Kia-ora
I'll come clean. I am a capitalist. I've started two businesses, one not so successful, due to injuries and health issues at an inconvenient stage. Though we did OK in the end. Another which shows all the signs of a healthy infant. I don't expect we will make a fortune, but it will make, enough. Currently I work for a multinational.
It is one of life's irony's that someone like me, an advocate for the mixed economy, Democratic Socialist, model that has proven the most successful economic system, to date, is considered any way, radical.
No one has yet found a better system for allocation of day to day resources, within a community, than a market capitalist system.
You see potential customers for your market garden or building skills, you invest in training as a builder, buy a set of tools, or in a plot of land and seeds. If you do it well, you make a good living, but how much profit you can make is limited, by the fact there are many other small builders and market gardeners, and your potential customers can see who grows the best vegetables, or builds houses that stay up. At this level a "free market" works fine. The economy is pretty much in a steady state, as is the use of natural resources.
As soon as you grow the community larger, than one where everyone knows the skills and honesty of the other members, you need ways of ensuring those with market power do not accumulate too much of the communities wealth. Basically that real contributors to the community don't lose out to cheats, resulting in the breakdown of the system
No capitalist society has succeeded without a healthy dose of co-operation, common infrastructure, goods and services and regulation, "socialism". Countries that are, "successful" by all our normal measures, have an economy balanced between private and State. The most successful have high progressive taxation, and a State share of the economy, around 50 to 60%. Ours is down to 28%, and it shows.
Without the rule of law, healthy and educated workers, public infrastructure and regulation of the "cheats" if you like, we cannot have a successful business, and wider economy.
Private provision of mass 'public' goods has proven to be incredibly inefficient, and wasteful. like our power companies.
It suits Bill Gates, and others, to attribute human advancement to capitalism, a self justification for having extorted extreme wealth.
Others attribute advances to human co-operation in developing infrastructure and services, laws, and sharing wealth and advancement, which capitalism can never deliver.
Both are correct.
The USA's post war advancement was due to high taxes, socialist redistribution, a high quality public education system, State sponsored research and innovation, public infrastructure spending, anti trust laws, banking regulation and a large middle class.
All were needed to make capitalism work.
The concentration of wealth and power with late stage, insufficiently regulated, monopoly capitalism, and the winding back of social infrastructure and redistribution, is causing the USA's decline.
In our example of small community capitalism above, people pretty much get out what they put in. The market limits how much they can take as profit. A "steady state economy, without growth, is possible.
You are buying yourself a job, if you like.
In a truly free market, an impossibility of course, where there is perfect information and competition, there cannot, of course, be any profit. "Free" marketeers/"free traders", don't want a "free market", they simply want one distorted in their favour.
Any business knows, that to make a profit you have to distort the market in some way. Convince people you are better than your competitors, get Government to legislate in your favour, or give you subsidies or public goods, or use monopoly or oligopoly power, to eliminate competition and keep wages low. Your profit is always someone else's loss.
Capitalism requires "growth" to function?
The motivation behind capitalists' is profit. Getting out more than you put in. Why start a business and take that risk, if you are going to make the same amount as you would as an employee.
However most people do make less than they put in, so that others can profit.
Many functioning businesses don't make a real profit. Including most of our essential small businesses. They make enough. Small builders make a good living. But you could hardly say they take out more than they put in. The degree of competition precludes that. Building material suppliers, however, make huge profits in New Zealand, because they are a duopoly. Big box stores, and banks, are extremely effective, in removing wealth from communities.
In a finite world, the exponential growth required to make increasing profits, and pay interest, is not possible.
Capitalism is cannibalising, the human and natural environment, it needs to survive.
The concentration of wealth and power insufficiently regulated capitalism, and excessive profit taking, has caused, now works against the survival of human civilisation. With the wealthy opposing any attempts to limit the damage.
Showing posts with label Clean energy.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clean energy.. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Sunday, September 18, 2011
For Those Who Still Think Man Made Global Warming is a Beat Up.
Kia-ora
Those who went on forever about a mistake in the IPCC report ignored the real story.
