Putting the Spark in Electric Cars

The road ahead for automobiles

The Vice-Chairman of General Motors Bob Lutz said recently, “the electrification of the automobile is inevitable”. Soaring oil prices and growing concerns over pollution and carbon emissions are likely to propel a surge in interest in electric vehicles. The task at hand for carmakers is coming up with a product that is similar in price and performance to what is currently available. It will be a challenge to convince buyers who are spellbound by the throaty rumble of a big-block V8 to trade in their old cars, and upgrade to a zippy electric model with amazing mileage and a humble whirr. GM, BMW, and other major manufacturers are preparing for this challenge and they are testing the waters with a range of models including the Holden Volt. The rising price of oil will inevitably force buyers toward change but in the meantime it’s up to the marketing teams to make the product sexy. The Volt runs on a 150 horsepower electric motor backed up by a 1.4 litre petrol powered generator. It has a range of 65km on batteries alone and a top speed of 190km/h. The stylish four door compact, designed by Maximiliano Larroquette is expected to be on Sydney showroom floors by 2012. An unofficial price guide is $30,000+. An electric powered Formula One Championship is only a matter of time away. Would you buy an electric car? What factors might influence your decision?

The House of the Rising Sun

Solar energy solutions for your home

Simon Barnett is a man with a vision. He foresees a day when every modern home has a solar panel array on the roof. “It used to be a niche market, and the setup costs were prohibitive, but now all that is changing”, says Barnett as he proudly displays his quarterly home power bill for $1.19. Energy costs are going up and the need for a clean power alternative has never been more apparent. Worldwide the sales of photovoltaic solar panels increased fourfold in the three years to 2007. The increasing popularity of solar technology is due to the lower prices and higher power outputs of solar panels. Many governments also offer tax concessions to home and business owners as an incentive to adopt renewable energy sources. The panel array may include a Solar Thermal Collector (STC) for directly heating hot water and a Photovoltaic Module for generating electricity. So what does it cost? Barnett expects that the cost of installing a solar panel array into the average Australian home would now be under $10,000. With a 50% government rebate and immediate savings on power consumption it is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment. Have you considered solar power for your home? How do you feel about the cost? Do you think solar panels should be compulsory for new developments?

A Dead Ringer

What to do with old mobile phones?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got half a dozen outdated mobile phone handsets sitting in a drawer somewhere gathering dust. Globally these old phones and other e-waste account for 70% of heavy metals in landfills. Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and PCB’s & PVC’s are some of the potentially harmful substances that can leech into the earth after their disposal. Almost all electronic devices, and most certainly phones are made with a planned obsolescence. The phone may not work, or it may be perfectly functional for many years to come yet regardless it will lose its appeal as it ages. There will always be a newer model, with more features and functions just over the horizon. So what are your options? You can donate the handset to charity where it may find a grateful and needy recipient. You can send it back to the manufacturer to be recycled or you can try and offset the cost of your next phone bill by selling your old handset for what is likely to be a token sum. The amount you recover will depend heavily on the age, model, and compatibility of your handset. With the $0 upfront plans on offer for brand new phones it’s likely that 18 months after purchase your old phone will serve you well…as a paperweight.
What will you do with your old handsets? Do old phones have sentimental value? How long will you keep your current phone? What would tempt you to upgrade?

The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind

The future of wind farms

Some folk see them as graceful symbols of engineering technology and icons of man’s mastery over nature. To others they’re just plain ugly. Whichever way you look at them, wind farms are here to stay. Wind farms harness the power of air currents to generate electricity. The giant turbines operate in clusters from less than a dozen to several hundred depending on their location and size. The 55-turbine installation at Wattle point in South Australia generates 91 Megawatts of power. Estimates reveal the carbon footprint of installing a new turbine is ‘repaid’ in as little as nine months. There are currently 42 wind farms operating in Australia and the government is taking a leaf out of the European book with a further 521 projects under construction. This will help to ensure the energy security Australia will depend on in the future. Mitchell Clifford from Portland, Victoria is more than happy to accommodate a wind turbine on his property. The income from the lease supplements his farming income and the power supplied by the turbine runs everything on his farm besides the vehicles. “It’s common sense,” said Mr. Clifford “It’s clean, abundant and free”. Are wind farms the right approach to clean energy? Are they an eyesore? Would you allow a wind farm on your property?

