EU hides their Toaster and Kettle bans so they don’t “galvanize” Brexit

Toaster, photo

The last thing the EU want is for the British to be reminded of the EU’s intrusive, pointless plans to control them from afar:

Dave Keating, Euractiv.com

EU’s ban on inefficient toasters delayed to avoid pro-Brexit press attack

The EU has put plans to regulate inefficient kettles and toasters into cold storage amid fears in Brussels that they could galvanise support for the leave campaign in the UK’s 23 June referendum

 Freudian slip?

Are the laws made for the people, or for the M.P’s?

But in fact, these efficiency improvements have had a complicated relationship with public opinion in the past decade. Public backlash has been one of the biggest impediments to passing these EU laws.

Dang voters are an impediment to bureaucrats.

Efficiency improvements for things like toilets and lightbulbs, passed by the Commission of Jose Manuel Barroso which ended in 2014, prompted negative press, particularly in the United Kingdom.

So the British press has more spine than the French and German propaganda sheets?

Newspapers accused the European Union of meddling in the most minute details of daily life and demanded the freedom for consumers to use too much electricity and too much water if they so choose.

Joy. At least they stopped regulating toilet flushing (only just):

Juncker: This Commission no longer regulates the flushing of toilets

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday (23 February) that he “fought like a lion” against “ill-inspired Commissioners” who thought the EU should regulate the flushing of toilets. He also indicated that he will push for a multi-speed Europe in proposals to be unveiled next month.

Junker the lion. Sure.

The article is about the EU passing efficiency laws that the public are “unconvinced” about. The toaster line is buried. In the opening paragraph, there is a strange admission that the EU has plans to make your whitegoods “independent”:

European legislation has made appliances like washing machines and dishwashers even more water and energy efficient than washing clothes and dishes by hand. The next step is to connect these appliances to the web and allow them to act independently.

Because we all long for our fridges to grow up and tell us what we are permitted to eat, right?

Photo by Stocksnap.

9.7 out of 10 based on 66 ratings

187 comments to EU hides their Toaster and Kettle bans so they don’t “galvanize” Brexit

  • #

    These are the misfortunes of the dictatorship of Brussels. Mentally retarded people who believe they know themselves better than scientists! professors or economists!

    183

    • #

      This is the sort of thing that pro-Brexit ministers and prominent supporters need to voice every day to reveal the true nature of the bureaucrats in Brussels and what really awaits Britain if it remains.

      The Battle of Britain didn’t end in 1940, it has simply taken a new turn.

      272

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Correct. The European Soviet in full cry…..

        Back to selling food in pounds again I say …..sod Brussels…..

        90

    • #
      Robdel

      Or the market.

      60

    • #
      clivehoskin

      This is whatthe EU has in store for the UK if”Traitor May”thwarts Brexit.
      1: The UK along with all existing members of the EU lose their abstention veto in 2020 as laid down in the Lisbon Treaty when the system changes to that of majority acceptance with no abstentions or veto’s being allowed..
      2: All member nations will become states of the new federal nation of the EU by 2022 as clearly laid out in the Lisbon Treaty with no exceptions or veto’s.
      3: All member states must adopt the Euro by 2022 and any new member state must do so within 2 years of joining the EU as laid down in the Lisbon Treaty.
      4: The London stock exchange will move to Frankfurt in 2020 and be integrated into the EU stock exchange resulting in a loss of 200,000 plus jobs in the UK because of the relocation. This has already been pre-agreed and is only on a holding pattern due to the Brexit negotiations -which, if Brexit does happen the move is fully cancelled but if not and the UK remains a member, it is full steam ahead for the move.
      5: The EU Parliament and ECJ become supreme over all legislative bodies of the UK.
      6: The UK will adopt 100% of whatever the EU Parliament and ECJ lays down without any means of abstention or veto, negating the need for the UK to have the Lords or even the Commons as we know it today.
      7: The UK will NOT be able to make its own trade deals.
      8: The UK will NOT be able to set its own trade tariffs.
      9: The UK will NOT be able to set its own trade quotas.
      10: The UK loses all control of its fishing rights
      11: The UK loses all control of its oil and gas rights
      12: The UK loses all control of its borders and enters the Schengen region by 2022 as clearly laid down in the Lisbon Treaty
      13: The UK loses all control of its planning legislation
      14: The UK loses all control of its armed forces including its nuclear deterrent
      15: The UK loses all control of its taxation policy
      16: The UK loses all ability to create its own laws, or to implement them
      17: The UK loses all standing in the Commonwealth
      18: The UK loses control of all provinces or affiliated nations e.g.; Falklands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar etc.,
      19: The UK loses all control of its judicial system
      20: The UK loses all control of its international policy
      21: The UK loses all control of its national policy
      22: The UK loses all right to call itself a nation in its own right.
      23: The UK loses all control of its space exploration program
      24: The UK loses all control of its Aviation and Sea lane jurisdiction
      25: The UK loses all rebate in 2020 as laid down in the Lisbon Treaty
      26: The UK’s contribution to the EU is set to increase by an average of £1.2 bn pa and by£2.3 bn pa by 2020
      Type in”Lisbon Treaty”for more.