The fact is, the glaciers are disappearing!
Watching a glacier die.
And the polar ice. Arctic Ice Shipping Routes.
Not that you could tell from the response of the New Zealand Government.
Even Labour, lets us down.
Those who went on forever about a mistake in the IPCC report ignored the real story.
The fact is, the glaciers are disappearing!
Watching a glacier die.
And the polar ice. Arctic Ice Shipping Routes.
Not that you could tell from the response of the New Zealand Government.
Even Labour, lets us down.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Climate Change Is Here. Now!
Kia-ora
Kassie Siegel: Climate Change Is Here Now
"Climate change is happening now, we are causing it, and the costs of inaction -- to us, to plants and animals, to the physical world that we depend on -- are too steep to ignore and pass to the coming generations".
Friday, August 12, 2011
In search of a justification.
Kia-ora
Many laughable statements come from the Neo-Liberal right, but the ones that seek a moral or economic justification for greed and meanness are the most comical. (If the effects were not so serious).
Like the one from a bailed out US bank manager. "God thinks I should have a bonus". :-)
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
– John Kenneth Galbraith
The Standard.
Debunks the idea that taxing the rich more cuts total tax take. In fact the opposite has happened. As taxes to the rich have been cut in Western countries, Government revenues have decreased in most cases.
As I have said before. In the time of its greatest prosperity the US top tax rate was 90%.
Recent top rate tax cuts in New Zealand have resulted in decreased revenue each time.
Decreasing taxes on business and high incomes means more capital is free for more investment.
Did not work. Capital investment by private investors in NZ, the UK and the USA has decreased while they hid the money offshore, to dodge even more of the tax they should pay, or spend it on holidays in Hawaii. AND financial gambling. (Where we will have to bail them out next time they lose).
What's worse.
Cutting tax rates, and therefore revenues, cuts Government investment in the local economy in favour of those who take the money offshore. Never to be seen again.
In New Zealand the Government is borrowing offshore to pay for tax cuts to the rich. A double blow to the national deficit.
Similarly. Cutting wages is supposed to be an incentive for business to invest.
Trouble is cutting the wages of the businesses customers is even more of a disincentive. Low wage workers do not buy much.
Since the 1984 attacks on Unions and steadily dropping wages in New Zealand, direct investment in New Zealand production has dropped to 1/3 of what it was in the 70's.
Make the rich richer and they will give people jobs.
Jobs are not something the rich gives. Jobs are workers supplying their labour.
The rich are awash in money at present. 20% increase in the wealth of the richest in New Zealand. In the USA the rich are sitting on trillions. Where are the jobs??
In recent history job growth has come from State initiatives. It was not the private sector that pulled the USA out of the 30's depression, it was massive State spending, on the new deal, then WW2.
Lastly. The idea that the rich earn their money and we have no right to take it from them.
Who earns millions?
Most have millions because their family had millions. They contribute nothing and consume much more than poorer people.
Some entrepreneurs have started new business, produced services and ideas of great benefit to many people. It can be said that they earned their money.
It is notable that most of these people are philanthropists.
The rich benefit so much from our society it is only fair that they give back.
Better to take some if this money back and reinvest in infrastructure and the necessary green technology to ensure humanities future survival.
Many laughable statements come from the Neo-Liberal right, but the ones that seek a moral or economic justification for greed and meanness are the most comical. (If the effects were not so serious).
Like the one from a bailed out US bank manager. "God thinks I should have a bonus". :-)
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
– John Kenneth Galbraith
The Standard.
Debunks the idea that taxing the rich more cuts total tax take. In fact the opposite has happened. As taxes to the rich have been cut in Western countries, Government revenues have decreased in most cases.
As I have said before. In the time of its greatest prosperity the US top tax rate was 90%.
Recent top rate tax cuts in New Zealand have resulted in decreased revenue each time.
Decreasing taxes on business and high incomes means more capital is free for more investment.
Did not work. Capital investment by private investors in NZ, the UK and the USA has decreased while they hid the money offshore, to dodge even more of the tax they should pay, or spend it on holidays in Hawaii. AND financial gambling. (Where we will have to bail them out next time they lose).
