Scientists and skepticism

Recent news reports of the East Anglia Climate Research Unit scientists having vigorous debate and possible data manipulation regarding climate change should be news to no-one. Scientists are people and although they are working at the business end of the debate, collecting data and making experiments, many would also be part of the world of funding and politics. Thus to get the best research $$'s some fancy grant proposal writing is in order. Plus politicking to keep the research status high.
Other scientists take funding from organisations that are also interested in specific outcomes. Lamb producers fund research and surprise, surprise red meat is recommended as part of a healthy diet.
If a young scientist is employed (as PhD student, post doctoral or working scientist) in an organisation, their are often spoken & unspoken boundaries around which they do their research. Once the research is published, hedged with as many ifs, buts, perhaps, etc the referees then contribute to the wording of published papers.
With a climate science, the huge amount of data produced by experimentation is quite often only understandable once massaged through series of models and data manipulation. Secondary evidence such as tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) is based on assumptions about their rings and what they mean.
Thus it may be relatively easy for the same data to be interpreted in different ways by different scientists. So long as the data is published, repeated, vigorously discussed and continued, the scientist will work towards a moderate consensus. Until the next leap or major idea changing the interpretation.
The signal to noise ratio is open to interpretation also.
Politicians and the public need to also take leaps of policy based on incomplete data. The data is always incomplete because we are human and fallible. And often doing stuff before its too late is what we need to do.
The point about the climate data is that it will continue to grow in complexity and meaning. Exactly what policies we make based on the data is also complex, probably wrong and largely ineffectual.
Perhaps Tony Abbott, some economists and my son are right.

A carbon tax is what is needed!

Let the debate rage

Global Warming Melts Liberals

Warning, warning!! - there's a Liberal iceberg breaking out near you. Following the marathon  meetings earlier this week to try and shove the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme down some very reluctant dinosaur throats, the climate change party skeptics have melted down into open revolt. Tony Abbott et al have resigned their posts in the front bench and senate, leaving Malcolm's Ice Sheet cracking open.
A pity after all those negotiations with Ian McFarlane and Penny Wong.
Is it the taxation aspect that the pollies don't like or is it the climate change theory thats causing the meltdown. Whatever happens to the Liberals, they are handing Labour an election win on a plate (so long as it happens before the next big thing!). (update: except for the incompetence of Labour!)
By the way, my patio is covered in mud from a small flood engendered by the short, sharp, shower that dumped 36mm of rain on my place within 30 mins this afternoon. A veritable flood of mud and leaves came rushing under the fence from next door, overloading the drains and spreading into the house. Great excitment and some work for the family in mopping and cleaning up. Climate change or just weather - your choice!

Equal Pay for Equal Work

This "feminist" topic (as this article discussed on Crikey.com) has made it back to the news recently.  I have worked throughout the period where the "equal pay for work of equal value" has been in force, legally. As a worker in the Government sector, this has been applied fairly throughout my time. The profession is largely made up of women with many libraries being managed all the way up through the hierarchy, by women. However, being part of government our pay has been kept within strict guidelines.
The ability for the majority of workers to improve their pay is based on a few jobs where increased responsibility and workload is taken for granted, and unpaid for. As it is in the private sector.
Many of my colleagues have taken on the extra responsibilities and work far more hours than the Union negotiated hours. The effect has been obvious - family work, life balance and other obligations take a back seat.
The discussion of how to manage this expectation and its reality  has occurred with many of my friends, from scientists, town planners, doctors, library staff, IT professionals, pharmacists and others.
Three main approaches have been apparent:
1. To have a family, work part-time so one can care for the family and household. Consequences include lower pay, less superannuation, less fulfilling jobs and less commitment to workplaces.
2. Take on the higher positions, work like mad and hope like hell your health, family and relationships survive. Some have managed, some have suffered and some are still climbing the tree upwards.
3. Take on higher responsibilities for a while then downsize later in life in a variety of ways to reduce stress, increase life balance and look at other ways to use skills in a different arena. Again the net result is less pay, smaller super and generally less satisfaction. But also an awareness of choice.

To those youngsters who says there is no difference between the sexes and the statistics lie - think again. Just wait until things get really tough or you have a family, and see what the effects will be. The prejudice about the work women do is alive and well, with individual contracts and difficult financial times just waiting to cut them down.
Wait and see!

Relief at last - rain!

