Hmmm. Very interesting stuff, Filthy.
Is it because our government (like the US government) is in bed with the oil companies?
Yesterday, as I drove along the West Gate Freeway (woops, I meant sat in a traffic jam on the West Gate Freeway), I noticed the building of a new bridge to service all the new housing in Point Cook & Sanctuary Lakes. I remarked to my children:
(a)This is a great example of how our governments dilly dally - this bridge needed to be built BEFORE they put all the new housing in, not after!!
(b) Right alongside where this new bridge is being constructed, is the railway line. Apparently, they are "talking about" putting in a new station to service the new housing areas "some day". Isn't it ridiculous that this wasn't done FIRST! Public transport should always be built BEFORE the roads, or at the very least at the same time. It would be so easy to locate the station right where the new bridge is going - the railway line is already there; all they have to do is concrete in a platform.
(c) Government advertising bombards us day in day out. The latest series of ads craps on about turning your computer off at the wall and things like that. Gee, that is really going to make a HUGE difference to global warming, isn't it? Whereas getting people on to public transport and getting FREIGHT back on to the railways would remove many of the trucks and cars off the roads and make a REAL difference.
(d) Of course, part of the problem is that the STATE governments theoretically control roads & public transport. They blame the FEDERAL government for not giving them enough funds and so the blame game goes back and forth back and forth, just like it does over health and education. Maybe if Rudd does win this next election and we get Labour governments in all states & federal, then they will not be able to use this excuse any longer and some of these problems might FINALLY get fixed (interestingly, Rudd himself said something similar to this on TV the other night).
Sorry this rant was so long...but thought you might be interested, Filthy. I always enjoy your political posts.
The Stupid Country
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billyduckworth
- Club Captain
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I agree with you on solar energy too, Filthy.
I remember visiting Tibet way back in 1996 and noticing that virtually every building & every house has a solar panel on the roof. (Incidentally, these have been put in by the Chinese government, which often gets criticised for "interfering" in Tibet by people who have never been there and do not know what they are talking about - the Chinese government have certainly done some bad things, mind you, but the story is a lot more complex than Richard Gear and other Dalai Lama lovers would have you think).
Back to solar power...if a so-called backward place like Tibet can do this, why on earth can't we do it in Australia?
I remember visiting Tibet way back in 1996 and noticing that virtually every building & every house has a solar panel on the roof. (Incidentally, these have been put in by the Chinese government, which often gets criticised for "interfering" in Tibet by people who have never been there and do not know what they are talking about - the Chinese government have certainly done some bad things, mind you, but the story is a lot more complex than Richard Gear and other Dalai Lama lovers would have you think).
Back to solar power...if a so-called backward place like Tibet can do this, why on earth can't we do it in Australia?
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hillchaser
- High Draft Pick
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This makes me so mad when I read stuff like this ... Even though we love to laugh at the US and the rednecks who actually voted for Bush.. I don't think we are much different here is Australia.
I never used to think like this but I think the problem is actually with us common folk who don't seem to really care enough to demand this from our leaders.
I'm also hoping the the rudster goes to work when he gets elected...I can just picture him saying to Peter Garrett .. "look just shut up for now .. and when we get elected you can get serious "
I never used to think like this but I think the problem is actually with us common folk who don't seem to really care enough to demand this from our leaders.
I'm also hoping the the rudster goes to work when he gets elected...I can just picture him saying to Peter Garrett .. "look just shut up for now .. and when we get elected you can get serious "
Australia is actually improving. The develeopment of the Synchrotron was a massive step in the right direction and there are a number of other projects in the pipeline that would never have been considered even ten years ago.
A lot of Australian intellectual property finds it's way over seas because we don't invest in it. The pharacutical industry is rife with stories of OS compaines capitalizing on Aussie ideas.
Australia could be an economic superpower if they utilized their resources properley. Instead we do not invest in end product tech and make the minimal profit from offloading primary resources. We have done this for our entire history. We rely on "Buy Australian" policies and our tourism industry to bolster our trade deficit instead fo spending the investment funds required to sell products to end users.
One thing people fail to realise when they criticize solar power as not being viable is that there has been comparitvely miniscule ammounts spent on reaserching and miproving it. We spend millions subsidising brown coal a pracitcally dead technology and nothing on true clean energy.
Filth, I think you are being overly optimistic if you think once in power Rudd's policies will change. I am getting the distinct feeling he is Rodent mark 2.
A lot of Australian intellectual property finds it's way over seas because we don't invest in it. The pharacutical industry is rife with stories of OS compaines capitalizing on Aussie ideas.
Australia could be an economic superpower if they utilized their resources properley. Instead we do not invest in end product tech and make the minimal profit from offloading primary resources. We have done this for our entire history. We rely on "Buy Australian" policies and our tourism industry to bolster our trade deficit instead fo spending the investment funds required to sell products to end users.
One thing people fail to realise when they criticize solar power as not being viable is that there has been comparitvely miniscule ammounts spent on reaserching and miproving it. We spend millions subsidising brown coal a pracitcally dead technology and nothing on true clean energy.
Filth, I think you are being overly optimistic if you think once in power Rudd's policies will change. I am getting the distinct feeling he is Rodent mark 2.