What's worse.
Cutting tax rates, and therefore revenues, cuts Government investment in the local economy in favour of those who take the money offshore. Never to be seen again.
In New Zealand the Government is borrowing offshore to pay for tax cuts to the rich. A double blow to the national deficit.
Similarly. Cutting wages is supposed to be an incentive for business to invest.
Trouble is cutting the wages of the businesses customers is even more of a disincentive. Low wage workers do not buy much.
Since the 1984 attacks on Unions and steadily dropping wages in New Zealand, direct investment in New Zealand production has dropped to 1/3 of what it was in the 70's.
Make the rich richer and they will give people jobs.
Jobs are not something the rich gives. Jobs are workers supplying their labour.
The rich are awash in money at present. 20% increase in the wealth of the richest in New Zealand. In the USA the rich are sitting on trillions. Where are the jobs??
In recent history job growth has come from State initiatives. It was not the private sector that pulled the USA out of the 30's depression, it was massive State spending, on the new deal, then WW2.
Lastly. The idea that the rich earn their money and we have no right to take it from them.
Who earns millions?
Most have millions because their family had millions. They contribute nothing and consume much more than poorer people.
Some entrepreneurs have started new business, produced services and ideas of great benefit to many people. It can be said that they earned their money.
It is notable that most of these people are philanthropists.
The rich benefit so much from our society it is only fair that they give back.
Better to take some if this money back and reinvest in infrastructure and the necessary green technology to ensure humanities future survival.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Anthropogenic, Global Warming. (AGW) Is it too late?
Kia-ora
Is it already to late.
“Last year, a record 30.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide poured into the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuel – a rise of 1.6Gt on 2009, according to estimates from the IEA regarded as the gold standard for emissions data.”
While the politicians around the world "are fiddling", The chances of keeping Global warming within tolerable limits are decreasing year by year.
James Lovelock may yet be proved right. The human race is unable to co-operate to prevent the collapse of the environments ability to support humanity.
Keeping warming within 2 degrees this century is unlikely, unless we stop almost all fossil fuel use within the next 20 years.
The US Governments answer is to legislate, to say AGW does not exist, as if politicians opinions could "stop the tide".
Without the efforts of the worlds biggest per capita polluter, the chances of real efforts to reduce warming in the next 20 years are not good.
The IPCC predictions have, so far, been shown to understate AGW.
ANY ONE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE SHOULD BE PRESSURING GOVERNMENTS AND BUSINESS TO REDUCE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. Not to mention reducing our own.
Joining organisations such as Green parties NZ Greens, lobbying groups 350.org , community groups NZ Transition towns and business sustainability NZ business council for sustainable business. groups are other ways to help make a difference.
Government agencies can assist with reducing your dwelling or businesses carbon footprint. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
Is it already to late.
“Last year, a record 30.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide poured into the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuel – a rise of 1.6Gt on 2009, according to estimates from the IEA regarded as the gold standard for emissions data.”
While the politicians around the world "are fiddling", The chances of keeping Global warming within tolerable limits are decreasing year by year.
James Lovelock may yet be proved right. The human race is unable to co-operate to prevent the collapse of the environments ability to support humanity.
Keeping warming within 2 degrees this century is unlikely, unless we stop almost all fossil fuel use within the next 20 years.
The US Governments answer is to legislate, to say AGW does not exist, as if politicians opinions could "stop the tide".
Without the efforts of the worlds biggest per capita polluter, the chances of real efforts to reduce warming in the next 20 years are not good.
The IPCC predictions have, so far, been shown to understate AGW.
ANY ONE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE SHOULD BE PRESSURING GOVERNMENTS AND BUSINESS TO REDUCE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. Not to mention reducing our own.
Joining organisations such as Green parties NZ Greens, lobbying groups 350.org , community groups NZ Transition towns and business sustainability NZ business council for sustainable business. groups are other ways to help make a difference.
