Give and Take : Household Budget Roundabout

Recent media reports are suggesting housholders may receive a savings of $550 on their electricity bills as a result of the probable repeal of the Carbon Tax.
This is more than my actual calculated cost of the Carbon Tax.

Other commentary continues with an estimate of how much Direction Action will cost each householder - $1200. This claim also needs to be subjected to scrutiny, see the link to Polifact's Checking service in August 2013, in terms of the estimated, detailed, modelling. Unlike the Carbon Tax I don't have any details to do my estimates and its out of my calculatability league anyway.

So I'll believe neither estimate until I get my actual figures and can compare them.
But of course, by then it will be too late.

A bit like real action on Climate Change and a realization that fundamental reforms to the way we conduct our lives and businesses are needed now to allow us to transform to a decarbonized economy, reduce the costs associated with extreme weather events, and build green jobs for those people who are suffering from the decline in manufacturing, retail and now agricultural jobs. And also to allow the little people, like me, some ability to control their costs other than switching off and pulling out of the economy.

The Australian's article, Ben Packham from: The Australian, October 15, 2013, mentions "The Prime Minister said liable entitles - like Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel, which owes $6.2 million for carbon permits - should pay their carbon tax obligations until then. "

Were you wondering why Clive Palmer entered politics??  His investment in the 2013 election may have a good return perhaps? 

Will the Liberals have Mandate after Tomorrow?

Now that the media has all but wiped off any chance of the Labor Party winning tomorrow's Federal Election, I ponder Tony Abbott's word "Mandate"
Mr Abbott claims to have a mandate to roll back the Carbon Tax and replace it with the Coalition's Direct Action Policy.
Polifacts Australia tested the statement "All Coalition policies are fully costed and fully funded." and gave it the  thumbs down, False rating, specifically noting that "On Direct Action, Abbott argues that the policy was looked at by Treasury following the 2010 election and they "found no fault with it".

Actually, a scathing Treasury note from July 2011 found that: "The economic costs of direct action would almost certainly be even larger because it would be less efficient than a market-based carbon price mechanism."

It also referenced Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency modelling which indicated Direct Action would only achieve a quarter of the abatement promised by the Coalition."

See also Polifacts on Emissions Intensity Falling issues

So does the Coalition have a mandate?

Unfortunately it probably does, which will make the remarkable achievement of the last few years, that of actually getting a Carbon Abatement Policy through the Federal Parliament and seeing it actually work, a sad historical accident in the overwhelming selfishness of Australian Politics.

If the Greens don't hold the balance of power in the Senate, as also seems likely, then we will have to absolutely blitz the Labor Party to hold onto this legislation in the Senate as well as persuade the 'kooky' right wing Senators to keep it in place. Not easy Jan!
But the Labor Party and Greens also had a Mandate in the last Federal Government. They were a Coalition who governed, just like Abbott will be tomorrow, no matter what Tony says or does. Labor & Greens had a mandate based on negotiating a Carbon Price!

But no matter if the worst befalls it - Australia will still go down the path of Global Warming. 

CO2 doesn't care if Kevin or Tony wins tomorrow. 

Our insurance premium's will go up as more of our fragile buildings experience climate extremes

Leptospermum scoparium 'Nanum Rubrum' flowers

, electricity prices will go up as we rack on the air-conditioning and the Renewable Energy industry will get crafty in obtaining investment and demonstrating to knowledgeable people that they are already cheaper than the current providers. If my local neighbours are telling me they will go off grid as soon as possible, then they will once storage technology becomes feasible.

Mark Diesendorf, Uni NSW & friends released a report showing the march towards renewable energy is almost unstoppable. Lets hope so for all our sakes.

Meanwhile my spring flowers are enjoying the record breaking above 20 degree start to September in Victoria! Lets hope the garden survives the coming hot summer.

Sunshine in Winter

This morning was cold and crisp. Great swathes of white fog concealed the roads and the ghostly car lights meant cautious driving was needed for my trip to the local heated swimming pool.
But once I emerged, exercise having warmed my blood, the bright wintry sunshine kept my spirits warm.

My solar panels are still generating about 3 kwH per day, which is not bad, but nowhere near enough to keep my house going. Fortunately the house is designed not to need heating on these sunny winter days, until the sun goes down when the efficient wood heater kicks in.

The Melbourne Solar Conference 2013 was held yesterday and today. Barely a peep in the press until today when the Opposition Environment Spokesman Greg Hunt indicated that the Coalition promises to scrap any contracts entered into by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), set-up recently to encourage action for renewable energy.
Given this agency was set-up to be as independent from Government and was initially supported by the Coalition in Opposition, I wonder why this change has occurred.
The Coalition favours Direct Action for its Climate Change Policy. Surely ARENA would be an important mechanism for such Direct Action by funding a number of projects?? Or does the Coalition only mean to encourage Soil Carbon as its only action?
Putting all its eggs into one basket is certainly direct and dumb!
Who has been whispering sweet $$ into the Coalitions ear? The Electricity companies perhaps, whose business models of high peak electricity costs are being undermined by all the distributed generators us solar people have installed?
Certainly the car companies have demonstrated they can only surivie in Australia with Government support.
My Facebook feed generated this report http://tinyurl.com/d3oophl on the same topic in the US.
Action is certainly needed on Climate and not the Coalitions wrecking Action!!!