ideas can be warped and outrageous ideas can become the norm. In a sheltered, closed society, very odd behaviours that serve no purpose can become the 'rule'. A lot of the rules and governance we see in oppressive regimes is simply dogma or worse, inflicted on a disenfranchised populace who are helpless to save themselves, robbed of power and defenseless. However common sense must prevail. At some stage people must stand up.

As a strong nation we must lead. We must stand up.

Madness must not rule.

Australia Post

Having dug a little on Australia Post's profits the following table shows some profit figures from over the last few years....



Year Profit (millions) Change

2007 - 2008

2006 - 2007 561.7* +9% (net)

2005 - 2006 515.7 taken from the 06-07 annual report

2004 - 2005 524.5

2003 - 2004 521 (371.0 net - after tax)

2002 - 2003 331

2001 - 2002 297 **

2000- 2001







http://search.auspost.com.au/cse/auspost/default.asp?q=financial+results



* (2006 - 2007) Australia Post’s record before-tax profit of $561.7 million ensures that the corporation will deliver another excellent dividend return to the Commonwealth Government. Based on a 75 per cent distribution of the corporation’s after-tax profit, dividends payable are expected to total $296.9 million.


** (2001 - 2002) It has resulted in ordinary dividends of $175.1 million – representing a 60 per cent distribution of the after-tax profit for the corporation.

Discent silenced and how dictators come to power

I recently heard a broadcast of Christopher Hitchens on ABC Radio National, in which he described to great effect the take over by Saddam Hussein of the Baath political party and consequently Iraq. It was a description that sat un-easily with me. You can see vision of Christopher Hitchens delivering this speach here.
It was an image that sat uncomfortably with me because it was so horrific, as was the description he gave for each of the lands referred to as the Axis of Evil. Also because I, as many in the comfy confines of Australia, marched against the roll America (and the UK and Australia) was taking in Iraq. To us there was no difference between Saddam and what Robert Mugabe was doing in Zimbabwe. In fact, we thought life was considerably better in Iraq than in Zimbabwe. A life in either country (at their worst) would be no life at all.

One day, I hope the world will be rid of such individuals who would use the state against it's own people; who would not seek to serve, but to repress the will and the souls of individuals. Until then I hope to see and hear more.. know more about how people in other countries live and to ensure that Australia doesn't follow blindly the rules of law introduced to silence discent in other countries.


http://fora.tv/2009/07/09/Axis_of_Evil_Christopher_Hitchens
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e5912fda-910d-11de-bc99-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.parade.com/dictators/2009/the-worlds-10-worst-dictators.html

Public ownership and a small audit of Australia Post

In passing through a country town recently I thought about who actually owns Australia Post. As it turns out, I have a small share. As does every other Australian citizen, as it's a public company. It's a wonderful business, providing a solid postal delivery service and employing many Australians.
In 2002 , Australia Post made a declared Profit of $297 million. So I'm thinking as a minor shareholder - actually, equal shareholder to everyone else who's an Australian citizen - I should be able to find out how much Australia Post makes and where exactly that money goes. So over the next few months you will be able to trace my progress in chasing the money trail - and hopefully not chasing my tail! :-)

China and mineral wealth

China has started putting more pressure on to aquire ownership stakes in Australian mineral resources. At a time when demand (in China) for these resources has fallen, obviously Chinese aims to aquire are based on the notion that the lull in demand won't last. So buy up while prices are low due to the financial crisis. It's really perfect timing for State-Owned Chinese companies to move in.



Australia has a lot to lose of course in losing ownership in it's own mineral wealth...

Conservation One

Good day dear reader,

There are two things I can think of straight out of the bag that will help Australians lower their carbon foot-print and help keep our air that little bit cleaner.

1) Solar power. Okay this is not new news. However some years ago I came up with a plan (typical table napkin calculation stuff) as to how Australians wouldn't need to pay electricity bills ever again. It's detailed below.

2) Nuclear power. Okay, contentious ... in this country. To be blunt though, when we are the major holder of uranium deposits world-wide and we are happy to mine and export it, we should damn well use it ourselves. I also think there's a strong case for howwe go about doing these things so we are environmentally responsible AND build our economy at the same time.

For this blog.. I'll look at Solar power first.

My somewhat idealistic plan looks a little like this:

You have a goal: power all Australian homes with solar power
You have a time line: 5 years
You have a budget: $32 billion (some years later this turned into the amount given as tax cuts)


Stage One:

First of all you headhunt: Wanted! The best solar power minds in the world. Come and work for a stable government run organisation where you'll be work with a team of highly skilled scientists and engineers. You will be provided with top flight housing, income for 18 months, all relocation expenses and an opportuinity to live in one of the worlds most appealing countries. Oportunities for lucrative bonuses.

We find 20 to 30 of the world's leading solar and or scientific or engineering minds. We test them out and place them in a number of teams. Each team is equiped with a laboratory and a hefty expense account for equipment and R&D expenses. Start the clock NOW.
Each team has exactly 12 months to come up with the solar cell to beat all other solar cells. It must be a) the most efficient cell - producing maximum stable electical flow under various solar conditions and b) tough - to last a long time (say ten years) and different weather conditions and impacts etc.

To get these people will take 6 months - hire a firm to do it.
The engineering / science dudes get 12 months (plus time to relocate) and then there's time to judge the best solar cell. This solar technolofy is owned by the government.
The winning team members each get $1,000,000 and an opportunuity to move here permanently. There's the incentive. Rules: no cheating. Technologies derived will be owned by the Australian people and administered by the Australian Government.


Stage Two:

Manufacture. The Australian people have funded this venture so each home will get it's power from the super efficient, Australian government owned, solar cells. When Raj and I were discussing this, we discussed a plan the South Australian gov had at one stage where they'd provide half the funding for solar power to a home, which at the time was around $8,000 (total of $16,000). With efficiencies in manufacturing and bulk production, we figured we could get that cost down to about $4,000 a home. That's cells, regulators, batteries to store for night time use and hook up to grid.

You set up two or three large manufacturing hubs. For starters the La Trobe Valley would be a great place to set up a large factory complex; I mean HUGE and get all the unemployed down there in Gippsland (Sale etc.) working. A few more around the country. Cuts down transportation costs and also less down time if something goes wrong at one site (contingency). After manufacture and fitting of all these to each Australian home (two to three years later) start exporting.

Stage Three:

Export and protection of international patient.
Australians, like the British are good at giving ideas away and not protecting their intelectual property (okay the yanks stole a lot of British ideas). Start earning abck some of that huge investment in solar by selling to the rest of the world. Resist the tempation to send jobs overseas and actually start supporting Australian manufacturing again.
Rigerously protect in international law courts the design oand principles of the patiented cell technology.

Result: Homes are powered and some offices probably as well. Still there are many office blocks that will draw on the grid that will require energy from elsewhere.. and that should come from.... See you next time.