There's a Bear in There...

Making room for native species

Loss of habitat is the single biggest cause of extinction of Australian native species. The clearing of land for agriculture has wiped out many species of birds and other tree dwelling creatures. Those that remain must contend with domestic and feral animals, and people. One of the most profoundly affected residents of the Australian bush is the Koala. The cute bear like marsupial, which was hunted almost to extinction for its pelt is now found in small colonies throughout Eastern Australia. The estimated population of Koalas Australia-wide is around 80000. A large number of Koalas live within range of human contact and in parts of Southeast Queensland and rural NSW the Koala can quite happily coexist with humans although it is facing pressure from urban development in these areas. About 4000 Koalas are killed annually by cats, dogs, and cars. Many more are injured or left helpless in infancy by the death or incapacitation of their mother.
In NSW injured animals are cared for by the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service, also known as WIRES. If you find an injured animal the following steps are recommended.
Step 1 - Remove any threat to the animal. This may mean locking up cats and dogs until the animal is rescued by a licensed rescuer.
Step 2 - Minimise stress by placing a towel or blanket over the animal, then gently place in a box. Put the box in a warm, quiet, dark room and DO NOT DISTURB. The stress associated with human contact can result in death.
Step 3 - Seek advice. If you live in New South Wales, call WIRES on 1300 094 737.
WIRES will give you advice on what to do until a trained WIRES rescuer comes to take the animal to a vet or WIRES foster carer. The foster carer will look after the animal until it is ready to be returned to the wild. Have you found an injured animal? What did you do with it? Would you consider becoming a WIRES volunteer? Should you confine your pets at night?

Riders on the Storm

Cyclists take on the RTA over bike paths

A recent survey revealed that nearly half of all cyclists cited the lack of suitable cycling paths as a deterrent to commuting by bike. While legally a cyclist has the same road rights as a motorist it is often impractical for them to share a roadway due to safety concerns. In 1991 the wearing of helmets while riding became mandatory and this law significantly improved the outcomes for many accident victims. Head injuries are the most common reason for hospitalization and 40% of patients are children under 14 years of age. Cycling advocates are calling for more action. Brian Day of the NSW Cyclists Action Group has slammed the RTA for scrapping plans to develop several major urban cycle paths in suburban Sydney. Brian said, “Every year the traffic gets worse, and people get fatter. Decent bike paths could alleviate both of these problems”. A spokesperson for the RTA said that in most cases cycle paths were the responsibility of local councils; and added that the RTA has developed over ninety kilometers of dedicated bicycle-only pathways in the Greater Sydney area in the past year alone. The RTA has revealed plans to develop a further 330km of bike paths in conjunction with the upgrading of major arterial roads into the CBD. Day said, “This is the same old story, they’ll have a few meetings but nothing will happen”. What are your thoughts? Do you ride to work or school? Do you feel safe riding in traffic and pollution? Do we need better bike paths?

It's in the Bag

The solution to plastic bag pollution

They’re cheap and convenient and everywhere you look, but what is the real cost of plastic bags?

Around 500 000 000 000 (yes five-hundred-billion!) bags are used annually worldwide. Most discarded bags end up in landfill where they take 300 years to photodegrade into tiny toxic particles. Although they can be recycled, fewer than 0.5% actually find their way into a recycling plant. The World’s oceans are filled with thousands of tons of plastic particles and every year about 100 000 marine animals die from plastic pollution. Sea turtles, fish, and marine birds are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution and they normally die of slow starvation after ingesting plastic, or drown after becoming tangled in bags and other debris. There are a number of ways to minimize the effects of plastic pollution. Using biodegradable bags is a start. Petroleum based biodegradable bags are an improvement but they release methane (a greenhouse gas) as they break down. Some stores use corn-based biodegradable bags that are ideal but not widely used due to their additional cost. Some countries such as Ireland imposed heavy taxes on plastic bags to successfully discourage their use. For the smart shopper the best solution is to avoid plastic bags and excessive packaging where possible and reuse a fabric bag to carry groceries. Do you use plastic bags? Would you consider an alternative? Should shoppers pay more for plastic bags?

