We have a breathing space to plan.
We are dependent to a large extent on other countries for manufactured goods, often made from raw materials which we have exported.
The need for Australia to establish more industry is definitely a subject being currently discussed. particularly as the extent of our dependence on China for imports is being questioned.
One commodity which we have in abundance and cannot directly export is sunshine.
Often joined by a friend, I spend 2 hours each week sitting outside the NT Parliament House, wearing my Extinction Rebellion T-shirt, talking about global warming and renewable energy, to anyone passing by who has a moment to share.
One conversation was with a man with an engineering background who saw nuclear energy as our future. We had quite a long discussion and he was critical of current solar power developments, as are many people, because of issues around disposing of solar panels which are no longer functioning effectively and which, in any case, have used considerable amounts of energy and raw materials to manufacture.
Clearly we need to throw the net wider and accept that rooftop solar is an introduction not a final solution.
I also spend many hours reading about national and international events, developments, ideas and policies.
I know we can now print a solar film which has many applications, including in windows! It can generate solar energy while resting on water, which serves 2 purposes: the water helps to prevent the film from overheating, which otherwise reduces energy output, and the film helps loss of water from evaporation. Note CSIRO as a source of information. This under-funded national resource is also grossly under-utilised!
The clear drawback of rooftop solar and solar film is that it only generates power while the sun shines, whereas solar thermal can generate power 24/7. Why is not industry tuning in to this one?
If you look up (@)Mike Hudema, on Twitter or Facebook – or just on Google – you will be introduced to an amazing array of ideas for renewable energy, using solar, wind, water flow, in streams as well as tidal waters, and also methods of producing pure water in arid areas! Some of the wind generation devices which he introduces us to can be installed in suburbia rather than requiring vast open spaces. There is a place for both.
His theme is “We have solutions to the #climatecrisis, let’s implement them.”
We have been held back in the fight for effective action on the climate emergency by politicians, who are both ignorant about science and consequently blind to the opportunities it offers.
It is hard to believe that we actually have a Department of Industry, Science. Energy and Resources (it once included Innovation in its title but that possibly disappeared with Malcolm Turnbull!).
It is disturbing how much our government is prepared to commit to Defence expenditure, most recently on planes which have yet to fly and submarines which will be largely built elsewhere, without significant employment of Australian labour!
By comparison with the world’s major powers, we are a pygmy, and could only ever survive a land or sea battle if we were backed by a major power. Whereas we could be a world leader in our own right, given the copious sunshine with which we are endowed, by developing every viable idea for renewable energy.
We could even put to use the fact that we are girt by sea!!
Where is the industry being established here in Australia to achieve this aim?
Why is the ability of CSIRO not being harnessed?
Why do we concentrate on fossil fuel extraction when these endeavours are on the verge of becoming stranded assets?
Why are we, the people, putting up with government corruption which is denying our children’s children a viable future?
The Covid-19 crisis is giving us an opportunity to start afresh, working towards a cleaner environment and viable future.
We cannot afford, for our descendant’s sake’s, to waste this chance in a lifetime to use adversity to help us shape a brighter future.
I end as always – this is my 2020 New Year Resolution:
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
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Ah Rosemary, you have noticed that “No R&D means No Future”. It is a pity that successive generations of political economists have failed to recognise this most important fact when they spruik the manifesto of free trade across the world for the benefit of the larger foreign producers at the expense of the smaller local producers.
The demise of CSIRO as death by a thousand funding cuts is the worst short-sighted economic policy that frees government largesse that politicians consider better spent on their foreign corporate mates. How do jobs in another country producing goods or services for use in Australia assist in employing Australian voters? Answer: They don’t.
Concerns about redundant solar panels are real and perhaps a properly funded CSIRO project would determine a non-polluting solution. Why not? An Australian university team has recently developed a method for removing toxic mercury from water supplies, another Australian innovation likely to be sold off for foreign exploitation.
The underlying impediment is the too long held feeling of Australian voters that cultural cringe, taught by the English since 1788, remains despite the generations of Cabbage Tree kids borne in Australia. Australians can beat England at cricket and just about everything else, but nobody, especially Australian politicians, want to acknowledge these achievements or profit from the commercial application of Australian inventions.
Well said Rosemary, so much for miracles from Scottyatacantermorrison.
to anyone with half a brain, CSIRO is crucial to our well being. They have enough ideas already that are drastically underfunded. Its funding needs to be tripled and then an adjunct added that has only one purpose, to commercialise the knowledge bank in australia. We need to employ our brightest and keep them working for us. If one of the groups have a fantastic idea, we need to encourage it by additional funding, not cut backs on other research. In science, all research has equal value. commercialising research is a different ball game.