Government agencies can assist with reducing your dwelling or businesses carbon footprint. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Green Alternative.
Kia-ora
The New Zealand Greens show there are credible alternatives to National's Neo-Liberal slash and burn.
Some Alternatives for a Green budget.
In fact they have been advocating socially and environmentally responsible alternatives for some time.
The Green new Deal.
Media prefer to ignore sensible discussion of policy to concentrate on sound bites and irrelevance about celebrities.
The Labour party is "missing in action". I suspect they feel that New Zealand is so unrecoverable, after 30 years of Neo-Liberal "stuffing" that they do not want to be in power
The New Zealand Greens show there are credible alternatives to National's Neo-Liberal slash and burn.
Some Alternatives for a Green budget.
In fact they have been advocating socially and environmentally responsible alternatives for some time.
The Green new Deal.
Media prefer to ignore sensible discussion of policy to concentrate on sound bites and irrelevance about celebrities.
The Labour party is "missing in action". I suspect they feel that New Zealand is so unrecoverable, after 30 years of Neo-Liberal "stuffing" that they do not want to be in power
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Neo-Liberal Promise??
Kia-ora
All of the mantras from the Neo-Liberals that have been proved false.
Kicking away the Ladder
"Decreasing tax rates will increase overall tax take".
Only if taxes on middle incomes were excessive and the tax payments were being wasted. Like under Muldoon with social welfare for farmers and business. As we have seen recently decreasing taxes to the wealthy drops the overall tax take.
"Decreasing wages will free up business capital to invest in making business more productive".
In fact investment in productive business in NZ dropped to 1/3. Savvy business people know that low wage earners cannot buy much. SME's have been feeling the pinch every time NZ incomes have dropped.
"Letting the very wealthy keep more of the money will result in wealth trickling down and all of us being better off". Like feeding the cow more grass and hoping for better fertilizer.
"Privatising public services will result in cheaper and better services".
Yeah right. Like the US health system. Our rapidly dropping power prices.
"Running State owned enterprises like corporates will make them more efficient".
See above also refer to ports and railways. Managers are multiplying like fleas as they cut services and staff.
"Labour productivity needs to be increased before wages can increase".
Rob and CV have just covered that one. 82% increase in productivity. Skilled wages have dropped. Average up 18% only. The-productivity-lie
Globalisation and free trade will make everyone better off because of comparative advantage".
Wall street and some multi-national corporates get better off. The world pays through the nose to keep them in riches.
"Pay huge salaries to managers and you get the best".
UK research shows the higher management salaries are in relation to the rest of the staff, the worst performing the company. Germany and Japan get good managers while only paying about 4 times a workers salary.
"Taxes are a drag on the productive economy".
Well actually the USA economy was at its most productive when top tax rates were 91%. The best performing economies at present are the most taxed. Comparative tax rates.
"The State sector is non-productive while the private sector is productive".
So Doctors, Teachers, Universities, public research, Regulators don't contribute to the economy while finance houses, beer advertisers and gamblers in financial derivatives do. Yeah right!
"We will all have to accept austerity and a lower standard of living now for gain later.".
The majority of the population must accept less so the top 0.5% can continue to steal the results of our work from us. Waited 35 years so far.
"Selling income earning assets we already own will make us richer".
New Zealand's rich have spent the money they made from stealing our assets in the 80's and asset stripping. After burgling the share market as well they have proven so inept at adding value they need more public assets to play with.
"Tax cuts to the richest stimulate the economy."
No. extra income to the low paid and beneficiaries does because they spend it locally.
"Beneficiaries are a drag on the rest of us".
Beneficiaries are us. They are us one prolonged illness or some bad luck away. Cheap income insurance. Beneficiary income comes straight back as business income , taxes and wages.
Unlike 1.7 billion payments to insider traders in finance companies. Unlike tax cuts to the already wealthy which goes into US derivatives gambling.
Lunacy is expecting doing the same thing again and again to have a different result.
All of the mantras from the Neo-Liberals that have been proved false.
Kicking away the Ladder
"Decreasing tax rates will increase overall tax take".