The Net Effect

The imminent demise of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Overfishing will wipe out the breeding population of Atlantic bluefin tuna in three years unless catches are dramatically reduced, conservation group WWF says. As European fishing fleets prepare to begin the two-month Mediterranean fishing season on Wednesday, WWF said its analysis showed the bluefin tuna of spawning age - those aged four years and older - will have disappeared by 2012 at current rates.” For years people have been asking when the collapse of this fishery will happen, and now we have the answer," said Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. The fish, which can weigh over half a tonne and accelerate faster than a sports car, are a favourite of sushi lovers. Demand from Japan has triggered an explosion in the size of the Mediterranean fleet over the past decade and many of those boats use illegal spotter planes to track the warm-blooded tuna. Atlantic bluefin tuna is collapsing as we speak and yet the fishery will kick off again tomorrow for business as usual. It is absurd and inexcusable to open a fishing season when stocks of the target species are collapsing," Mr. Tudela said. Environmental groups condemned an agreement signed in November by states setting bluefin quotas - a body dominated by EU members. The groups called it "a disaster" and "a disgrace", saying the states again chose to ignore their own scientists and set quotas 47 per cent higher than recommended. Illegal fishing is also rife for the bluefin, the dried, dark red meat that once fed Roman armies on the march. Growing numbers of restaurants and retailers are boycotting it. WWF said analysis of official data showed the average size of mature tuna had more than halved since the 1990s and that this has had a disproportionately high impact since bigger fish produced many more offspring. The bluefin can only be saved by a compete halt to fishing in May and June as the fish rush through the Straits of Gibraltar to spawn in the Mediterranean. Would you eat Bluefin Tuna? Should the fishing quotas be reduced or suspended? Should the government do more to prevent illegal fishing?

Storm in a Teacup

Is a rainwater tank right for you?

Australia is one of the world's highest consumers of water. Currently, Australia is experiencing one of the worst droughts in Australia's history. As the drought worsens, Australians face the challenge of securing our water supplies and adjusting our lifestyles to accommodate the drought and the decreasing water supply. In the near future, Australians may face extreme water restrictions and expensive water bills. Both of these issues may cause extra stress within your household and may impact the way you live. By installing your own water tank in your backyard or property, you can secure your own water supply free from the clouds and minimise the waste of clean rainwater. When Australia experiences heavy rain, it is often 'wasted' as it runs into storm water drains and into the ocean. This rainwater could be easily caught and used within your household. Rainwater tanks can save 40,000 litres per household each year. One of the main benefits of installing a water tank is the current Australian Government rebate that is used as an incentive for all Australians to install a water tank. Depending on the state you live in, you can initially save up to $1500 on the cost and installation of a water tank. The long-term financial benefits of installing a water tank are a reduced water bill and reduced dependence on town water. As the drought impacts on our water supplies, it increases the cost of water. The average Australians water bill reaches in to the mid hundreds. You can easily reduce this financial stress by installing a rainwater tank. By installing your own water tank, you can save financially and still enjoy freedom with your water supply. Many local councils have now made it mandatory to install a rainwater tank to new dwellings. Installing a water tank can increase the value of your home, as one of the long-term benefits of a water tank is a reduced water bill. Rainwater tanks will soon be one of the homes most valuable assets because water is a scarce and precious resource. Would you buy a rainwater tank? Should they be compulsory for all new homes? Is water underpriced?

C'mon Feel the Noise...

How loud is your party?
Now and then we all like to let loose and have a party. After a few beers or glasses of wine we sometimes get a little carried away and our enthusiastic goodwill can exceed the tolerance of others. Loud music or rowdy conversation can be offensive at any time of the day, particularly late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Sometimes we’re making a racket, and other times we’re having to put up with one. Whatever the situation it is advisable to firstly attempt an amicable resolution to the noise problem. Advise your neighbours of a planned party, perhaps invite them to attend. If they’re keeping you awake then a polite word may suffice. If you’re having a party you’ll need to watch the noise levels between midnight and 8am or you could face a fine. Repeated breaches may incur a noise abatement order. If your requests for a bit of shush are being ignored then phoning the police is your best option. They can shut the party down and if necessary remove the people responsible for the excessive noise. Whatever you decide to do it is helpful to remember the power of mutual respect. Are you a party animal? Do you have intolerable neighbours? How have you handled noise issues in the past?