I seen in other counties they convert the solar energy into heat and pump it into holding tanks full of some sort of salt compound.

During the night or on cloudy days they can just pump the heat back and run turbines for energy.

I've never researched into it much, but how did those tidal generators go over in WA?

Also, what about using renewables in conjunction with desal plants to sort out some of the water issues?

-PB

[youtube]LLAOhsMXLT8[/youtube]

On point as always :lol:

-PB

Honestly it's not something I know much about but i'll get my general views. Beyond the coal mines in the LaTrobe Valley, I wouldn't have a clue what mines are digging up what resources and what they are used for.

I take issue the privatisation of Australia's natural resources, the negative effects of the mining industry on the environment and the allocation of prime agricultural for massive strip mines like this new Shenhua one on the liverpool plains.

I look enviously at how Norway have invested their Oil Revenues into what is now a massive sovereign wealth fund whilst we have none of the sort here, instead waddling about in this #debtcrisis whilst preferring to let foreign corporations profit off our natural resources. We also had the stupid situation with the previous QLD government willing to pay to dredge the fucking reef to expand a coal port (and the new labour government doesn't give me any confidence on this either) and an environment minister more interested in the tourism industry than the actual environment. The industry clearly has both major parties by the balls and it's not a good thing.

If you are right in that we need it to build infrastructure to make Australia more sustainable then it would sit easier with me but i can't support the status quo (Reliance on burning Coal and shipping everything off overseas). Atm, I'd be supportive of further incentives/sanctions for/on these companies so that environmental impact can be minimised.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/13/what-bernie-sanders-is-willing-to-sacrifice-for-a-more-equal-society/

A politician telling the truth? Get outta here

Would recommend reading Hitchens' polemic on the Clintons, shows the nastiness of that political family

Good post.

Your naive idealism is refreshing.

I agree, if we could build solar and wind, then yes we should.

But we've also got to think about what's economically viable and produces sufficient energy.

Nuclear is a good compromise between these.

7:30 report tonight can eat a dick.

-PB

Talking about the gun story, I presume?

Just watched it.

No better than a ACA battling pensioner/neighbour from hell story.

Ominous music? Check.
Slow motion close-ups of guns and shooters? Check.
Mentioning Port Arthur for no reason? Triple check.
Attempting to discredit the importer as the son of that wacky kook Katter? Check.
Deliberately using vague terminology regarding the ease of obtaining one? Check.

Edited by 433: 14/7/2015 09:38:54 PM

Yup.

A fucking academic, a green and an anti gun nut vs one law abiding firearms owner/importer.

Fucking classic lopsidedness.

-PB

Thanks Dad

We can build those things and should

I agree, however Denmark is a good example of using renewables (coupled with decreasing use of fossil fuels) whilst still maintaining a competitive economy (that has the lowest levels of income inequality and unemployment below the European average: 6.2% as opposed to 11.2% as of Jan. 2015). Take into account that production of wind turbines in Denmark make up 3.1 % of national GDP ($9.4 billion), in a country that's approximately 179 times smaller than Australia.

Australia has approx. 4 times as many people as Denmark does with far more space and natural mining resources (which we should use ethically until peak oil is reached). When this point is reached Australia must have a strong renewable sector matching the levels as shown in Denmark today, otherwise we'll be relying on a dying resource that pollutes and won't be as profitable as it has been.

That's only wind turbines. Solar and geothermal energy can be introduced and I guarantee within the next few decades there will be innovations on how to make renewable energies competitive on the international market a la what the oil industry is today and in the past (there has to be - our future as a sustainable planet-wide civilisation relies on how we adapt to the changing conditions in terms of resources and environment). I spoke to a futurist at the University of Newcastle and he said we are in a situation where we have to control the levels of warming in the climate, pollution, etc until peak oil is reached and then (hopefully) we will have invented renewable methods of energy that don't pollute but still remain economically viable (an added problem is to also make the third-world nations economically healthy so that they can pay and sustain their own renewable technologies)

Nuclear energy is an option but my personal opinion is to use and evolve energy options that don't pollute

In Australia we have a diverse range of resources. Coal mining is one of the less most intrusive mining procedures in terms of extraction and processing. This is one of the reasons why I find the attacks on Coal rather perplexing.



