Why not build a Nuclear Power Plant off the Northern Darwin Coast, and a few Desalination Plants.

The plant could provide more than enough power to supply, the plants, and any pumps necessary to pipe the desalinated water down to the drier regions of the country where it is needed, as well as provide a good boost to the National Power Supply.

No need for so much security around the plant, the salt water croc's will take care of any would be terrorists, and I am sure some smart scientist can design a croc repelling device for the maintenence men diving to keep the operation running smoothly.

How about it Johnny?

Thanks David,

Let me see if I've got this straight.

The actually burning of oil and ethanol produce no appreciable difference in the atmospheric CO2 emmissions.

The benifit of using ethanol is that it comes from a plant and will absorb CO2 from the soil and atmosphere.

In order to use ethanol, large tracts of land would need to be cleared of plants which are already reducing CO2 from the soil and atmosphere.

So, wouldn't using ethanol have no overall impact on CO2 - planting species that are well known for their CO2 uptake would be better - but would be reduce the bio-diversity, particularly of natives, in affected areas?

Thanks for the update, Alchemist.
After having done some more reading on the topic, I now favour the idea of an algae industry, especially if there’s a real possibility to utilise otherwise vacant areas such as parts of the deserts, which are unsuitable for other uses.

Not enough people are convinced that there, in fact, exists a real replacement for crude oil. And that all that is required now is action and initial costs to make it happen. I believe (although not 100% convinced yet) that this is economically and environmentally viable.

Yep, I agree that the fact that we are still driving around on petrol and diesel has not much to do with reality, but more with interests of the big investors/political corner of doom.
Keeping the public as uninformed as long as possible, or dragging out change will mean profits.

Politicians, I am sure, will say in defence that consumers and the business world aren’t ready for biodiesel yet...

There is currently a test underway in New Zealand to produce biodiesel from algae harvested from sewage treatment ponds.If successful, it could lead to the production of fuel, fertilizer and clean water from effluent, and would build on existing infrastructure.

Ah thank you, Fester, I did a search on this and found the article in the NZ Herald.

I like this idea now even better than the ‘growing algae in the desert’ one because it is simpler and will probably require less engineering and transport. This sounds very promising!

I haven’t been able to find out how long this NZ tests is going to take. Can’t wait for the results!

All I have read about micro-algae has been positive so far. There is, so it seems, a real possibility to produce this on a large-scale; so large-scale in fact, that there would be enough supply to replace ALL of our petrol at a very reasonable cost.

I’d like to look at it from all angles, so did anyone come across any negative points about micro-algae biodiesel?

Is there an algae-rush coming up?

Biofuel-people need-to-understand that biofuels-don't-have the-Power-density-or-online-Capacity to avoid-PEAK-OIL-world-population-collapses. We HAVE to use the US High tech coal approach for this reason and also because we must be in line with US-industrial-strategy-to-SURVIVE-the-next-difficult-10-years.

As-for-the-politics, the point of voting OUT Iemma and Howard is to FIND the other choices. You won't find them by sitting-on-bums, complaining-and-ultimately-being-handed-your 'notice-to-quit-life' letter complete with white-feathers. And if the next lot are no good then vote them out. This is why Costello should be given a test-drive NOW. The more we change corrupted and lazy politicians the harder they'll think about the workplace-immigration-monopoly crimes they are perpetrating-on-average-Australians in the false name of "future-prosperity". They will then realise we KNOW Australia is-already-LOCKED-INTO-a-very-wealthy-MINERALS-future.

In-the-meantime we no longer want to-be-subjugated-into-submission-by-corrupt-half-witted-politicians seuling ethnic-developers (minorities-might-add) with big dollars onto us . They build over our rights, privileges and quiet enjoyment of our major cities, while taking future-wealth off us like-lollies-from-a-baby and sucking-their-thumbs-in-victory to-prove-it.

If we stop development in SYDSEQ, immigration will cease and Westfields, Macbank and PBL will find other places to make obscene profits and other peoples to cheat out of their heritage.

After a 10 year hiatus from immigration I am sure we will be have enough built up infrastructure again to cope with further immigration and development. We all want to be the New York of the Pacific in SYDSEQ, but on OUR TERMS, on a timeline that puts profits out of the reach of specific individuals. We must refuse to dance into oblivion to the tune of some fat overpaid executive's wet dreams. And the same argument applies to Australia as a republic. The longer the transition time the less the motivation for opportunism, corruption and injustice.

March 7, vote for Debenham and let HIM know WE want development halted in SYDNEY and the NSW-Nth-Coast. If not, let-him-know-he's-out-as-well.

Anyone who thinks this approach is infantile-or-regressive needs to understand, people power will only get one chance from here.
The STAKES ARE SO INCREDIBLY HIGH