I don't know about the rest of Melbourne but I found the last 2 weeks trying. The heat was welcomed initially, then quickly became oppressive and continual. Thank goodness for the air-conditioning. At least we all have been able to sleep reasonably well.
Hopefully the electricity used by the air-conditioning  has been offset by our old solar hot water system, where we have turned off the electric booster for about 3 weeks. Showers have been piping hot all day. We shall see how we manage the next couple of days now that it is cooler.

And still no sign of my solar power-

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Today the dried off plants in my flower and vegie garden look much better. Our makeshift rain gauge shows 59mm of rain fell through the evening til 6:30am this morning. What a wonderful total. I haven't been down to the nearby wetlands to see how the creeks and pools are faring, but so far no flooding around me. The rainwater tanks are now overflowing - all 12,000 litres. They were down to half full on Friday and I was getting worried that we would not have enough for the summer. Our friends tell me their 200,000 litre tank was less than half full yesterday - I'll bet its nearly full today.
I must look at the weather forecast for the next month and see if the November record heat is forecast to return for December.
Perhaps I'll get time to read about the ETS soon - I haven't had the fortitude to do more than read part of the summary of the draft report. The Liberals antics have provided much more fun- even if it is the nature of black comedy!

Solar panels in my neighbourhood

On my morning or evening walks I have been trying to spot Solar Panels (Photovoltaic) and as a result of the Federal Government rebate they are springing up all over the place. So far I have counted 11 houses with my house yet to be installed.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006 Census) indicates there are approx 7,700 occupied private dwellings in my suburb, with a median weekly family income (2006)approximately $1100.

So 11 solar panels installations spotted + 1 to be installed = 0.1558 % of dwellings that will get their $8000 from the government. Not a large take-up here but enough throughout Australia to cause the government to drop the scheme and develop a less generous one. Now there are probably more installations I haven't yet seen, or like myself with applications waiting (due to the demand).
Imagine the ramp up in jobs that would be created if even 1% of households took up the offer. The panels themselves are probably made in China (like everything else) but the installers, sales, company staff are all jobs for Australians.

The Electricity companies are also hard pushed to keep up with the demand in feedback meters I'm told. Imagine what it is like in areas north of Melbourne where the solar gain is much higher. Is the take-up of panels better for NSW, SA, WA and Queensland areas? I would love to know - some stats are available from http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/renewable/pv/history.html.

But with only 1% take-up there will be a negligible reduction in CO2 usage - we need much more if you are a Climate Change believer. The REC's will go to the polluters unless we buy them back from the installers. Unlike the poor Liberal and National Party politicians who are so stuck over the issue. Their day of reckoning is fast approaching!

Spring heat wave in Melbourne

Melbourne has done it again - a heatwave in November. The last week we have had above 30 degrees C weather. The change has been lightning fast - almost wintry one day and heatwave the next. The forecast for the next few days shows no real relief in sight - Friday 31, Saturday 34, Sunday 31, a cool Monday 27 (wait this will change upwards), Tuesday 28 and Wed 33.
So it was fortuitous that the air conditioning was put in. With a guest staying upstairs, the house has now absorbed the outside heat and is lovely and warm in the early morning, and hot as hell by 6pm. At least the heat dissipates later in the evening unlike during January/February when its still >30 after midnight and sleep is almost impossible.
My water bill arrived yesterday - higher than last year - not entirely certain why but probably more showers particularly as we had to put one of our old shower heads back on (instead of the water saving one) as the kids were complaining of not getting enough flow or cold water only. This would almost be acceptable now but not during September.
And I am still waiting, impatiently, for my Solar Power panels to be installed!! Frustrating to have the delay when there are new installations sprouting on roofs all around me. I went for a walk last Friday and spotted another 6 houses in a small area with the panels.When am I going to get satisfied?? I don't know says the company, they're really, really busy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Shocking Melbourne Cup

Yes its Shocking!!! Just as I was trying out a sweet Alcopop, it fizzed and was flat. The multicultural Irish/Sheikh connection at the Crime Scene almost overwhelmed, but the locals romped ahead. My Cup Sweep was dismal as usual with Warringah at last place payng for my bet. Harris Tweed of Essendon colours also ran behind.

Its amazing how Shocking the language on radio and TV has been since 3.10 pm yesterday. Even the Viewed stocks and Shares reports were in shock.

