Part 58 - Let the sun shine in.

 The war in the Ukraine and Rusian sanctions is creating power shortages and rising prices throughout the world for oil, gas and coal, not to mention food.

Here in Australia, at least on the east coast, gas prices are soaring and the fossil fuel power grid is on the verge of shutdown. Not that there is a shortage of power generation but the coal price for export is so high that they lose money by running the generators. 

Old technology is causing increasing breakdowns and many coal fired stations are bring forward their shutdown dates. 

Years of neglect of the screamingly obvious need to move to renewables by the previous federal government has left most of Australia in this position. Except for Western Australia.

The government here is running trials of community batteries to "smooth" the grid and we have the highest uptakes of solar and wind power in Australia. So much so that the state government has just announced the closing dates for the last two coal power stations.

Now, with the new federal government we have a commitment to reach climate change targets for real, not just by fudging the figures. They are also looking at a full renewables program, hopefully subsidising elecrtric vehicles as well.

So what's the point here? Well, it shows that sticking your head in the sand and hoping that technology won't change is a fools game. 

The biggest problem with having your head in the sand is that when things come back to bite you on the bum, you don't see them coming.

Part 57 A brave new world (for many reasons)

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That was a quote I used when I retired last week.

I have finally turned 70 (going on 30 in my head) and decided that I was sick of what I was doing so I retired.

whether that's a good move or not I have yet to decide. I love not getting up in the cold and fighting traffic. My time is now my own... But there's so much of it!

Like everything else, there is a need to readjust and work out what I want to do, but I must admit, that's not a bad problem to have.

This is my first blog in quite a while and what a lot of history has passed in that time. 

Trump gone (hopefully for ever), Covid, changing the world in so many ways. The horrific war in the Ukraine and food and fuel shortages because of it.

The winding back of globalisation. Automation due to lack of employees due to covid.

On the other hand, in Australia we now have a new government that seems to actually be in the 21st century which makes a nice change from the Morrison spin party.

They want to use technology rather than deny it exists and actually do something about climate change other than talk around it.

As with all new governments, the talk is good but the actions that come from it speak the loudest.

Lets hope reality does have a very loud voice.