      301

      • #
        Kinky Keith

        Amazing, stunning!

        Hard to imagine that after fighting two world wars to hold on to independence and freedom that the listed options need much thought at all.

        Freedom or Slavery.

        Life or Death.

        Really bizarre. KK

        220

        • #
          Roy Hogue

          I suppose there may be a better place to stick this in farther down in the comments but KK’s contrast between freedom and slavery seems good enough.

          All this commentary does at least one thing. It boosts my confidence in my predicting ability, not that I’m any great prophet but all I saw going wrong thn was the loss of individuality that was the major feature of Europe.

          Way back when I heard the EU being talked about seriously I said, “Don’t do it because you’ll regret it.”

          It seems the regret set in almost before the ink was dry and gets worse with every passing regulation. I cannot understand the urge to control everyone’s every action and thought.

          00

      • #
        Annie

        You can understand why I am so angry at what Traitor May are doing to my native country.

        211

      • #
        David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

        Thanks Clive,
        I thought it was bad, but not that bad. Nor already agreed. I just hope they get out soon enough.
        Cheers, in hope,
        Dave B

        140

    • #
      jack

      It those pesky citizens, how dare they question the actions of the Government, you’d think they were paying the politicians and bureaucrats wages(!).
      They should just behave like cattle, that way the Government (human farmers) could get on with their destruction job.

      20

  • #
    Kinky Keith

    The Elites, led by the likes of MalEx444, from the bunker in New York city, have us firmly in their grip.

    The biggest and best grab so far is the $1,000 per household annual electricity skim, then the management team at your friendly union managed super fund is investing your hard-earned in environmentally friendly schemes. The rumour that union officers on the Super boards are getting an annual fee of $100,000 for 3 hours work a week is not true.

    Likewise the new additional NSW Government tax of $108 conveniently added to one of your household bills to help disguise it will be put to good use. Glad can absolutely guarantee that it is safe in her hands, or something, and will be used strictly for the purpose it was intended.

    Meanwhile there’s great relief with the Australian Energy and Future Tax Commission announcement that uncontrolled flux from rooftop solar playing havoc by frying sensitive household appliances will be a thing of the past soon.

    Winter’s just around the corner.

    World War 111. Won by the Elites.
    Not a bullet fired.

    KK

    291

    • #
      John PAK

      How did we become subverted into voting for Tweedledumb or Tweedledee while those actually changing the ground-rules seem to be faceless bureaucrats who we cannot vote in or out?

      20

  • #
    GD

    Will the madness ever stop?

    It’s just CO2 for goodness sake!

    Why is the first world so suicidal?

    We should be living in utopia by now.

    300

  • #
    Greg Cavanagh

    I’m probably going to miss with the language; but they were going to introduce a maximum wattage for items such as vacuum cleaners and jugs.