Better Luck next year and here's hoping one day I'll be able to attend

Oil Rig on Fire

Like many people, I too am concerned about the Oil Rig on fire in the Timor Sea. I have sympathy for the company trying to plug the oil and gas leak. After all it is a remote area and they probably have only "budgeted" for events that are more likely. Extreme events which are very unlikely are hard to effectively plan for.
The response by both the Company and Federal Government should come as no surprise to anyone. After all Australia's "culture" has been one of development no matter the cost later. Wildlife and the Envronment has been low on this list largely because the $$$ are hard to calculate (bean counters are everywhere in government and companies) and the possible consequences are incalculable and largely in the future. Something companies and governments have great difficulty with.
Good luck to all the environment groups who are trying to clean up the mess. Lets hope the future for the area is not that similar to the environment around the Alaskan Sound where the Exxon Valdez spill occurred.
Call me a cynic but we will be hearing about the effects for the next 25 years and living with the economic consequences of these actions for longer.,

Refugees, Immigration and Politics

It will be interesting to see how the current wave of Boat people are handled by the Rudd Government. While most Australians don't want refugees to suffer inhumane treatment, including years spent in detention camps in prison-like conditions, I would argue that most Australians also don't want to have thousands of people landing on our shores no matter how parlous their home conditions.

To those of us migrants who have found jobs and lives in Australia, we are very thankful for the ability to fit in without much trouble. I at least had the advantage of speaking English and a recognised qualification when moving to Australia. Many of my work colleagues are migrants from all over the world. Many also realise the problem of controlling immigration particularly as the flood of migrants fleeing war and poverty again swamps the "first" world's resources.

So it is ironic to see Indonesia as our bulwark against the tide of migrants. I wonder how long we will or can pay to turn the flood into a trickle. Will there be a deterrent effect? Or will the people just keep coming? And the climate change advocates will tell you this is just the start of the problem. If the temperature keeps rising then millions more displaced people will be seeking their little bit of earth to call home. Its just too hard to solve!

Climate Change survey

Yesterday the media was full of the news regarding a new survey by the Lowy Institute regarding the concerns of Australians, particularly the importance of Climate Change. Supposedly we are more concerned about Jobs, the Economy, Terrorism etc.
I'm not surprised that this has happened given the saturation coverage of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)over the last 9 months. During that time many committed people have done more than ever to change their greenhouse habits and use the various rebates given out by the government.
Leadership is always something that people respond to as well as changes in legislation and carrot-like handouts. There is always a few early adopters, a large number of "wait til it becomes mature technology" types and a long tail of uninterested types. This last eventually wake up and find the earth is not flat and they cannot buy anymore BetaMax videos.Complaining mightily at times!
So long as the various levels of Government keep their eye on the ball and the various environmental lobby groups keep the pressure on here and overseas, then perhaps we might get some positive changes.
After all, we already pay extra costs for Power, Gas and vegies due to the Victorian water crisis. The sky hasn't fallen in although some people are certainly suffering from these costs. Not doing anything will just make it certain we will pay more for the current standard of living.

Prince Philip and the Remote Control

A lovely human interest story today regarding Prince Philip and his TV Remote Control. It seems he needs to get the help of his 10 year old Grandson to work out how things are done otherwise he ends upon the floor, with a torch and magnifying glass.
I know how he feels.
We spent several hours trying to connect the TV, Set-top box, DVD Recorder and Video together one day. Both of us have science degrees and the kids decided they had better stay away just in case of collateral  damage. But eventually all the devices worked. Picture, sound, and recording TV programs - great.
But now we have the remote control problems. One for the set-top box, one for the TV and one for the DVD-Recorder.  MM now has to put his glasses on and check to see which one is in his hand and which buttons to press to find which analog or which Digital station. Not to mention the blank screen with music which happens when he is not looking properly
So I made a diagram to try and explain the whole thing. Nobody uses it: they all call me. Mum, come and fix the TV pleeeeeease!
So much for 3 Degrees and 1 PhD. No diploma of TV Remote Controls for us! Haven't yet got to the grandson stage but I'm sure they will be needed.

Air Conditioning and the "Green" Lifestyle

Finally, after 20 years or more, we are gettng air conditioning installed in our house. Last year we had ceiling fans installed in the main living areas. They received quite a workout in the 40+ degree days in February. The blades whirred mightily and the house managed to stay just under 30 degrees. They worked like a trojan!
Except of course the upstairs bedroom and study areas. In spite of ceiling vents and wide open windows , when the cool change finally came through, the upstairs area was like a furnace for most of the day & nights. And the downstairs bedroom were also too hot for comfortable sleep. With both myself, elderly relations staying through summer and also the teens complaining, its time for some comfort!

