Text 16881, 118 rader
Skriven 2007-06-18 09:56:52 av hap newsom
     Kommentar till en text av Glen Jamieson
Ärende: RE: E: FALAFEL - 70617
==============================
Ahoy Glen!
-> 
->  ->  HN> Isn't our planet such a neat thing? Feast or famine! 
->  -> 
->  -> And with the advance of global warming, the climate is becoming more
->  -> extreme everywhere, as predicted.
->  ->  
->  ->  -> In South Australia our main river has stopped flowing to the sea, 
and
->  ->  -> water rationing is general.  People with even house numbers can 
only
->  ->  -> water their lawns on Saturday nights for up to 4 hours, while the 
odds
->  ->  -> do it on Sunday nights.  The government is subsidising the 
installation
->  ->  -> of rainwater tanks for private houses.  New large buildings are now
->  ->  -> designed to re-use grey water from washbasins etc for flushing 
toilets.
->  ->  -> 
->  ->  HN> Common sense if you ever really think about it. Most don't 
though 
->  HN> and 
->  ->  HN> convenience is MUCH more important to many than practicality. 
-> 
-> The latest report is that Adelaide has only 32 weeks left before the
-> taps run dry if there is no intake into the reservoirs, and Stage 5 of
-> rationing is likely to be instituted very soon.  That means no water
-> used for gardens at all.  People have already been fined for washing
-> their cars.
-> 
I think I'd be tempted to get a little desalinization station of my own going 
(grin), a solar powered one is not too difficult to design and build at least
on 
a small scale.

->  -> New buildings are now being given an energy and water efficiency
->  -> rating, like refrigerators and washing machines, with financial
->  -> encouragement from governments and other bodies.
->  -> 
->  HN> Same here to a much lesser degree however. We just replaced our 
old
->  HN> washer  and dryer with a set that uses much less energy, and less 
water
->  HN> as well. 
-> 
-> Good for you.  You should get the money back from reduced running costs.
-> 
Our energy costs (electricity is generated from hydro power) and water costs 
(this IS the great North WET after all) are pretty low...but conservation of 
resources is always a better option when you can do it.

->  -> most governments are waking up to the fact that they have to look
->  -> beyond the next election, and take positive actions to reduce the rate,
->  -> and to deal with the inevitable consequences of climate change.  There
->  -> has been a ground-swell of interest and concern by the general public
->  -> (read, "voters"), so now governments have been forced to act.
->  -> 
->  HN> In the USA, denial is still the most popular attitude, although it's
->  HN> more of  an "if I hide my eyes I can't see it" sort of denial at best.
-> 
-> It is our children and grand-children who have to live with the
-> consequences of our own neglect.
->  
which makes it a lot easier for many of us to refuse to look at the problem, 
and continue to make self centered and selfish decisions.

->  -> A Federal initiative to take control of the Murray-Darling river
->  -> system, which supplies water to much of the 4 Eastern states, is in the
->  -> process of becoming accepted by the states, which now have to look
->  -> nationally.  South Australia, being at the bottom end of the river at
->  -> present finishes up with the salty dregs of whatever the others leave!
->  -> 
->  HN> Your individual states are more autonomous and your federal 
government
->  HN> is "weaker" than ours. Our Federal laws (and programs too for the 
most
->  HN> part)  supercede our State programs and laws...and when the two 
come
->  HN> into  conflict more often than not the Federal position predominates.
-> 
-> Sadly, our state governments are strong, and that of Victoria is still
-> holding out against the Federal government, with the Premier hoping to
-> be bribed with Federal money for a new interstate pipeline before
-> accepting loss of some water to South Australia.
->  
No threat of the South Australians "attacking" the border?

->  -> much more has still to be done.  Some large desalination plants are
->  -> being built, but until that can be done using solar or wind energy,
->  -> more fossil is required to run them.
->  -> 
->  HN> With the risiing price of fossil fuels alternatives sources are
->  HN> becoming more  viable...with some interesting side effects...like corn
->  HN> being used for ethanol 
->  HN> production....making corn more expensive and having the side effect 
of
->  HN> making products that use corn ( and High Fructose Corn Syrup) more 
->  HN> expensive...like beef, and chicken, and (in the case of HFCS) Soda
->  HN> Pop, and  breakfast cereals!
-> 
-> Ethanol here is made as a by-product of our large cane sugar industry,
-> and it is temporarily free of tax, so fuel with 10% ethanol in petrol
-> is 3 cents a litre cheaper than standard fuel.
-> 
What we see these days is primarily 10% ethanol petrol...and it's taxed the 
same as any other petrol. The tax it at the enduser's point so it doesn't
really 
matter what the "components" of the petrol are.

->  HN> It's going to be an interesting time, this 21st century!
-> 
-> As in the old "Chinese curse" definition.  :(
-> 
You caught right on to my point exactly!
chat with you soon
hap 
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