    As was pointed out here, lowering the power of the appliance simply means that appliance takes longer to do the same job. Particularly a jug boiling water. There is no efficiency to gain, 1 litre of water takes X watts to boil, nothing can change that.

    390

    • #
      Lionell Griffith

      As was pointed out here, lowering the power of the appliance simply means that appliance takes longer to do the same job. Particularly a jug boiling water. There is no efficiency to gain, 1 litre of water takes X watts to boil, nothing can change that.

      I strongly suggest that the politicians already know that. They also know the amount of energy used will not be lowered. Their goal is to encumber the citizen with so many rules, regulations, standards, and laws that the citizen gives up. Thereby moving the citizen to go along to get along which fails too. That, in turn, motivates the politicians to pass still more rules, regulations, standards, and law.

      The goal is to stop the citizen from doing anything that is not preceded by a politician giving a “mother may I” permission to act. Further, the politicians know that such a situation reduces the civilization in question to a totally nonfunctional one. Which was their goal from the get go!

      The politicians know they can’t produce any life giving life enhancing value. That is why they don’t want you to be able to do that either. It is irrelevant to them that the civilization collapses into a state of extreme poverty and eventually extinction. The only thing that matters is that they had the power to make it happen. For them, a power unused is a power abused.

      The driving force is the destruction of that which is good BECAUSE it is good. No matter what their golden words happen to be. They do not have your best interest at heart.

      Why are we still feeding them?

      360

      • #

        Actually, the amount of energy required will increase since if it takes longer to boil the water, there’s more time for energy to radiate away from the water being boiled requiring even more energy to replace the additional heat loss.

        450

        • #
          AndyG55

          And if you reduce the power far enough, and the kettle is not well insulated,

          you will end up with a tepid cup of tea. !!! YUCK !!!

          110

          • #
            David Maddison

            The Leftists also want to remove all the little pleasures in life like a cup of tea (except for themselves).

            111

          • #
            Bill in Oz

            What about using micro waves to boil water for tea. Someone once did this for me and said it saved using electricity.

            BTW, the tea tastes awful. So I never do it

            42

            • #
              AndyG55

              You have to let is stand for a couple of minutes before adding the tea.

              Otherwise the inner vibration of the H2O molecule can “burn” the tea, and as you say.. yuck !!

              30

            • #
              ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

              Normally it takes about 6 – 7 minutes of boiling for large eggs to be hard-boiled. I use a bowl, put 4 eggs in, boil enough water in the kettle to cover the eggs in the bowl, takes 1.5 mins to boil.

              Pour the boiling water over the eggs, microwave for 3 minutes. Result is hard boiled eggs using less time and energy (well, depends if you use a gas stove to normally boil your eggs, but that’s price. Energy used to boil water is always the same needed to transfer to the water).

              30

          • #
            Yonniestone

            Have to add the boiling point of water decreases with altitude, it only takes 72C to boil water at the top of Mount Everest.

            30

    • #
      Environment Skeptic

      I have done the experiment and it takes 10-12 minutes to boil water using a 25 watt halogen lamp in a stainless steel tube to boil water in a thermos, thus very low losses and low startup current when the globe filament is still cold. Of course i do not use it all the time. It was just an experiment.

      My energy saving fridge was adapted by converting a chest freezer to work as a fridge. Very big savings compared to so called space saving fridges which achieve space saving by decreasing the amount of insulation they use until these days fridges are the most inefficient in the galaxy, or compared to how well fridges are insulated in the rest of the cosmos by other beings.

      80

    • #
      ivan

      Greg, this is the second bite at power reduction of domestic appliances, the first was in 2014 where they reduced the allowable power in kettles, hair dryers, smart phone chargers and so on.

      When my 30 odd year old kettle gave up the ghost at the beginning of last year the replacement I managed to find takes twice as long to boil the same amount of water. I am dreading what will happen if my equally old coffee maker gives up.

