https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OwGQjyHsoIkZh84VobGpL4gKw3XD9R4KrARMrGB3WnU/viewform

This survey is being conducted by Felix Ruch, a Year 12 Extended Investigation student at Rosebud Secondary College.

The research is being conducting in order to address the issue of the lack of integration of green design and renewable technologies in homes across Australia, causing unnecessary pollution to the environment and costs to homeowners.

The research question which we hope to answer is:

How can the motivations and benefits experienced by homeowners who have retrofitted common sustainable design and technologies into their houses, be used to encourage non-integrators to incorporate these features into their existing homes?

I think the following in response to this intended study.

Firstly about the URL posted, I have deleted the s from the http in order to make the link live. The owner of OLO advised the OLO site Editor does not recognize the s. I had the same problem when posting a URL. See here:
http://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OwGQjyHsoIkZh84VobGpL4gKw3XD9R4KrARMrGB3WnU/viewform

The tall ship logo of Rosebud school catches my attention because the retrofitting I am about to suggest is about sustaining the world ocean. Also in 1982-83 I was in Rosebud making live presentations, eventually to over 100,000 students in more than 500 schools.

As briefly as possible, while producing an underwater film I stumbled on malnutrition among seafood dependent island people. Actually it was retro-Investigative general research that led to my understanding of world fish depletion, socio economic and environment impact, consequences and possible solutions. And retro fitting homes is one of the solutions.

Evidence of substance gleaned from the research reveals beyond reasonable doubt that world fish depletion is fundamentally linked to sewage and land use nutrient overload pollution.
Sewage is feeding epiphyte growth smothering and killing seagrass nurseries that small fish depend on, that bigger fish and animals depend on.
Fish are not immune to starvation.
Animals including fish do not breed successfully during food shortage or starvation.
Of course overfishing already troubled populations has impact but it not the fundamental cause according to evidence.

There is dire urgent need to reduce the nutrient load but most people have no idea about nutrient point sources let alone how to reduce the loading.
School studies could lead the way or at least help to inform communities of the very reason and critically urgent need to reduce the anthropogenic nutrient loading presently going into ocean ecosystems.
Meanwhile, I have a case of evidence that indicates how international resources could be sourced for the task.

Evidence indicates households where possible could be retro fitted with modern septic-tank type sewage treatment systems, to use up nutrient for garden irrigation at that household, with any excess drained into the existing city/town sewage system.

Continued……….

Cont’d……………

I think a virtually means-tested measuring system per household could record the amount of nutrient being used by that household for irrigation, and/or also the amount of dissolved nutrient being returned to the sewer system.
These amounts could be traded by the householder to the city/town sewage treatment works, that if also retrofitted could feed the nutrient to grow algae to produce biofuel.
Algae derived biofuel has already been tested in ships and jet aircraft.

Sewage and land use nutrient pollution is causing increase in algae causing ocean dead zones and algae blooms that empirical evidence indicates is linked to change in weather and climate. You should understand more of this by referring to the Jennifer Marohasy article thread on OLO and my comment as JF Aus starting at page 4. Here:
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=18111&page=4

In summary here, it appears inevitable the link between nutrient and algae and climate will become known, and has to in order for solutions to be put in place.

Perhaps your studies could help research and reveal need for resources for science to establish viable technology for nutrient recycling business and employment required to manage whole oceans and community catchment ecosystems, while providing payment to holders for their effort in the process.

Householders may like to look into a study about saving on sewage rates while also helping to sustain the oceans and life of seafood dependent people, and livelihood of pro and amateur tourism fishing and reef tourism industries. Nutrient proliferated invasive algae is also killing coral.

If you think on a grand scale you can see the whole nation of Australia is one big household that could do with retro fitting some modern water supply infrastructure. For example evidence indicates it possible to bring water from northern Queensland into the Murray Darling catchment that supplies the Coorong in SA.

I think school studies could take a thematic approach in an initial feasibility and impact study of such infrastructure

Felix, the survey is an excellent initiative. Some suggestions:

Explain what "sustainable technologies" are up front. I clicked "No" to say I did not have any. Only by scrolling down did I see that LED lights and the like were included.

Tom W.

ps: You might find my ICT Sustainability course of interest: http://www.tomw.net.au/ict_sustainability/

Why was this obviously politically motivated discussion allowed by the 'Bossman'?

crissgaff1000,

What is the political aspect you are referring to?

My input is certainly not politically motivated.