So now we have bit the bullet, financially and idealistically. Comfort will now win over ideals of a green, low energy lifestyle. My body and mind need to function in the hot weather and evaporative air conditioning will be just the thing (we hope)
The installers will be labouring under the roof space tomorrow installing the fully featured, winter-sealed, self cleaning ductwork and "engine" of the beast and the roofline will have the square, squat external ducting seen around this area on most houses.
I will monitor our electricity bills carefully this summer to see how much more we use and report back..

Swooping Season

Today is beautiful. Melbourne spring sunshine comes and goes, but is beautiful after what seems like a grey winter. The grass is growing quickly, as are the weeds. The local birds have also felt the spring calling.
The Masked Lapwing has nearly finished raising its first two chicks. I am waiting to see if it has another two later on in summer. We hear its loud, penetrating calls early in the morning outside the bedroom window as it alerts its young to possible dangers. This seem to happen every few minutes and is a result of the birds nesting in a busy urban area.
The Magpies have been swooping cyclists and runners for a couple of weeks now. My youngest was cycling to school the other day by a route which misses the worst of the Magpies. Unfortunately, the route coincided with a maniac driver who nearly hit him. Both the rider and bike were forced off the road onto the kerb with some attendant damage. A shaken boy was scathing of the car driver but fortunately had good enough reflexes not to get hurt.
Smaller birds are fighting off the huge black Crows and the Little Wattlebird seems to be flirting with a mate. A beautiful Eastern Rosella flew past the car recently and plenty of Magpie Larks are fighting car mirrors in a vain attempt to repel their images.
I do hope the Australian birds continue to survive the drought, fires and consequent lack of feed and habitat this year.

Sustainable House Day

Today we visited a couple of properties as part of the Sustainable House Day. I have been meaning to attend one of these days for several years but work often intervened. I wasn't sure what to expect so we picked 2 properties moderately close by (in our unsustainable car) and had a look along with a fair few others.
The properties were quite different.

The first,  a newly built house which had the luxury of in-slab heating, plumbing under the slab to allow collection of water to a central area to be re-pumped to a large water tank at the back of the property. The house was built with double glazed windows which I so wished we had undertaken when building our current house (a long time ago). The property had no developed garden as yet , a sustainable one as no effort is needed! And the piece de resistance - a basin over the cistern in the loo!

The second property was also very interesting. A retro-fitting in process by a passionate owner. It had huge photovoltaic pannels and underfloor bladder tank. The owner has stopped taking mains water from earlier this year and has installed a moderately sophisticated water purification and filtration system. He personally gave a tour of the house to hordes of interested people., sharing his views on a wide range of sustainable issues outside of the building ones.
So now I have a range of glossy pamphlets and may as well get a green home assessment. Then I might have to spend few more $$ on the place. I also entered the competition on the Sustainable House website but was a little concerned about some of the conditions of entry - namely REC's are to go to shmeco.com, a web2 site on sustainable living. However, I never win anything so nothing lost, I suppose!!

Harvest time

In Melbourne, I find that this is the best harvest time for the garden. At this time of year the vegie garden is producing lots of good stuff, from peas, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuces, asian greens and almost broad beans. These last plants are so tall the recent wind has caused a sizeable lean.
My freezer is now home to 8 cauliflowers and the family is getting sick of cauliflower soup. The heads have been large and pretty free of insects which makes processing them easier.
The lawn has grown lush and rank with weeds. However, there will be several sizeable brown spots due to the ongoing saga of tree cutting following the August storm. Hopefully we will be able to move the 2 stumps out of the way this weekend, plant another couple of native trees and back fill with the leaves of the fallen trees as a coarse mulch. That way the recent reasonable rain can do its magic in the dry soil.
None too soon as the Weather men predict an unusually fine weekend. Melbourne at this time of year often fools one into thinking summer is on its way. In a couple of weeks time it will probably throw a last frost or two.
How is your garden faring?

Windy Melbourne

Alas in the storm last night I lost 2 of my medium sized trees. My 4 metre high, spreading Blue Pacific, (Ceanothus), was just about to burst into their beautiful blue flowers. Now it is in ruins on the back lawn. We have spent several hours cutting it up into large branches. The roots were very shallow, consistent with trying to grow in our hard clay soil. So the rain and 130 km/hr gusts reported in Melbourne last night were just too much.
The other tree was a Cape Virgilia. This one is not supposed to last very long as it is a fast growing tree. Unfortunately the bees will have a tough time with these 2 trees about to provide heaps of flowers for them.
We have another eucalypt tree in a pot waiting for a spot in the garden so will have to get the stumps out, add clay breaker (again) and try and build the soil up. So far we have lost 7 trees to winds over the years, always the tall ones and largely due to a mixture of wind and rain.
On the good side there will be plenty of logs and kindling for the wood fire for next year.