Only if taxes on middle incomes were excessive and the tax payments were being wasted. Like under Muldoon with social welfare for farmers and business. As we have seen recently decreasing taxes to the wealthy drops the overall tax take.
"Decreasing wages will free up business capital to invest in making business more productive".
In fact investment in productive business in NZ dropped to 1/3. Savvy business people know that low wage earners cannot buy much. SME's have been feeling the pinch every time NZ incomes have dropped.
"Letting the very wealthy keep more of the money will result in wealth trickling down and all of us being better off". Like feeding the cow more grass and hoping for better fertilizer.
"Privatising public services will result in cheaper and better services".
Yeah right. Like the US health system. Our rapidly dropping power prices.
"Running State owned enterprises like corporates will make them more efficient".
See above also refer to ports and railways. Managers are multiplying like fleas as they cut services and staff.
"Labour productivity needs to be increased before wages can increase".
Rob and CV have just covered that one. 82% increase in productivity. Skilled wages have dropped. Average up 18% only. The-productivity-lie
Globalisation and free trade will make everyone better off because of comparative advantage".
Wall street and some multi-national corporates get better off. The world pays through the nose to keep them in riches.
"Pay huge salaries to managers and you get the best".
UK research shows the higher management salaries are in relation to the rest of the staff, the worst performing the company. Germany and Japan get good managers while only paying about 4 times a workers salary.
"Taxes are a drag on the productive economy".
Well actually the USA economy was at its most productive when top tax rates were 91%. The best performing economies at present are the most taxed. Comparative tax rates.
"The State sector is non-productive while the private sector is productive".
So Doctors, Teachers, Universities, public research, Regulators don't contribute to the economy while finance houses, beer advertisers and gamblers in financial derivatives do. Yeah right!
"We will all have to accept austerity and a lower standard of living now for gain later.".
The majority of the population must accept less so the top 0.5% can continue to steal the results of our work from us. Waited 35 years so far.
"Selling income earning assets we already own will make us richer".
New Zealand's rich have spent the money they made from stealing our assets in the 80's and asset stripping. After burgling the share market as well they have proven so inept at adding value they need more public assets to play with.
"Tax cuts to the richest stimulate the economy."
No. extra income to the low paid and beneficiaries does because they spend it locally.
"Beneficiaries are a drag on the rest of us".
Beneficiaries are us. They are us one prolonged illness or some bad luck away. Cheap income insurance. Beneficiary income comes straight back as business income , taxes and wages.
Unlike 1.7 billion payments to insider traders in finance companies. Unlike tax cuts to the already wealthy which goes into US derivatives gambling.
Lunacy is expecting doing the same thing again and again to have a different result.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Kia-ora
Is a low carbon future possible.
Yes. Both economically and technically.
The political will is lacking. Not from the majority of people, but from the minority that rule us.
Is a low carbon future possible.
Yes. Both economically and technically.
The political will is lacking. Not from the majority of people, but from the minority that rule us.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Solutions. More on combatting AGW.
Kia-ora
As we have said before no one thing can deliver an answer to AGW, but the technological solutions do exist. What is missing is the political will.
Global warming. How the world can stabilise at 350ppm.
" Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide at 450 ppm or lower is not politically possible today — not even close — but is certainly achievable from an economic and technological perspective, as I and others have said for years."
As we have said before no one thing can deliver an answer to AGW, but the technological solutions do exist. What is missing is the political will.
Global warming. How the world can stabilise at 350ppm.
" Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide at 450 ppm or lower is not politically possible today — not even close — but is certainly achievable from an economic and technological perspective, as I and others have said for years."
Thursday, December 30, 2010
More on Solutions.
Kia-ora
Tidal energy. is attractive because it gives a predictable and constant energy source, unlike many other renewables.
Tidal energy. is attractive because it gives a predictable and constant energy source, unlike many other renewables.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
On Global warming and our children's future.
Kia-ora
While we spend our time nit picking, we should never lose sight of the real problems.
1. Anthropogenic global warming. (Climate change).
2. The political and economic system which supports short term gain for a few people at the expense of our children's future.