The state can't afford to run these mines with the ridiculous amount of red tape put in the way to keep the greenies happy.

Do you also take issue with the NSW government permitting massive road infrastructure projects and housing developments on agricultural land? In my short time as a geotechnical engineer I've had to test soils for 'class 6 agricultural soils.' The results are pretty much ignored, it's just a box ticking exercise.



Norway also has a huge tax rate and a fraction of the welfare burden. In order to achieve what they have, we'd effectively have to triple taxes and find jobs that don't exist for our 6% unemployed.

Norway also got into the oil game when 'workers rights' weren't such a huge issue. They built a lot of their infrastructure when it was cheap to do so.

In Oz anything big gets hammered by Unions and what not blowing out costs.

Funnily enough even NZ has a sovereign wealth fund or similar. They had billions in savings for the Christchurch quakes. Funny how such a tiny country can have money aside but we don't.



We need it, but we also needed to start 20 years ago. I often mention the Czech Republic who have a much weaker economy than us yet have football fields of solar panels everywhere. We can't afford to make more than a token effort towards renewables as it stands.

On environmental impact, the biggest problems we have is creating road infrastructure and houses. I was involved with the early stages of the Ballina bypass in northern NSW and the amount of forest/bush land the removed was out of control. Where's the condemnation for road projects and large scale housing projects for their environmental affects? Seems like Greenies are subjective in their opposition...... (not directed at you just in general).

=d> Geothermal energy is the real deal in Australia. We have old granite and sedimentary formations at depth which can produce enough thermal energy to be worthwhile. The only shame is that a lot of the 'hot rocks' aren't as close to our major cities as we'd probably like them to be. Canberra is essentially surrounded by them.

I went to a course on Geothermal 'steam drilling' in Iceland which is pretty much one big hot spot and the technology is pretty straight forward.

The issue is that it means drilling and we know what the greenies think about drilling :roll:

Suprise suprise news ltd say labour will bring back the carbon tax if elected. Hmm strange timing ay ;)

The savings Abbott promised didn't go back to tax payers anyway so what's the difference?

That was a good read, thanks for sharing.

FMD 300k on travel for a speaker.

-PB

http://m.theage.com.au/national/rightwing-extremism-equal-to-muslim-radicalisation-academics-and-police-20150716-giduqp.html?stb=twt

"Right wing extremists have killed twice as many people since September 11 than jihadists"

lol paying back the 5k for the silly chopper flight to the LNP party to try and make amends :lol:

Sounds fishy Bronwyn :lol:

-PB

Edited by paulbagzFC: 17/7/2015 05:50:17 PM

How many peter slipper comcars is that worth?

Notice she hasn't apologised either, she thinks it's all good but is giving the money back "just in case" :lol:

Didn't want to drive like all the other peasants

Labor have pinged AFP to get the form she signed, what's the bet it goes missing or Abbott steps in and wipes it under the rug ala detention center style (don't comment on operational matters).

-PB

Left wing shit article is shit.

The violence at reclaim rallies is caused by anti-racism protestors :lol:

How do you know that did you attend? Or is that what some white supremacist told you on social media?

As a white bloke with a family that isn't white I would argue this bloke deserves a punch in the head.

There are videos everywhere. Most of them involve the reclaim people either walking or standing there and some unwashed arts students throwing abuse at them.

1488 :lol: disgusting.

However what I agree with is that patriotism is too often confused with racism!!!!!!!!!

I also agree that leotards are scum :lol:

Good, Nazis don't deserve an easy day out to promote their racist shite.

They should have freedom of speech. They should also have the right to protest peacefully. The very people trying to stop these demonstrations are the same fuckwits that demand to have free speech :lol:

A lot of simpletons look at the Nazi element of reclaim and pretty much base everything on those people. Last time they had a demonstration I was in Brisbane and I only saw the racist stuff when a few bikie looking blokes turned up.