Thursday, October 22, 2009

Swap diesel subs for nuclear

Letter to the Editor #17, "The Australian" Fri 23 Oct 2009; (104 words)
by Allan Taylor of Hove, SA

Our Navy’s $6 billion investment in six Collins Class submarines which don’t work is an embarrassment ("Engine problems cripple subs" Australian 21/10/09). It is suggested that the Swedish supplied Hedemora diesel engines may have to be replaced, costing many $100 millions.

One decent sized nuclear powered submarine is worth more than six malfunctioning diesel powered submarines. The activity of one such submarine helped the British win the Falklands War.

India has recently built and launched its first nuclear powered submarine of Russian design, and is building a second. Why don't we do likewise?

Let’s start afresh and scrap, or sell off our Collins Class submarines on eBay.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Bizarre ETS is bunkum

Letter to the Editor #16, "Rockhampton Bulletin" , 21 October, '09.
(149 words). by Allan Taylor of Adelaide.

I applaud your publishing Ronald Kitching’s satirical letter "Only Vandals and Dills want an ETS" (15/10/09). He forgot to lampoon the Green Party, aka the Fear Party, which ultimately, together with the Greenpeace Organisation, is responsible for this dangerous promotion of a false eco-religion.

It has long be known that atmospheric CO2 has nothing to do with global warming and its observed rise is beneficial to the biosphere. Higher CO2 levels allow us to improve crop yields and so feed the slowly rising world population, plus more easily help the existing starving millions.

The idea of the need to cut "greenhouse gas" emissions is bunkum. Atmospheric greenhouse gases consist of 95% water vapour (harmless) and the rest mainly CO2 (also harmless and very beneficial to mankind). The politicians (Labor, some Liberals, Greens, but not the Nationals) who promote this bizarre ETS legislation should all be sent to the nearest lunatic asylum.

Global warming - It's hot when the sun shines

Letter to the Editor #15, 'The Gladstone Observer" 20th October,2009.
(200 words) ; by Allan Taylor of Hove, Adelaide.

MEREDITH PAPAVASSILIOU is correct to say it is obvious global warming is happening. (Editorial 9/10/09). In fact, it happens every day and every year with monotonous regularity.

And right at my back door too! Before dawn it may be only 10 degrees but by noon often it gets to 25 degrees. In summer, temperatures may reach over 30 degrees each day for weeks on end. A daily variation of 15 to 20 degrees is normal and we take it in our stride.

Being an observant person I have noticed that daytime heating coincides with the presence of the sun overhead. Coldness occurs when the sun is not visible, such as at night time. It's the sun, you idiot!

I put forward this radical hypothesis for global warming (and cooling) as an alternative to the now popular among politicians "greenhouse gas" hypothesis which seems to blame a minute amount (385 ppm) of CO2 gas present in our atmosphere. Furthermore, we are supposed to be scared that over the past 100 years increasing greenhouse gases have apparently caused a global temperature rise of less than 1 degree! Therefore, the pollies say, we must pass the ETS/CPRS bill to save the earth (but also destroy the Australian economy).

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Writings on CO2, Energy and Climate


The easiest way to access about 50 of my articles on these topics is to go straight to my Helium home site "About Me"
Happy reading ... while there learn how to catch or smoke trout, or find out where to vacation in Latin America.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Desal plant is no solution

Letter to Editor #14, "Sunday Mail" (Adelaide) 11 Oct, 2009
(97 words) by Allan Taylor of Hove

MIKE Smithson has done an admirable job reviewing the SA water controversy with his article "Floodgates open now on stormwater debate" (4/10).

Building a 100 Gigalitre desalination plant only compounds the problem of potable water distribution. Expensive drinking water will be wasted on watering the garden and flushing the toilet!