3. The widening gap in income and power between most of the worlds people, and a few who have stolen most of the resources.
4. How we can ethically adjust resource use and human population to allow a sustainable and just society.
James Hansen on Climate change.
While we spend our time nit picking, we should never lose sight of the real problems.
1. Anthropogenic global warming. (Climate change).
2. The political and economic system which supports short term gain for a few people at the expense of our children's future.
3. The widening gap in income and power between most of the worlds people, and a few who have stolen most of the resources.
4. How we can ethically adjust resource use and human population to allow a sustainable and just society.
James Hansen on Climate change.
“Human-made climate change is a moral issue. It pits the rich and the powerful against the young and the unborn, against the defenseless and against nature.
“Climate change is a political issue. But politics fails when there is a revolving door between government and the fossil fuel-industrial complex.
“Climate change is a legal issue. The judiciary provides the possibility of holding our governments accountable for their duty to protect the public interest.”
Friday, November 19, 2010
The madness continues.
Kia-ora
Meanwhile, as the neo-liberal circus carries on, China is spending as much of their US dollars as possible in buying concrete assets and resources before the $US becomes as valueless as blankets and beads.
New Zealand continues to invest pension and other funds in $US investments (Money market gambling)..
Without the productive capacity and income within NZ to support pensioners and other investors in future it does not matter how much is saved. Re-introducing money into an economy which does not have the capacity to absorb it simply inflates that money to the degree the goods and services are not available.
The money would be better invested now in NZ in infrastructure, education (For useful jobs such as the trades and engineering) and sustainable energy efficient production to ensure our kids have a future. And so the can keep us in old age.
That is if the US$ has not inflated to be almost valueless because there are already more dollars floating around than can ever be redeemed by future US productivity.
Meanwhile, as the neo-liberal circus carries on, China is spending as much of their US dollars as possible in buying concrete assets and resources before the $US becomes as valueless as blankets and beads.
New Zealand continues to invest pension and other funds in $US investments (Money market gambling)..
Without the productive capacity and income within NZ to support pensioners and other investors in future it does not matter how much is saved. Re-introducing money into an economy which does not have the capacity to absorb it simply inflates that money to the degree the goods and services are not available.
The money would be better invested now in NZ in infrastructure, education (For useful jobs such as the trades and engineering) and sustainable energy efficient production to ensure our kids have a future. And so the can keep us in old age.
That is if the US$ has not inflated to be almost valueless because there are already more dollars floating around than can ever be redeemed by future US productivity.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
More solutions. The First Light Passive Solar House.
Kia-ora
First Light. House
Designed by Kiwi's for a US competition.
The Kiwi bach as an energy saving dwelling.
First Light. House
Designed by Kiwi's for a US competition.
The Kiwi bach as an energy saving dwelling.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Offshore drilling Safety??
Kia-ora
Maritime NZ have a road show going around the country with a proposal to make things cheaper for the offshore oil drilling industry.
Current requirements for STCW/SOLAS certification for crews and the vessel on oil rig tenders may be relaxed to allow inshore qualifications up to the new within 200 miles of the coast “Near sheltered waters limit”. About the same as allowing someone with 200 hours in a Cessna to drive a jumbo jet.
I.E. Off the East Coast or in the Great South Basin.
Oil rig tenders are supposed to be the stand by vessels for rescue and firefighting for the rigs.
STCW is the minimum requirement for international vessels. It is already compromised by ship owner interests. Attempts to relax requirements below this level are not going to increase the safety of offshore drilling.
Especially in light of the Coastguard findings in the US that lack of knowledge of stability in ship and rig firefighting at the scene may have contributed to the Transocean rig sinking.
I think this shows the Governments real level of commitment to environmental safety.
Maritime NZ have a road show going around the country with a proposal to make things cheaper for the offshore oil drilling industry.
Current requirements for STCW/SOLAS certification for crews and the vessel on oil rig tenders may be relaxed to allow inshore qualifications up to the new within 200 miles of the coast “Near sheltered waters limit”. About the same as allowing someone with 200 hours in a Cessna to drive a jumbo jet.
