General Discussions

[DJC]

Quality of politics in the country across ALL parties and at ALL levels is crap.

Look at that stupid liberal jerk in WA .... wants no coal fired power stations by 2025. 

If the polls are correct, the Libs are facing obliteration in the West with the Nats to form the opposition.  I guess Kirkup is clutching at straws to get some swinging voters on board.

I understand that WA is more reliant on fossil fuel for power generation than other states so eliminating coal-fired power generation by 2025 would be a pipedream.  A significant part of their power generation is government-owned too so there wouldn't be the economic pressures that commercial power generators are facing.  That said, WA probably has greater scope for renewable power than most places, particularly if tidal power generation is utilised.

[Gointocarlton]

Quality of politics in the country across ALL parties and at ALL levels is crap.

Look at that stupid liberal jerk in WA .... wants no coal fired power stations by 2025. 

Its a disgrace, you can't take any of them seriously at any level (state or fed). The behaviour of the opposition parties in this country during covid has been an utterly disgusting. It will be a very very long time before I vote for any of the major parties.

[LP]

That said, WA probably has greater scope for renewable power than most places, particularly if tidal power generation is utilised.

If they go down that track you want to vote them out immediately.

Progress on those tidal and wave technologies has slowed greatly, there seem to be significant issues around reliability and the ongoing costs. The problem is stuff grows on surfaces left in the sea, algae, barnacles, seas grass, life....................... There are some technologies being developed by CSIRO to assist with those issues, but they haven't been trialled yet, a lot is left up to foreign adopters of the technology. Another case of evented here, sold over there, then purchased back for our use off foreign owners!

On the surface it looks to me like the feasibility of some of the projects had been greatly exaggerated, especially in WA where there has been a huge historical investment, which is understandable given the geography. I think the problem is when they do the sums the energy available to harvest is huge, effectively governed by the gravity from the combined mass of the Earth, Sun and Moon, but the practical methods to harvest it just do not exist. A 20m x 20m x 10m pontoon held submerged in sea water present 4000m² of collecting surface, to which about 4 tonnes of life growth each and every month, which sounds a lot but it's just 1kg/m²/mnth of living matter. The added weight destroys the efficiency of the system, so you have to continually clean everything.

Of the renewables solar is far and away the most feasible, but it is not as clean or low cost as people expect and base load remains an issue but solar thermal could be the cure for that problem but it also has issues. I wouldn't want to live next to one of the bigger solar plants, it must be like living next door to an asphalt carpark that's 2km wide, imagine the hot breeze!

But we should leave this debate to energy thread.

[DJC]

But we should leave this debate to energy thread.

Yes we should, but be aware that the Federal Government is funding research into tidal energy, mainly done by the CSIRO, and there is an Australian designed and built tidal turbine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHuumY8...e=youtu.be

[PaulP]

Its a disgrace, you can't take any of them seriously at any level (state or fed). The behaviour of the opposition parties in this country during covid has been an utterly disgusting. It will be a very very long time before I vote for any of the major parties.

You should definitely vote for the Greens. The improvements in your life should be noticeable immediately. Food tastes better, the air seems fresher, and you'll having more energy and spring in your step than you ever thought possible. It worked for me. 

[Baggers]

You should definitely vote for the Greens. The improvements in your life should be noticeable immediately. Food tastes better, the air seems fresher, and you'll having more energy and spring in your step than you ever thought possible. It worked for me. 

Got a genuine, good natured chuckle here, Pauly.

The next 50-75 years, politically, will be fascinating as more and more people drift from the dreadful lackings (new word!!!) of the major parties... globally. They trot out, generally speaking, the same old strategies, tactics and glibness that ruled for so long - and became out-dated a decade or two ago. It is becoming more and more difficult to hide in an internet world. Viva la revolution  ;D

[Gointocarlton]

You should definitely vote for the Greens. The improvements in your life should be noticeable immediately. Food tastes better, the air seems fresher, and you'll having more energy and spring in your step than you ever thought possible. It worked for me. 

Pauly I partake in activities which don't align with Green policy. I support most of what they stand for, their approach and attitude appals me to the point that I wouldn't feed them.

[kruddler]

Pauly I partake in activities which don't align with Green policy. I support most of what they stand for, their approach and attitude appals me to the point that I wouldn't feed them.

Well that escalated quickly.  :o

[Baggers]

Pauly I partake in activities which don't align with Green policy. I support most of what they stand for, their approach and attitude appals me to the point that I wouldn't feed them.

I suspect there may have been a little tongue in cheek with Pauly's comment. However, in terms of values and principles I find myself, to some extent, aligned with the Greens but they do have an image and communication problem which has them seeming a little too extreme.

I certainly do a few things not aligned with my perception of hard line Greens... at present I have a magnificent scotch fillet marinading for lunch tomorrow! So I am very much an omnivore... I have no issue ripping out a tree that could pose a public risk in high winds or is crushing water pipes and so on. But the principle of looking to more organic (I grow loads of my own veggies, from organic seeds etc) foods I applaud, along with power options aligned with minimum environmental impact...

[Gointocarlton]

Well that escalated quickly.  :o

How so?