Comment from AboutSeniors Subscriber - David



My simple reply seems so insignificant to the great dialog written by you. The (and any western government) has only one answer to any problem, TAX IT! It doesn't work but it looks like they are trying to do something. Worked well with alco-pops didn't it, the last report is the kids are drinking more. Australia basically invented solar power, the government back then sent them packing (pretty much like the Sarich orbital engine, and the Australian invented gun that only allowed the owner to use (electronic smart stuff, all gone to the USA). Big business buys it up, the government is too thick to realize, and the technology that is right now available is in the hands of the power supplier giants.

So they think taxing giant power suppliers will hurt them and make them be cleaner? The government thinks they won't pass on the costs? The world will be much cleaner because the government won’t have to print more money because they've got all of ours? I have no idea what they are thinking but unless they can offer a viable alternative it is just another giant tax grab which will fund nothing but more committees to study how they can do nothing.

Has anyone heard how much power is generated by waves? Yes the ocean, day in day out for millions of years just keeps going and a few countries have harnessed this to create electricity. How big is our coastline and the waves keep pounding in. If the government is hell bent on trying to reduce green house gasses, perhaps they could go to Holland (I think that's one of the countries using 'wave' power) and find out how we could stop digging coal.

Comment from AboutSeniors Subscriber - Ellie



Geoff, I enjoyed your blog immensely.



I well remember the sound of our two domestic sized wind turbines howling like approaching aircraft. One flew off the roof and crashed, thankfully away from the house.

I have to say that I'm more impressed by solar, but here I agree with you that connection to the grid is probably the way to go where possible. I hate the batteries. Apart from being expensive, I feel as though there is a bomb just through the wall.



Like many on this list, I grew up with lamp light, Coolgardie coolers, kero fridges, flat irons and petrol irons, to name just a few of the innovations of the time. I have since wasted my share of electricity.



Now I would really like a lot less hysteria and hype, and genuine support for the development of new and diverse technologies. It doesn't have to be doom and gloom.

Comment from AboutSeniors Subscriber - Mike



Re global warming. The climate is changing there's no doubt about that, it always has been and always will because it is a dynamic system. It is such a large & complex system that I doubt mankind's puny efforts can influence it much if at all.

This is not an argument for doing nothing. The problem with the global warming crowd is that they think "if you are not with us you must therefore be against us" ( polarizing opinion is the classic way of all movements, political ,environmental or any other). We simply do not have enough reliable data on which to base decisions of such magnitude as the introduction of an ETS. As some commentator recently said, "if the weather bureau can't forcast the weather next week accurately and the Treasury Dept can't get their estimate of next years surplus correct to within a few million dollars then why should we have any faith in the ability of the combination of these two organisations to accurately predict "global warming and the cost of it's mitigation"

There's heaps of things we can do to reduce our environmental impact. Here's a few: Insulate our houses better, Do not build houses without eaves. Use solar hot water heaters. Walk where possible,don't drive .

Remember in the Middle Ages it was possible to grow grapes in the middlands of England and yet in the 1800 the River Thames in London froze sufficiently to allow the lighting of bonfires on the ice!

Comment from AboutSeniors Subscriber - Dessiefly



After reading your story on solar power ect I agree, Battery technology is not yet mastered and leaves a lot to be desired. Use of tidal power is much more reliable than either wind or solar , and dare I say it Nuclear. We have many harbor and tidal waterway that can be harnessed , and with the right design can produce continues power.

I have done a lot of reading on nuclear power ,and while expensive to build it is safe and reliable provided safe and reliable wast management is used used. I have found that a lot of scare mongering has gone on about nuclear power . Just look at France 78 nuclear power stations an locals are quite happy with them. Hope this intests a few people. [There are a lot of web sites on nuclear power stations and nuclear power . I ask people to do a bit of reading and then make up their minds.