Blogging and the death of traditional media

As a librarian I have heard about the coming death of the book for years. Now that the internet is a major means of information dissemination, I have now heard predictions of the disappearance of newspapers and "expert" opinion with the rise of the blog. Radio National discussed this recently in the Philosophers Zone "The epistemology of blogging".
Having just looked up the meaning of epistemology in Wikipedia, I found the discussion rather interesting.

• What is knowledge? Well that is what the philosophers are for. As far as I can see (in a library) knowledge is anything any author has published, mainly non-fiction but that also encompasses fiction (literature).
  
• How is knowledge acquired? Knowledge is largely acquired through experience, reading and requirement. If you ask the year 11 and 12 students at the moment, knowledge is what will get them through their exams (required knowledge).
  
• What do people know? Lots of stuff but each person only knows a fraction of the whole and believes other people are either more knowledgeable or less knowlegeable than themselves, with various emotions surrounding this.
  

So how does blogging effect the acquisition of knowledge?? As far as I can see the blog is like a book. You choose what you want to read and think, respond to that information according to your background, culture and interest. And you do not assimilate or think about the rest.
Not enought time and brainspace to watch TV, Youtube and read the latest book about climate change simultaneously.
So I doubt blogging will change us very much. We will each filter our knowledge through our "rose coloured" tints. The internet is useful in that you can argue anything and find someone to support you very easily.
As wikipdia explains "Belief is a subjective personal basis for individual behavior, while truth is an objective state independent of the individual. On occasion, knowledge and belief can conflict producing "cognitive dissonance".

Update on Solar power

Yeah!!!I received our pre-approval for the $8000 Solar Power rebate from the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. So once my provider gets all its paperwork done and its installers organised we can get the actual producton the roof in time for the early summer.
I keep seeing more houses around the area sporting the solar panels so more and more of my fellow suburbanites are trying to do something for the environment (as well as take up government rebates)!

I was reading the ACF's latest Habitat magazine recently and was pleased to see an article on the media spin by large resource companies in their lobbying against the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Good reporting ACF!

Senator Fielding, Al Gore and Anna Bligh in the news

More news about Senator Fielding and his Climate Change views. Now he wants to talk to Al Gore about climate change to see if the former vice-president can answer his questions. Please! After all this grandstanding he wants someone else's views to use, rather than coming up with anything sensible by himself.

Anna Bligh's request for more concessions for the Big Coal lobby will prove to anyone that the Federal Government of Australia will have to show real leadership (and or luck) to actually get anything worthwhile through the parliament regarding CO2 pollution reduction. So we all hope that CO2 capture from coal fired power stations and carbon sequestration is not just hot air, as lots of $$$, time and effort will be expended on this hope.
Probably the reason for Senator Fielding's recurring climate change outpourings.

Lets hope the hot air regarding the upcoming Copehagen talks produce something better for the world than promises that we won't keep.

Solar Power Rebate

Looks like my solar power rebate application is still under consideration! My provider has got back to me to say all is well and we should be hearing about it soon. Then hopefully we'll see some action.
My only concern is the changeover to a new electricity meter. We currently have a meter that gives an off peak tariff. It will be interesting to see how the new feed-in meter works, if we nmanage to save money, how much electricity we can feed back into the grid and if the Electricity provider does its billing correctly. Reading the "Renew" magazine encourages me to keep good records and check the bills thoroughly. I will also have to read the feed-in tariff info from the Victorian government thoroughly.
Hopefully the data will encourage the family to turn off the computers, radios and TV's when not in use.
Driving around my area I can see that many people are taking up the solar power rebate, so it is obvious many people are taking up the rebate and taking action on climate change ahead of any national scheme.

Hibernation in July

Do humans hibernate?? I know I suffer from lack of energy and excessive sleepiness in the middle of winter. Even though the days are lengthening and sunshine occurs most days, winter is always the time of year I feel most unsettled, cloudy of mind and generally weary.
Mind you, school holidays are always difficult as the library gets very busy during the day. The shelves are relatively bare of children's books and DVD's (both kids and adults). The computers show Halo or Runescape monsters flickering on their screens. Tuesday and Wednesday was around the full moon so it also seemed that the customers also were fractious and rude.
As work is busy, so too is the "life" outside with transporting teenagers to and from each others houses, movie theatres or moving bikes on car to various places.
During most school holidays I get another visitor as well - an elderly relation comes to stay so I have a chance to see what will happen to me when I get older! Its enough to drive oneself into a decline.
Fortunately my garden is showing signs of renewal with the first of the magnolia buds flowering on naked branches. The citrus trees are producing abundantly, a good sign given how hot it was in summer. So now I can have fresh limes, tangelos, lemons and lemonades to add to my winter diet. The water tanks are full, giving optimism for the next scorching summerwhich will be here before I know it. Melbourne has such extremes of climate!