As Trump is showing, cut funding and when it doesnt have sufficient funds to operate cut even more because it cant do its job till you privatise it, and then lose all the benefits but carry the loses. Sounds familiar dont it? electricity, water, gas, medical, NBN, planning, soon visas.
“We have been held back in the fight for effective action on the climate emergency by politicians, who are both ignorant about science and consequently blind to the opportunities it offers.” And also beholden o their corporate/party/union supporters without whom they would not have been elected in the first place, so any new idea that comes along is always going to be looked at through glasses of one colour or another.
Our beloved scottyfromadvertising, along with many others in out grab bag of charlatans who form our current federal government, (and indeed parliament as a whole), is also beholden to his particular incarnation of the Great Pumpkin, so there is yet another “opinion” to be included into the decision making process.
Lucky Australia.
Who is to blame ? Look in the mirror Australia.
During the Bushfire Emergency, the Environment and Climate Crisis were the top of the list to be tackled, hang the expense.
Today, they are at the bottom, and health insurance and some other totally irrelevant (imo) thing are what are on peoples minds, keeping us awake at night.
The CSIRO? Jeez guys. Open a facebook page and organise crowdfunding. Getup do it. The mad monk nearly exploded with rage. We NEED YOU, just like we need the nurses and doctors now, and the Firies back before and over Christmas.
Who else is going to come up with a cure for covid19? Our SFA?……. Yeah, NAH.
“The underlying impediment is the too long held feeling of Australian voters that cultural cringe, taught by the English since 1788″….
New England Cocky – What absolute CRAP !
Believe me after 41 years in Australia I can categorically say that your “cultural cringe” is entirely:
‘Made in Australia’.
And during those last 41 years, all I have heard from your actuall ‘OZZY Ocker is whinge whinge whinge , blame blame blame.
It’s the POMES, – it’s the ITALIANS – it’s POMES, it’s the GREEKS – it’s the POMES – it’s the VIETNAMESE – it’s the POMES – it’s the MUSLIMS – it’s the POMES – it’s the SUDENESE – and YES
it’s still those bloody POMES !
You lot need leaders not followers
Rosemary
You are absolutely correct, right on the money!
Come on Australia
Where oh where are your
Innovators
Inventors
Investors
Where the %$#& are you Australian job creators ‘now’
FFS
While slow to enter the ‘intellectual property’ stakes, China has now joined the USA as leaders of the pack. In Australia we are woefully negligent. The example most frequently cited is the power board (also known as a power strip or power bar). These days every home has quite a few and that’s true across the world. But shock, horror the Australian inventor(s) never took out a patent.
https://www.inventor-strategies.com/australian-inventions.html
Now cries into his beer and: – IF ONLY – is the mantra. In the US and China, protecting intellectual property is almost the first step – not an afterthought.
Whats the problem ah? Lets start with the chinese, they cant be trusted, whites from europe on the other hand, great virus spreaders. Boats you say? bigger boats are ok, we dont need those dirty small ones. Yea well sure we got to pay more under jobseeker because we have a higher class of unemployed. When the virus is just undercontrol we can let it rip. When we get back to 5% unemployed, we can sell them off as slaves. at least they will be fed. Lets rip up all IR laws and start again. We are in financial strife so we all need to just knuckle down and work for the man who will generate so many jobs. Dont ask questions , just do as your told. Ah business, they are doing it tough no? Think about the accountant who is planning the tax dodge next year. So we need them to pay less tax, lets allow them to buy more stuff than they need and pass it off as a tax break. Because you know every dollar saved goes straight back into wages, that extra $40,000 truck is one man less i need. the ceo doesnt get anything. Ah big business just loves to drive innovation , lets have more atm machines and less branches, that will make them oh so much more efficient. Thats what we want, world leading technology. And small business is so much in our dna, lets give them an extra tax break because that will generate more customers. Lets sell the NBN, now we proved that government cant run businesses, lets sell it off so that private industry can reap the benefits.
if you cant beat them, join them. Mondo Cane
It just occured to me, what are the banks claiming as tax deductions when they install an ATM machine? Is this the type of R&D or tax deductions we are willing to tolerate anymore? Is this the type of “investment” our taxes facilitate? Is this really what the government has in mind when it wants businesses to invest in humans? Seems to me we have been hoodwinked AGAIN. when is mass media going to analyse this shit so we can get the truth? Say one thing and do something that enables the opposite. Wordspeak at work.
The NBN is a shining beacon, it tells the story of a brilliant idea smashed through self interest. I got to stop, i am getting angrier and angrier.