The Climate, Environment and Energy Thread

[Baggers]

Germany have closed their last nuclear reactor and essentially have gone back to coal to fill the energy gap.
Wonder if Greta will pay them a visit...?

Germany made the mistake of ambitious 'green' energy (solar) when the place doesn't have enough sunlight to capture and store energy. Solar is only achievable in countries like ours, parts of the US, Africa, S America and so on from what I've read by experts in the field.

[LP]

Germany made the mistake of ambitious 'green' energy (solar) when the place doesn't have enough sunlight to capture and store energy. Solar is only achievable in countries like ours, parts of the US, Africa, S America and so on from what I've read by experts in the field.

Correct, as a grid replacement for base load energy production it's only viable in dry areas close to the equator.

There is also a crunch coming for these big large scale installations, it turns out the panels are aging much faster than predicted, who could have known that the corporates and executives would have oversold the performance and longevity, or undermined the manufacturing process with lower quality resources! :o While they will keep working for many years, it will be at reduced capacity, profits will be lower.

So what do the corporates do? Of course they slash the staffing levels, repairs and maintenance get it in the neck, which means the panels degrade in performance even faster!

btw., the very same is happening in wind as well, watch the big super-funds start to bail out as they realise that future liabilities are going to smash returns.

That's the tough thing about reality, it doesn't give a rats-ar5e about human opinions or politics.

[Gointocarlton]

Saw this on he news the other night. A pity the fool who I catch deflating the tyres on my vehicle.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/motor...49c61a52cd

[ElwoodBlues1]

Saw this on he news the other night. A pity the fool who I catch deflating the tyres on my vehicle.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/motor...49c61a52cd

The Ute craze in out of control in Australia, those RAM trucks are monsters and when they start turning them out as EVs with massive batteries onboard they will stuff up and damage the roads given the weight they carry.
Our roads are not designed to carry so many vehicles of this size/weight and its only going to cost all of us more money.
And all these clowns with massive Bullbars on the front of their vehicles as well driving around in the city covered with incorrectly wired driving lights that are not connected to high beam circuits that blind you at night when driving.
What do you need a bullbar and an array of driving lights for in the city anyway?

[LP]

What do you need a bullbar and an array of driving lights for in the city anyway?

I have no problem with tradies using these for work, they are every bit as useful as the more traditional tradie vans and twin cabs.

But now I see mum's dropping kids off at private school with RAM, Ford F and Silverado, they are going up a level from Prado / Landcruiser, Range Rover or Pajero to American trucks!

I was talking to a school volunteer who does crossing duty, she complained that because these Yank tanks can't fit standard carparks they pull up wherever they like, apparently one stopped blocking the exit for everybody and when she was ask the move she replied "Make me", which says more about the driver than just about anything else! :o

[Gointocarlton]

The Ute craze in out of control in Australia, those RAM trucks are monsters and when they start turning them out as EVs with massive batteries onboard they will stuff up and damage the roads given the weight they carry.
Our roads are not designed to carry so many vehicles of this size/weight and its only going to cost all of us more money.
And all these clowns with massive Bullbars on the front of their vehicles as well driving around in the city covered with incorrectly wired driving lights that are not connected to high beam circuits that blind you at night when driving.
What do you need a bullbar and an array of driving lights for in the city anyway?

Apart from all the above, I also have the shotgun rack mounted on the cargo barrier which I need to shoot up stop signs , water tanks, protected fauna and scare off pesky tyre deflators.
Its a big country, plenty of room for everyone, protest all you like, just don't touch my big, fat, fuel swilling 4WD!

[Gointocarlton]

I have no problem with tradies using these for work, they are every bit as useful as the more traditional tradie vans and twin cabs.

But now I see mum's dropping kids off at private school with RAM, Ford F and Silverado, they are going up a level from Prado / Landcruiser, Range Rover or Pajero to American trucks!

I was talking to a school volunteer who does crossing duty, she complained that because these Yank tanks can't fit standard carparks they pull up wherever they like, apparently one stopped blocking the exit for everybody and when she was ask the move she replied "Make me", which says more about the driver than just about anything else! :o

Owning said vehicle type and driving legally and responsibly are two seperate issues, one doesn't imply the other.

[LP]

I suspect around some of the Vic timber towns the Bullbars might be relabelled in coming weeks, Brandtbars, Greenbars!

Green can be a horribly introspective culture, banning "old growth" logging, but really much of the alleged "old growth" has been logged at least once or twice over the last 120 years. So technically what is "old growth" to someone in 2023?

I thought it made sense to work towards the sustainable management of "old growth" versus softwoods and plantation renewables. All that was needed was a total quota that restricted old growth felling regions to once every 50 or 80 years and it would have been all OK, that by definition is a restriction to 1.25% to 2% per year!

[Thryleon]

This is the product of getting rid of decent cars.  I drive a Mondeo.  It's 15 years old, and is starting to show signs of the end.  My options to replace it are sfa and I can honestly state that my car is more capable of shifting stuff than the mrs nissan x trail. 

Mid sized sedan hatchback.  Not much available there anymore. 

[spf]

Get yourself a Ford Transit van. Very environmentally friendly, they often sit on the side of the road not working at all. Saves on the emissions.