Green
I have been reading Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers, his book on climate change. By the time I got to the end I had an overwhelming feeling of doom, and that I really should go to the reef sooner rather than later. (Screw overseas, that's our next trip. And to the daintree. It doesn't sound like that's going to be the same for much longer either).
So anyway, the only thing I could think of doing was checking to see whether our electricity was carbon neutral or not. I thought it not entirely coal, but I couldn't remember if it was 100% or not. (Turns out it was 80% Hydro, 20% wind). I discovered that Origin have carbon neutral gas, where they offset your gas carbon. So I told them I wanted it, and someone from there just called me, and told me that if I wanted it, I had to stop paying extra for my green electricity, and they'd do some package green gas electricity deal where it costs the same as coal. So for a $1 less a week, I get carbon neutral energy sponsored by the AFL, and they are sending me some globes and a new shower head in the mail. Too easy.
So those of you who are in the country / not about the leave the country and who influence the energy decisions in your place, you can make your energy carbon neutral at no cost. And I know that whether i opt for green energy or not, doesn't really influence whether my personal energy comes from wind or not, but if enough people are paying for it, they'll have to build the infrastructure to match the numbers. Anything to get away from brown coal would be good.
And a little less stupid than the government (and the oppostion's) plan to avoid climate change still using coal, but just burying all the CO2. If it works great - but I doubt they are going to be able to make a big difference in the next 20 years, by which stage it's probably too late.
So anyway, the only thing I could think of doing was checking to see whether our electricity was carbon neutral or not. I thought it not entirely coal, but I couldn't remember if it was 100% or not. (Turns out it was 80% Hydro, 20% wind). I discovered that Origin have carbon neutral gas, where they offset your gas carbon. So I told them I wanted it, and someone from there just called me, and told me that if I wanted it, I had to stop paying extra for my green electricity, and they'd do some package green gas electricity deal where it costs the same as coal. So for a $1 less a week, I get carbon neutral energy sponsored by the AFL, and they are sending me some globes and a new shower head in the mail. Too easy.
So those of you who are in the country / not about the leave the country and who influence the energy decisions in your place, you can make your energy carbon neutral at no cost. And I know that whether i opt for green energy or not, doesn't really influence whether my personal energy comes from wind or not, but if enough people are paying for it, they'll have to build the infrastructure to match the numbers. Anything to get away from brown coal would be good.
And a little less stupid than the government (and the oppostion's) plan to avoid climate change still using coal, but just burying all the CO2. If it works great - but I doubt they are going to be able to make a big difference in the next 20 years, by which stage it's probably too late.