Hippie-ocrisy

[zipzap]

If all this talk about carbon credits and offsets isn't ludicrous enough, there are two other issues that get my blood boiling or at least mildly percolating.

1. Plastic bags in Coles & Woolies etc. Now, obviously the world would be much better off without them but they sure are convenient. So surely if we have to use them someone should invent bio-degradable ones that can be used a few times before crumbling into the ether... What's that you say? They already have? Well you never, ever see it mentioned in any of the debates about the evil plastic bag, just like it's never mentioned that Coles and Woolies so grossly overpack their products in plastic that any positive effect from banning plastic bags will be completely nullified anyway. I was bemused the other day when Mrs ZZ brought home a lettuce pack from Coles, not only wrapped in plastic but also embedded in a plastic tray. Their meat is even worse. Totally uneccessary.

Biodegradable bags are available and they work well - so why aren't they being embraced? My only thought is they must cost the supermarkets a couple of cents extra so they prefer to stick with the traditional plastic bags and make the customers feel like environmental vandals for using them.

2. Earth Hour. It is definitely a great thing to get people thinking about the energy they consume and take for granted. But when the same media outlets that champion the annual suburban Outdo-Your-Neighbour Christmas Lights Osram-fest and the admittedly pretty Northern Lights (just 2 examples) tell me to switch off my lights for 60 minutes to save the environment, well, honestly I'm ready to blow a fuse myself.

Rant over

[redden whites]

Whats the story about "green energy".I had a sales guy come to the door today asking if i would like to switch to "green energy" .I asked that if I indeed did switch how does the electricity company seperate the GREEN from the NON-GREEN as it travels to my home.I have 1 feed from what I assume is the common grid from the poles in the street to my meter box. How do I know I am getting GREEN power from the grid?Poor bugger was stumped and clearly not trained in any way and I am still non the wiser??????????????

[Pseudo]

add to them:

3. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13856

[Interceptor]

Whats the story about "green energy".I had a sales guy come to the door today asking if i would like to switch to "green energy" .I asked that if I indeed did switch how does the electricity company seperate the GREEN from the NON-GREEN as it travels to my home.I have 1 feed from what I assume is the common grid from the poles in the street to my meter box. How do I know I am getting GREEN power from the grid?Poor bugger was stumped and clearly not trained in any way and I am still non the wiser??????????????

They don't do a green/non-green delivery separation from the grid to your house.
What you are using is simply part of the overall power grid that is supplied to everyone else.

Where the separation occurs is in the generation to power grid stage.
i.e. green (e.g. wind farm) + non-green (coal) = total available power

Green power is less cost effective (for now) to generate than non-green, so the power generating company pass the extra cost onto the retailer who pass it onto you.

[Ian]

add to them:

3. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13856

From that thread, my rant on environmental hipocracy

At the moment in Aust. it takes about 12 - 15 years to recoup the extra money outlayed to put in solar hot water (I'm not sure on the time to recoup solar electric cells), the life expectancy of your solar hot water system................15years.
It also takes more than 15 years to nuetralise the extra green house emissions used to produce solar cells over a more traditional gas or electric system. In theory solar is fantastic for the envirinment, in reality, at best it is carbon nuetral when production emissions etc. are all accounted for.
We still have a way to go to make solar hot water/energy truly envirinmentally freindly, production methods, and total cost need to be seriously looked at to make it attractive when all things are considered.

[Ian]

Green power is less cost effective (for now) to generate than non-green, so the power generating company pass the extra cost onto the retailer who pass it onto you.

Not only is it more expensive, but wind power can only be used to top up the grid, it is unsuitable as a primary source of electricity as it can not produce at a constant output. Still a very good option to top up the grid though.

[Ian]

2. Earth Hour.

anyone interested, here's the link. http://www.earthhour.org/

[zipzap]

2. Earth Hour.

anyone interested, here's the link. http://www.earthhour.org/

Just don't try logging on tomorrow night - the internet will be off

[smac]

Have to remember to make sure the laptop is charged so we can watch a DVD during Earth Hour then...

