The problems revealed by China were anticipated in the West years ago and it only seems to prove critics right
1) fossil fuel balancing of wind power
I suspect that to fudge the numbers China will say that coal use to balance wind power is quasi-renewable and Australia will do the same for gas fired generation. Therefore it will count toward the RET, a blatant porky.
2) perverse effects of offsets
While tree planting offsets have their own problems the CDM offset is based on the magic pudding idea of using less than a presumed entitlement. All types of offset should be severely limited to ensure green energy projects stand on their own merits.

A possible saving grace is that some believe China may run short of coal as early as 2015, evidenced by the interest in digging up Australia's Liverpool Plains. The Chinese may show the world in how to build large nuclear power stations in just three years. China is clearly worried by the threat of carbon tariffs made by Sarkozy and others. Yet another observation by Nicholas Stern is that China's 300m middle class have effective average emissions as high as the West while the rural poor miss out. That weakens their claim to 'catch up'. Therefore there are many factors which may impede China's coal dependence. However even something approaching business-as-usual for another decade will still see too much coal burning. I suspect that will happen, Copenhagen promises or otherwise.

I thought Arthur was being mildly amusing until he reached the bit about our "Politicians" then it went from the sublime to the ridiculous.
You just do not get it do you Arthur? This is all a total nonsense perpetrated by the greens for power, the politicians for taxes and the Banks for want of a better term for profit. These groups all think they have the game sewn up and maybe they do. However at some stage when the bill is presented some pay outs will be given. As is so often the case these groups will find what they get is not what they asked for but what they deserve. Bring it all on! Double all the power and water charges and when we act accordingly it will all change.
The Greens think they have got away with their role in stopping back-burning and causing the massive fires in Victoria but they may find they receive a bill for this and a bill for the, sorry is it still AGW or do we call it "Climate Change" now, I forget.

The Chinese economy is mathematically successful because they operate with 2 distinct tiers.

Export products are sold at 1st world prices, and their highly regulated production/distribution base is based on a 3rd world price.

Apart from the terrible respiratory and other diseases that certain local Chinese areas are inflicted with because of their over use of coal as outlined in the relevant W.H.O. report (which beijing tried to supress) the reality is is that if it wasn't profitable for them to produce green tech, they simply wouldn't bother.

Why buy filthy, expensive, disease causing coal from Australia, when they can generate their own green power for much less.

Green Tech - I'm thinking of my solar water heater (and indeed it would be a good idea to have a *GREEN DAY* in all Oz dust effected areas and get up on the roof and clean your panels if you want them to operate efficiently)

When conditions are good, it costs me nothing to heat my water. When (rarely) they're not, the 1000watt back up element is the most expensive electrical device that I have on the property.

We've retired the electric coffee machine for gas and thermos, the rice cooker for a traditional wicker basket, and would luv a solar oven and also a solar magnifier to heat up a block for the iron.

Reduced to their component parts and costed at the local Chinese economy price you will find that these devices are very, very cheap by Oz standards.

With the new bb web and local citizen purchasing groups I hope to see the rise of direct cargo ordering and shipping by the end users. As for the effected retailers, all I can say is <snip>

The only real issue is jobs and for that we have everything bar the political will to manufacture. For example, our Zirconia sands goes to China to be made into a Knife, then to Japan to be sharpened and then back to Oz by which time it costs a bomb.

Grow a Brain Australia!

This was a great article and i gained much insight from it.

Thanks again,
Jon
http://www.drivingschooldirectory.com.au
http://www.drivingschooldirectory.com.au/driving-school/driving-school-directory-your-source-for-local-driving-lessons-instructors

That's the cool thing about being a dictatorship, reality is whatever you say it is.

Yes, so, the SolarHart. Sprung a leak at one point in the solar tank and was only running on "electrickery" (quote CatWeazle ;-) )

I had a mate come round and he informed me that the design is such that you can't just rip the tanks out and hit the holes with the solder iron. So, instead of the requested thousands of dollars to virtually buy a whole new kit, we modded it for $AU250 and now just use the one tank. (including a whole new concrete based cradle to replace the rusted one, new hot water pipes etc)

Giving I've been "shooting off me gob" here about how fab it is, I thought that I'd best make sure, so last night, had the electricity disconnected.

It's partially overcast here today and sure enough this morning, the water when run on red was barely tepid. By mid morning, it was luke warm and now its hot enough and all three of us have showered, done the dishes and the laundry.

Given its tropical here, the Mrs reckons not to bother reconnecting the electrickery. I tend to agree.

..

Now, when if/when red china start pumping out house upgrade kits at prices even the base can afford, then I expect we will really start to see a significant dent be able to be put in our ommissions.

Pollution industry wrkers will just have to be upskilled and relocated.

The great "Black Ball" of Evolution rolls on and it should be embraced as an opportunity, not resisted with self centred ignorance.