Why Poverty?

Congratulations to ABC TV 2 for showing, this week, 5 documentaries about poverty. I'll watch the next two tonight and tomorrow @ 9:30pm.
For more see the WhyPoverty.net website.

November Heat

While the media have been busily reporting the increasing certainty, in the scientific community, of the earth warming beyond the targeted 2 degrees C, the delegates from the current DOHA COP-18 meeting have been handing out Fossil Awards.

New Zealand, USA, Canada & Japan all "won" first prize for not having binding targets. So much for waiting for binding International agreements!
The Euro Zone was applauded for reaching its Kyoto targets 10 years early but reproached for not setting further targets.

The Euro-zone is deep in recession meaning industrial output, thus emissions are not rising. This is probably a major reason why the Euro-zone has reached its Kyoto emission target.
Social cohesion and the maintenance of a civil society is not a given with huge numbers of unemployed. For more see the Youth Climate.org website

Lets hope that the change to clean technology does not require the pain and waste of human lives as is being demonstrated by other countries, notably the so called "Arab Spring" countries and poverty-stricken failed states in Asia and Africa.

Meanwhile my Smart Meter has yet to appear, I'm generating more than 6kWh per day from my 1 kW Photovoltaic system.

Today Melbourne's expected temperature is 38 degrees C - 100 degrees F. If we get higher than that we will be getting close to a record breaking November temperature. Not a good start to the summer season.

Victoria's Smart Meter Installation

Recently I received notification from my Electricity Supplier that I am to get a new Smart Meter as per the Victorian Government's program. I received a similar letter a year ago, before the government reviewed the project, thus putting it on hold.
As I already have a Solar Feed-in meter, installed 3 years ago with my Solar PV system I wondered if I needed to have it changed.
But my provider said yes it had to be changed to a iCredit 500 Meter.  As the DPI says -"Smart Meters will continue to be rolled out across Melbourne and Victoria. These modern digital meters will replace the old electricity metering technology.

Electricity distributors will install a Smart Meter at every home and small business in Victoria by the end of 2013."

A quick search on Whirlpool Forums did nothing to inspire confidence in the process but on scrolling down the posts I came across more interesting ones, indicating the Feed In ability needs to be reprogrammed after installation and may even be done remotely. So I'll just have to keep checking the electricity meter and keep an eye on the Billing again. Just in the middle of summer when I'm actually feeding in electricity.

ATA, PV and electricity.

As I sit at home reading various articles on Climate Change, environment and other matters of interest, I am aware of my Solar Panels gently feeding in electricity to the grid. The sun is shining and only I am at home, with most appliances turned off.
However, an email from the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) has got me wondering how much more tinkering our various authorities will do to water down recent "green" lifestyle initiatives.
ATA believes that no further changes should be made to the Small-scale Renewable Energy market given the recent reduction in the solar multiplier. The ATA thinks the current market design is appropriate, a clear message they are sending to the Climate Change Authority (CCA) as it reviews the Renewable Energy Target. The CCA have been considering further cuts and tweaks to the small market as part of its review. ATA talks about PV generation as follows:

“At the end of the day, we are talking about a technology, given its time of generation, that actually reduces wholesale electricity prices for all other consumers. This is something that as a nation we should be encouraging as much as possible,” says the ATA’s Energy Policy Manager Damien Moyse.

The recent Federal Government’s decision adds $700 to $1000 to the cost of an average solar system, thereby making it harder for those households and small business to use solar PV to manage their ever-increasing electricity bills.

The Climate Change Authority has been considering extremely punitive and almost unworkable measures to further reduce the size of the small renewables market – despite the fact that this market increases costs for electricity consumers by less than 1% of average bills, after all costs and benefits are taken into account.”

Hopefully, the authority will listen but recent experience warns me they won't. Please let social justice and green initiatives continue. We, the people want to be able to manage our bills as effectively as possible.

PS: definition of Negawatts : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negawatt_power
I rather like the idea of this

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 22nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm

World Bank Now Worried

The Bean counters at the World Bank must now be worried after commissioning a report from the Potsdam
Climate Change Institute. Entitled  Turn Down the Heat shows that the business as usual attitude, which

is what we are on track to achieve, will lead to 4 degrees of global warming.
While 4 degrees doesn't sound much, this will be an average increase, meaning significant rises elsewhere in the world. Of particular worry in this scenario is heat waves, reduction in food production and rises in sea level.
So I do wish I had had enough money to buy a Hybrid Vehicle. Its on my long-term plans (which are going awry at the moment). Transport makes up 14% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions and as a suburbanite I need to drive to get anywhere in this sprawling metropolis of Melbourne.
I was heartened a bit by Heather Ridout on ABC TV's Q&A program stating, that for the first time, over the last 12 months, Australia's emissions are going down, while economic growth continues to rise. She attributed this to the Renewable Energy Targets mandated by State and Federal Governments. Targets which are indeed under attack.(ABC TV attributes the statement to Tony Jones, but its transcript is wrong I think)
So here's to more emission reduction and less to the hot air produced by the politicians also on display on QandA. Meanwhile, I'll have a beer to recover from another warm Aussie Spring Day.

Taking Australia's Temperature and Fact Checking

Did you watch ABC TV's "Catalyst" program last Thursday? A quick overview of rises in temperature, sea level, and changes in rainfall. All in a simple, appealing package. If you watched it, did this program change your mind? The understated sub-text is Climate Change of course. Watch it at the Catalyst website.

If it didn't change your mind, you are in good company according to Radio National Future Tense Fact and Fiction, broadcasting now, Sunday 18 November.
Scientists have been measuring and dissecting our reactions to facts, challenges to held opinions and values. It's not surprising to find that we find it very hard to change our minds as our emotions kick in and find it too challenging for the ego.
I've been reading several papers on this recently, sent via a friend with greater access to the scientific databases than I have. It's even more interesting that we also grossly overestimate the number of people who agree with our opinions as well as overestimating those who totally disagree, according to a paper published in Nature Climate Change on  11 Nov 2012.
"Your opinion on climate change might not be as common as you think" . They state"people with high false consensus bias are less likely to change their opinions."Read and enjoy the authors opinion on the media.

Cars & Climate

Just as Australia has released its Energy White Paper, confirming that its natural resources of coal, oil, gas and uranium will be dug up and shipped overseas, no matter what anyone has to say on climate change, my car, that essential machine of pollution, greenhouse gas generation and freedom in modern city life has stopped.

It just won't go and the local mechanics are calling in THE SPECIALIST!
(But before I rant on, a big thank-you to G and J from RACV Roadside Assistance- fast and friendly service indeed.)

Just when I've moved library branches there is no way to get from my house to work via the one train line. In fact the Public Transport Victoria Journey Planner  tells me it will take 2 hrs and 8 minutes to get to work on public transport - walk, then bus to train station, then off the train to another bus, then walk to the next train station, then take that to my workplace (which is right next to another train station).
So much for Melbourne's radial transport network!
So I'll have to catch a lift to work tomorrow and being a night shift, it will entail lots of phaffing around.
So while I am waiting for a new,green, electric car to commute in, I will probably have to buy a newer petrol car. The old one, is sounding suspiciously like a goner!
The new electric cars cost >$50,000. Hybrid Camry's and Honda Civic's >$30,000 which is more than this poor public servant lady can afford at this moment in time. (Or wants to spend given other looming commitments).
So while I'm grounded  I may as well read part of this blasted White Paper. The Conversation web site featured an article "Energy White Paper plans to burn, burn, burn it all" by Chris McGrath who is also disgusted in this outcome.