[redden whites]

Whats the story about "green energy".I had a sales guy come to the door today asking if i would like to switch to "green energy" .I asked that if I indeed did switch how does the electricity company seperate the GREEN from the NON-GREEN as it travels to my home.I have 1 feed from what I assume is the common grid from the poles in the street to my meter box. How do I know I am getting GREEN power from the grid?Poor bugger was stumped and clearly not trained in any way and I am still non the wiser??????????????

They don't do a green/non-green delivery separation from the grid to your house.
What you are using is simply part of the overall power grid that is supplied to everyone else.

Where the separation occurs is in the generation to power grid stage.
i.e. green (e.g. wind farm) + non-green (coal) = total available power

Green power is less cost effective (for now) to generate than non-green, so the power generating company pass the extra cost onto the retailer who pass it onto you.

Thanks, so if the GREEN sales people have a very successful day and sign up 20,000 subscribers more people may actually be paying for GREEN power that can actually be produced by GREEN power..........who keeps the cash ???? .What happens if everyone else converts in one day and I have to pay for Pt Augusta all by myself I need a more convincing system for me to sign up sadly.

[Psyber]

Earth hour - The ideal time to test my experimental Lithium Fusion rig!

[BIG SEXY]

you have one too?!
i thought i was alone

[zipzap]

I don't know what is funnier - the Advertiser's souvenir wraparound today telling us to switch off tonight to 'save the planet' (presumably it was hand printed by the commune children of Nimbin on hemp-paper and not by one of those nasty, gas-guzzling printing presses) or the fact that it is very prominently sponsored all over by Radio Rentals promoting their sale this week - 15% off all electrical items!! Save the planet! Buy a 85" Plasma TV!

Do your bit kids.

[johntheclaret]

Check out the Google Homepage screen.

Turned it all black with a comment along the lines, "We've turned out our lights, now why don't you?"

WTF? Nice one Google. Change your screen from white to black and save the planet

[smac]

Looks like just the UK page for now John - and I recall reading somewhere that a monitor uses more power to display black than any other colour (more than likely incorrect because I read it a LONG time ago, but it fits the theme of this thread nicely).

[johntheclaret]

Maybe due to the time difference.

Woudln't be suprised about the power usage though

[johntheclaret]

Here you go.

http://www.google.co.uk/

[therisingblues]

I think it is good that people are at least talking about global warming now. The more talk, the more aware people will become.
Not that long ago the politicians were still denying the existence of Global Warming. Without those voices yelling their message so loud for so long, our politicians would have continued to ignore the environmental problem to stay on the good side of a duped electorate, that also would be unaware of a need to act. Going green is going to cost a little bit extra, and cause inconveniences for people, but if we don't do it...well I don't need to repeat the amount of information that's out there that describes the consequences.
We aren't anywhere near doing enough ATM according to scientists. It needs to be something that the vast majority are willing to do. We gotta start somewhere.

[stan]

If all this talk about carbon credits and offsets isn't ludicrous enough, there are two other issues that get my blood boiling or at least mildly percolating.

1. Plastic bags in Coles & Woolies etc. Now, obviously the world would be much better off without them but they sure are convenient. So surely if we have to use them someone should invent bio-degradable ones that can be used a few times before crumbling into the ether... What's that you say? They already have? Well you never, ever see it mentioned in any of the debates about the evil plastic bag, just like it's never mentioned that Coles and Woolies so grossly overpack their products in plastic that any positive effect from banning plastic bags will be completely nullified anyway. I was bemused the other day when Mrs ZZ brought home a lettuce pack from Coles, not only wrapped in plastic but also embedded in a plastic tray. Their meat is even worse. Totally uneccessary.

Biodegradable bags are available and they work well - so why aren't they being embraced? My only thought is they must cost the supermarkets a couple of cents extra so they prefer to stick with the traditional plastic bags and make the customers feel like environmental vandals for using them.

2. Earth Hour. It is definitely a great thing to get people thinking about the energy they consume and take for granted. But when the same media outlets that champion the annual suburban Outdo-Your-Neighbour Christmas Lights Osram-fest and the admittedly pretty Northern Lights (just 2 examples) tell me to switch off my lights for 60 minutes to save the environment, well, honestly I'm ready to blow a fuse myself.

Rant over

You make some good points in number 2. Its clear these things have to go. The Northern lights - Needs to go. Christmas lights well its just a waste of power.