I.E. Off the East Coast or in the Great South Basin.
Oil rig tenders are supposed to be the stand by vessels for rescue and firefighting for the rigs.
STCW is the minimum requirement for international vessels. It is already compromised by ship owner interests. Attempts to relax requirements below this level are not going to increase the safety of offshore drilling.
Especially in light of the Coastguard findings in the US that lack of knowledge of stability in ship and rig firefighting at the scene may have contributed to the Transocean rig sinking.
I think this shows the Governments real level of commitment to environmental safety.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
White Roofs Project
White Roofs Project
Kia-ora
More on sensible solutions.
White roofs cut global warming and air conditioning costs.
Kia-ora
More on sensible solutions.
White roofs cut global warming and air conditioning costs.
Renewable Energy Solutions.
About SEANZ
Kia-ora
More about solutions.
SEANZ is the sustainable energy association of NZ.
Members are suppliers and researchers into sustainable small scale distributed power generation.
A couple more renewable energy links.
http://www.ecoinnovation.co.nz/t-Accommodation.aspx
http://www.randysworkshop.com/
http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/articles/GettingStarted.asp
Kia-ora
More about solutions.
SEANZ is the sustainable energy association of NZ.
Members are suppliers and researchers into sustainable small scale distributed power generation.
A couple more renewable energy links.
http://www.ecoinnovation.co.nz/t-Accommodation.aspx
http://www.randysworkshop.com/
http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/articles/GettingStarted.asp
Sunday, September 12, 2010
On a sustainable society
Kia-ora
We will not have a sustainable society with an economic system that requires continual growth to function. With all its commensurate requirements such as monetary growth, planned obsolescence, continual expansion of production, concentration of wealth and strip mining of natural and human resources.
Social justice is a requirement for an environmentally sustainable society.
Democracy, In reality, not pretend as at present, is a requirement for a consensus on how to get there.
We will not have a sustainable society with an economic system that requires continual growth to function. With all its commensurate requirements such as monetary growth, planned obsolescence, continual expansion of production, concentration of wealth and strip mining of natural and human resources.
Social justice is a requirement for an environmentally sustainable society.
Democracy, In reality, not pretend as at present, is a requirement for a consensus on how to get there.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Industries we could lead in.
Kia-ora
Anyway I said I would be positive.
Admit this is one of my pet projects.
I have not managed to find the website again. But a UK firm was looking at designing and manufacturing electric city commuter cars for lease.
Something NZ could be a leader in.
The sort of investment it is worth borrowing for.
Composite construction with the renewable composites Waikato is researching.
Intellectual property for export.
Power from renewable s on the grid is more energy efficient than petrol.
Petrol cars can be kept for long distance travel.
Carbon offsets.
Foreign exchange savings from offsetting hydrocarbon imports.
May help develop renewable energy industry also.
Manufacturer leases so incentive to make the cars long lasting. No planned obsolescence.
Simple design as restricted to 50k/hr.
Leased so drivers do not have to buy another car.
This sort of thing will not happen however without Government leadership.
As NACT have shown with biofuels they would rather we stayed followers.
Anyway I said I would be positive.
Admit this is one of my pet projects.
I have not managed to find the website again. But a UK firm was looking at designing and manufacturing electric city commuter cars for lease.
Something NZ could be a leader in.
The sort of investment it is worth borrowing for.
Composite construction with the renewable composites Waikato is researching.
Intellectual property for export.
Power from renewable s on the grid is more energy efficient than petrol.
Petrol cars can be kept for long distance travel.
Carbon offsets.
Foreign exchange savings from offsetting hydrocarbon imports.
May help develop renewable energy industry also.
Manufacturer leases so incentive to make the cars long lasting. No planned obsolescence.
Simple design as restricted to 50k/hr.
Leased so drivers do not have to buy another car.
This sort of thing will not happen however without Government leadership.
As NACT have shown with biofuels they would rather we stayed followers.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The economy and peak oil.