Solar Flares, Senator Fielding and Uni Melbourne Ideas

I was somewhat surprised to hear of Senator Fielding's ideas regarding the solar flare theory of Global Warming. Sometime ago I came across a book with these ideas and bought it for my library. I also tried reading it!!
I find after reading a number of books, articles and websites on Global Warming that many of the ideas are supported or confounded by educated people with an understanding of the detail of the arguments. Listening to Professor David Karoly, University of Melbourne, with rebuttal on the Climate Change Skeptic TV program last year and also the Radio National Science Show yesterday showed how someone who knows his subject can easily rebut ideas which a more general reading and limited understanding of the popular media may seem reasonable. Having a scientist or 2 in the family has also generated much debate on the subject ( not always completely educated either).
So although we are not all scientists or blessed with an encyclopedic knowledge of the arguments, I think it behoves Senator Fielding to ask more questions, get more knowledge and generally think about the arguments before such comments as recently reported. I have known about the ideas and debates for years, and I'm just a "normal" person. It really just shows how he hasn't done his homework.
I was hoping to go to the University of Melbourne Ideas Festival later in June but alas all the sessions I could fit around my work schedule are booked out. As someone in the subutbs it is hard to get into central Melbourne to attend these events and I would love to hear Professor Garnaut, David Karoly and Peter Doherty in the flesh.

Solar Power Rebate ends before June 30

Whilst driving to work yesterday I heard that the $8000 solar power rebate from the Federal Government has closed 3 weeks early. I was somewhat alarmed as I have an application for pre-approval for the rebate in process. I am left wondering at what stage is my application ? Pre-approved, in the queue but still able to be pre-approved, or dead in the water. My provider will have to get back to me on this one.
I presume the ending has to do with moving from one rebate scheme to another (seemingly less generous) even though this new scheme is not yet passed through the parliament. My cynical side says the Government has decided enough money has been spent, as there has been a veritable rush of applications in the last few months.
As a mere suburban dweller I am amazed by the number of people I actually know who have applied for the rebate. So I expect to see solar panels on roofs all over Melbourne in the next 6-12 months. We currently try spotting the solar panels on new and existing homes when driving.
On reading the latest Habitat magazine (Australian Conservation Foundation) it is also interesting to hear that REC's (Renewable Energy Certificates) gained by having solar power is the subject of some debate in the process of Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
For myself I would hope most of the voluntary carbon reduction undertaken by concerned householders is not included with the big polluters but is "counted" separately. I would hate to see all my efforts and expenditure being claimed by someone who doesn't really give a damn,

Aged Care & Robots

I watched the ABC's 4 Corners Program last night on the problems associated with the frail aged in nursing homes. It was extremely disturbing to say the least. My partner couldn't take the graphic scenes of bedsores and wounds so missed some of the report. As both of us have parents entering the frail-aged state the problems of how to care for them when they get so needy is worrying.
Mother-in-law already needs some care and has been uprooted from her home and country to reside, uneasily, in Australia. Her needs are simple but not easily met. Her physical health is slowly deteriorating so we all wonder what will happen when she needs full-time care. Her children work full-time and will probably find it very difficult to reduce their lives to the needs of a highly dependent frail woman.
Mother is hanging onto her home and doesn't want to downsize to an independent unit in an Aged Facility. She lives overseas and not easily reached by any of the family other than a nephew nearly her age. She is the main visitor to her older sister, currently going downhill in a nursing home.

So what does my family and system do when mum needs care? Do her 3 children who live in different countries need to develop a plan? And I wonder what she will say. She is fiercely independent and doesn't want to be a burden.

And I shudder to think how the system will cope when those in their 50's - 60's reach the need for aged care as the system will have surely failed under the pressure, unless more funding, carers and systems are in place. I'm sure these people will shout long and loud about their needs.