The Liberals and Greens wisely promote storm water capture, purification and recycling, plus more supply from aquifers. To put this in perspective, Mexico City, with a population of 20 million and rainfall of 700 mm a year, relies on water from aquifers. No desalination plant is needed there.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

No dogs at car boot sale


Letter to Editor #13 "Guardian Messenger" 7 Oct., 2009 (135 words)
by Allan Taylor of Hove (foto: Brighton Jetty)

How dare the Hon. Jane Lomax-Smith, Labor member for the City of Adelaide, interfere with the enjoyment of the Brighton community's fortnightly Sunday car boot sale held at Brighton Secondary School!

We are now directed by her that this popular function is to be a Smoke-free and Dog-free event as from 11th October. I suggest that she keep her Puritanical belief system to herself and not venture into the Brighton region.

Everybody should ignore this ridiculous directive. The dogs enjoy this wonderful community event as much as the buyers. Many stall owners enjoy a quiet smoke in this open air environment. We are a happy community the way things are managed now.

The March state election is soon to come. I suggest all dog lovers and smokers vote out Premier Mike Rann's Labor Government, for this and many other reasons.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Let nuclear turn the windmills of your mind, Mike


Letter to the Editor #12 "Sunday Mail" (Adelaide) 3 Oct 2009; Readers' "SUNDAY ROAST" column, (370 words) by Allan Taylor

Premier Mike Rann has his vision for the future of South Australia. He says SA must become the center for renewable energy and climate change research. There is a State Office of Sustainability and Climate Change and an Adelaide University department of Climate Change headed by the admirable Prof. Barry Brook.

What do we get? Useless and ugly wind mills desecrating our beautiful landscape.

Federal Labor has recently passed their "Renewable Energy Target" bill which sets a target of 20% electricity being derived from renewable sources by 2020. Prof. Brook says this is impossible and advocates developing nuclear power, as does Ziggy Switkowski of the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Association.

To be a prosperous and vibrant State we must have abundant and reasonably priced electricity. Prof. Brook says there is no evidence that the existing wind farms in SA have reduced green house gas emissions.

Utility companies have their work cut out meeting the daily and unexpected peak electricity demands using conventional power stations burning coal and natural gas. Such power stations must still be kept on standby if and when an erratic dribble of electricity comes from wind or solar sources. Last summer's heat wave caused rolling power blackouts throughout the State due to excessive demand.

The small, unpredictable, intermittent and variable electricity produced by wind farms serves only to destabilize the national grid and has no environmental benefit. Let's forget about renewable energy. It is not necessary and very costly.

The alternative is to go nuclear. Adelaide could become the center for the nuclear power industry. The universities must teach nuclear sciences and technology and so train the scientists and technicians required.

The Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine expansion will require an additional 650 MW of power, to make it the largest uranium mine in the world. This is best supplied by a nuclear power plant. We could pioneer the use of small nuclear power plants to revitalize the Outback. The present use of diesel generators and remote solar plants is unsatisfactory and unreliable.

We could even build nuclear powered submarines and electrify our city rail system. The mind boggles at the possibilities when you have abundant electricity.

With Premier Rann all you will get is more obsolete wind mills, more power blackouts, and a stagnant dismal economy.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Why renewable energy?

Letter to the Editor #11, "Gladstone Observer" (Gladstone QLD), September 2009
(137 words) by Allan Taylor

The current fetish of renewable energy is like the olden day’s search for perpetual motion or the "philosopher’s stone" which could turn base metals into gold. All are false ways ahead to achieve prosperity, except for those snake oil merchants who promote and manipulate the bandwagon.

Why do we need renewable energy in Australia? Our coal, gas and uranium resources are enormous and sufficient to last out hundreds of years. The technology involved to generate electricity from these sources is soundly established and of minimal cost.

Yet we waste R & D funds, both private and public, on wind farms, solar voltaic projects and geothermal drilling and "clean coal" projects, all of which is bizarre, very costly and unnecessary.

Let us return to the real world of common sense, instead of searching for a Green Utopia that doesn't exist.