Kia-ora
Food production, energy and even the production of substitutes for oil depend on petroleum.
So does the economic system. It is unlikely it will survive the loss of cheap energy.
"To illustrate, if home and business loans are issued with interest rates in the 7% range, the assumption underlying the loans is that the monetary supply will increase (on average) by 7% per year. But if that 7% yearly increase in the monetary supply is not matched by a 7% yearly increase in the amount of economic activity (goods and services), the result is hyper-inflation. The key is this: in order for there to be an increase in the amount of economic activity taking place, there must be an increase in the amount of net-energy (i.e. the net-number of BTUs) available to fuel those activities. As no alternative source or combination of sources comes even remotely close to the energy density of oil (125,000 BTUs per gallon, the equivalent of 150-500 hours of human labor), a decline or even plateau in the supply of oil carries such overwhelming consequences for the financial system. Dr. Colin Campbell presents an understandable model of this comple relationship as follows: "
Food production, energy and even the production of substitutes for oil depend on petroleum.
So does the economic system. It is unlikely it will survive the loss of cheap energy.
"To illustrate, if home and business loans are issued with interest rates in the 7% range, the assumption underlying the loans is that the monetary supply will increase (on average) by 7% per year. But if that 7% yearly increase in the monetary supply is not matched by a 7% yearly increase in the amount of economic activity (goods and services), the result is hyper-inflation. The key is this: in order for there to be an increase in the amount of economic activity taking place, there must be an increase in the amount of net-energy (i.e. the net-number of BTUs) available to fuel those activities. As no alternative source or combination of sources comes even remotely close to the energy density of oil (125,000 BTUs per gallon, the equivalent of 150-500 hours of human labor), a decline or even plateau in the supply of oil carries such overwhelming consequences for the financial system. Dr. Colin Campbell presents an understandable model of this comple relationship as follows: "
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http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/09/23/dams-sustainable-and-permanent/#comment-159237
“We have so many good options in NZ or renewable power that compared to most countries we are spoiled for choice.
Unless we are invaded for energy, food and living space which would be a strong possibility. I do not see the people who happily murder just to become richer sitting put and starving while countries like NZ and Australia are available.
I agree with Kevin. Apart from bigger schemes that work on already degraded areas like Stockton. Reducing demand with green buildings, energy efficient transport and lower energy technology is one strand.
Renewable energy. Distributive generation, bio-mass solar water heating, wind, geothermal, solar tidal and run of the river hydro are the other.
I gave an example above of how the timber industry. (To build Green houses) can produce all its own renewable energy from the waste stream.
These are only very approximate numbers to get the idea. I have some, but do not have the time to wade through all my papers at the moment. Orders of magnitude are close enough to show the theory. Changes in technology may mean more or less contribution. Bio fuels from sewerage are now looking more promising than first thought. Especially for farming which produces lots of it.
Electric urban transport. (Trains and cars). Reduce transport fossil fuel demand by 50%. 100 PJ saved. Green buildings in California reduce demand by 15% 20 PJ saved.
All houses with solar heating. 40 PJ saved.
Ships and trains for long distance transport another 50 PJ saved.
Distributed generation by households on a smart grid. 50 PJ.
Council woody waste 4PJ. Bio-mass (Sewage plants) 10 PJ.
Forestry waste stream. 9 PJ short term. Up to 20 medium term.
It will require a lot of work and commitment, but I do not see why we cannot be 100% renewable in electricity and 50% in transport fuels by 2020 if we started now. Good for employment too.
Get the idea. New Zealanders are well placed to have a good life style with our current resources and technology.
There will likely even be some surplus for exports to pay for things which it is not sensible to produce locally. The French and Russians will sell us all the weapons we may need.
The caveats are. We need to start NOW.
WE NEED TO CHANGE TO AN ECONOMY WHICH SUPPORTS A DECREASING USE OF RESOURCES”.
We cannot afford to wait until politicians, who have too much invested in the current system, do something.
Carrying on as we are is not an option. Niether is a reversal to some agrarian horse drawn utopia.
This requires a change from the bottom up. Real democracy.