Ah, perhaps technology will provide the answer as the following article in the Australian Senior Newspaper discusses. Do Robots Care? "Designed especially to assist seniors, the robots will be able to track facial expressions and other cues to evaluate the emotional state of hospital patients or interact with older people living in their own homes."
Obviously they're not designed for appropriate physical care of the patients though. Perhaps emotionally intelligent robots haven't got that ability yet! The next page in the newspaper shows a cartoon with Dr Who's eternal nemesis, the Dalek. Of course the solution here is "Exterminate"

Autumn colours

I was sweeping the fallen leaves from my deciduous trees recently and noticed again their beautiful colours - golden browns and yellows. The oak trees nearby have had dark red colour for a long time, possibly starting the colours earlier due to the harsh summer this year. One of my Silver Birch trees dropped most of its leaves in the ferocious heat and hasn't recovered any since then. It is now almost bare unlike the other one nearby. The native trees nearby are looking much the same except for several Illawarra Flame trees that are vibrantly scarlet with their stange flowers.
I was walking in the Cranbourne Botanic gardens the other day and noticed the bush was looking somewhat bedraggled also. The Botanic gardens are located on a sand plain and had been extensively disturbed before being aquired as the Australian gardens part of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. I haven't been there for a while and remember more shrubs and trees. Some of the taller vegetation had black trunks, presumably from burning fairly recently. I didn't hear as many bird calls either or. When I got back from my walk I noticed a large Southern Brown Bandicoot ( I presume) next to my car. Once I saw this animal I noticed several more. Perhaps they are coming out of the bush onto the paths and roads more frequently to look for food now that autumn is here. I was surprised by how small his tail was in comparison to other similar animals.

Whats in a name? North, South, Aoteoroa

This week I heard an article about the Geographic Board of New Zealand investigating changing the names of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Te Wai Pounamu, relates to the veins of beautiful greenstone found in the South Island. Much prized by Maori and Pakeha alike this deep greenstone is synonymous with NZ. Aoteoroa is also a name associated with the Maori discovery of New Zealand, denoting it as the land of the long white cloud.
It is interesting to note that the common usage of North and South is not legitimate so I suppose the Board's process over the next year to talk to Maori Iwi and then to the rest of the population will bring up all sorts of names and traditions. "Mainland" being one of the well known names for the larger South Island (anyone for cheese!)
Perhaps it is easier just to let sleeping dogs lie and use the "kiss" principle

(keep it simple stupid)

Grapes, bushfires and birds

We have just harvested our grapes. Though not as prolific and luscious as last year, there is still a sizeable crop and they taste beautifully sweet. We have adark red variety which is under bird netting to stop the birds from cleaning out the entire crop before they even change to their ripe colouration.
I was listening to the radio when there was a discussion with one of the Yarra Valley vintners. Their grapes had been affected by smoke from the bushfires raging throughout February. As a result once the first batch had been pressed, the taint from the smoke had made its way into the vintage. Thus the grape harvest had to be abandoned, the nets pulled off and the remaining grapes were available to the wildlife. I imagine the birds were able to have a feast.
I had been wondering how the bird population is surviving as food in the fire affected areas must be in short supply. Perhaps this grape harvest disaster (only for some of the Yarra Valley producers) will ensure that the lovely, raucous native birds of the Australian bush can survive for long enough before the bush regenerates and provides their normal food.

Reading and films

So what have I been reading lately? My book club has read Helen Garner's "The Spare Room" a somewhat harrowing read. The protagonaist shares her house with a friend dying of cancer for three weeks. This promoted a lot of discussion about caring for others and whether the protagonist in the book was selfish or not. You find out lots about your friends experiences through reading books like this.
Another book to promote lots of discussion will be this months "Infidel" by Aayan Hirsi Ali. Another topical book discussing her transition as a migrant woman from Africa to a political life in Holland, with serious discussion of her experiences growing up in war torn countries and the role of Islam in her life.
After viewing the film "Slumdog Millionaire" which made me close my eyes at times due to the violence, I am just starting the book "Q and A" by Vikas Swarup on which the film is based. I am told there is much more violence in the book. All I have ever won from "Who wants to be a millionaire" game is a flight to NZ.
So to round off the last month of reading on a lighter note. Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" was very similar to the Da Vinci Code so I expect the new film to follow suit. I don't think I will be seeing it but the book was a good bedtime read for a few nights. I wonder what others are reading now that the days are shortening and the cooler months approach. Or perhaps not reading like my colleague taking three months off to travel through Asia.

Hooray we have rain

The last few days have produced a wonderful release from the long hot dry. Rain has fallen and in sufficient quantities to almost fill the water tanks, release me from watering the garden and encouraged me to bring out the cool weather clothes. It will be interesting to see if the garden responds by budding back into life, though its time to start ripping out the tomatoes and rejuvenating the vegie garden for winter plantings.
Whilst driving to work the other day I did notice more than usual numbers of dead animals on the side of the road. Looked like possums and the odd cat. I was wondering if the wet and cold weather have pushed some of the animals into death and whether this is normal for March, or whether the hot and dry have created a lack of food and habitat for some animals.
It was fun watching the scenes of the Sound Relief concert in Melbourne over the weekend and seeing the drenched but happy faces of the music fans. Paul Kelly and John Farnham sang as well as ever.
Midnight Oil seemed also to be as good as usual, dancing in that signature way on stage. Just shows you Oil's are Oils!

Also very pleased to send half the proceeds to the Queensland disaster relief effort as they also need lots of funds. Perhaps the drenching rain was a good omen for the future of both disaster sites.

Jobs and Interviews

I was amused to hear the Industry Minister on TV quoting " I wouldn't say anyone's job was safe". In this current climate (both economic and environmental), I would also assume his job is very insecure.
As I am currently employed in the local government sector providing services to a wide range of people in the community, I would like to think my job is relatively secure. I expect my skills will be in greater need following the recent spate of sackings of other workers, who hopefully can have quality retraining and a chance at other positions.
As I am in the process of submitting my resume online and typing up a cover letter, lets hope I will be invited to an interview. Interviewing skills are something else so I will have to hit the shops for a decent pair of shoes, a hint I picked up at a recent "interview hints" seminar I attended.
A good thing Mr Garrett is reforming Midnight Oil for the bushfire concert. He might need recent band expertise in a year or two also!

Bush Fire Damage in Victoria

This is a link to a youtube "Hell on Earth" video which gives a short timeline of the devestating bushfires in Victoria still burning ferociously. Hearts go out to the survivors and firefighters/emergency personnel.



To see more search Youtube

Heatwave and chaos

Melbourne's latest heatwave caused chaos in the city. Trains were cancelled, power went out throughout the city, people went crazy from the heat as well as the normal pressures of life.
We were exceedingly fortunate. With newly installed ceiling fans, closed blinds and wet T-shirts we were able to keep the house to an almost reasonable 31 degrees on the last 45 degree Celsius day.
My poor garden was not so lucky. Now the silver birch tree has dropped many of its leaves following a severe burn. Many other deciduous trees in the local streets are also brown and the drift of leaves in the hot winds adds to the feeling of extreme heat stress.
My water tanks are nearly empty after 30 odd days without rain. However, the tomatoes have survived (with sunburn) and also the sweet corn. So far the Camellias look okay but the Correa groundcover has nothing but crisped branchlets.

Oh I wish for the money to invest in photovoltaic panels to hook up to an air conditioner!!! Then we wouldn't have to worry so much about extreme heat and power blackouts. My house is designed to be more passive solar with eaves that keep the sun off the windows in summer.

A big cheer also to various emergency services people who were slaving in the heat to douse fires nearby, fix broken traffic lights (bad accident) and various other life saving events.

Back from Holiday

January is the holiday season for the Southern Hemisphere. So I crossed the Tasman again, this time to spend almost 12 days mainly in Northland, at the top of the North Island of New Zealand. This is where the Bay of Islands draws hordes of tourists to enjoy tranquil scenery, water sports and huge numbers of almost pristine bays and islands, under a warm sun. I visited Waitangi, home of the Treaty House, Maori Canoe,wondeful Maori Carvings as well as the Treaty of Waitangi which gave England the right to settle in New Zealand and "protect" the Maoris from invaders.
From there I went to Kaitaia and a great day trip to Cape Reinga. This is almost the northernmost tip of NZ where the Tasman Sea meets the mighty Pacific Ocean. Often windy, it was a perfect day to view the cliffs and azure sea (and try to catch sight of the Maori spirits leaving to find Hawaiki). The best way to do this is via Coach Tours which take the visitor up Ninety Mile beach on the sand, throw in sand dune tobogganing time and a visit to a Kauri Museum and shop. Trip is well worth it especially since no insurance company will cover any car on 90 mile beach.
Then down through the west coast of Northland through the great Kauri forest of Waipoua to meet with Tane Mahuta (giant Kauri tree).
Holiday over, now I am home again to the dry plains of Melbourne. Once home, Melbourne turned its hottest 3 days on record, with temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius on 3 days.
Thank god for the newly installed ceiling fans!! A life saver in those conditions.
Time for another holiday to escape the heat!