      100

      • #
        Bobl

        The problem here of course is that the losses depend on the difference between the water and ambient multiplied by time. The longer the losses run the LESS efficient the kettle.

        When it comes down to it you need a specific amount of energy to boil water PLUS any losses. Higher powered kettles are MORE efficient, or you can add insulation which lowers the loss, but you can’t change the energy needed to boil the water!

        I must admit I do support insulating kettles, which saves a lot of $$$ in reboiling during the day. Ye olde tea cosies have a purpose. At the moment it’s hard to even buy an insulated kettle.

        70

        • #
          John PAK

          I like the way you state it Bobl.

          To shorten LPG gas cooking time I’ve silver-soldered a 50mm vertical skirt to the bottom of a large stainless saucepan. I drilled gas escape vents about 25 mm up the skirt (which was cut from the old vegetable steamer that came with the saucepan eons ago.) Sadly, I forgot to time how long it took to boil a litre of water prior to the modification but it is really obvious that the skirted pan is much more efficient and a considerable improvement upon the expensive enamelled kettle we usually sit around waiting for.
          I’ll have to give lid insulation some thought.

          30

          • #
            Bobl

            My concept is just to use a vacuum flask with a stainless heating disc and use induction heating if the disc

            20

      • #
        Graham Richards

        Ivan, please don’t tell me you have not heard of buying goods on the internet!!
        You can buy whatever voltage or wattage you want. You may have to change the plug. Can you??

        10

    • #
      george

      lowering the power of the appliance simply means that appliance takes longer to do the same job. Particularly a jug boiling water. There is no efficiency to gain, 1 litre of water takes X watts to boil, nothing can change that.

      Just wondering would a higher wattage means more losses in the house wiring.
      Take an extreme example 5,000 watts in standard 2.5mm wiring for 10 seconds, compared to 5 watts for 10,000 seconds.
      Would the energy supplied to an element be the same ?

      21

      • #
        george

        I would say that a very high powered element loses more energy to the supply cables.
        Say the supply cable resistance is 1Ω and the resistance element is also 1Ω, then half the power is lost in the cable.
        Whereas if the element is 100Ω the proportion of power lost in the element is much larger than the cable.
        P = I 2 ⋅ R

        21

        • #

          Yes, a higher powered element results in more cable loss, but multiply Watts of loss by time to get Joules (this is what you pay for) and with less time and more Watts, it’s a wash. None the less, the size of the losses are relatively small so you don’t burn your house down with your toast.

          The wire used for a 20A 120V circuit is 12 gauge which is about 1.6 ohms per 1000′. A 2.2Kw heater (18.3A @ 120V) has a resistance of about 6.6 ohms. At 50′ away from the load panel, 100′ of wire is about .16 ohms, so we loose about 54 W in the wires or less than 2.5%. At 240V, the I^2 R losses would be 25W given .30 ohms of wire. Note that this is the practical upper limit for a heating appliance and also requires a 20A outlet (most 120V outlets are 15A and limited to about 1.6KW). Typical toasters and coffee pots are in the neighborhood of 1000 W.

          30

          • #
            ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

            Aww maaaate.. How do ‘Mericans accomplish anything with only 115-120V – do they have to raise Wattage or Amperes?

            I’m being a little sarc but I don’t comprehend that much about electrickery versus Ohms, Watts etc. I’d just like to know.

            40

            • #

              Watts are the same, Joules are the same, Amps are doubled. But we also have 240V for the bigger appliances which we get from a pair of opposite phase 120V circuits.

              20

              • #
                george

                Watts are the same, Joules are the same, Amps are doubled.

                Actually power is proportional to the square of the voltage.
                So US would get 1/4 of the power as Australia for the same resistance element.
                P=V²/R

                20

              • #
                george

                And current is squared to.
                P=I²R
                So times 4 in the US for the same power.

                30

              • #

                Power is voltage times current.

                10A at 12OV is 1200 Watts.
                5A at 240V is 1200 Watts.

                A 1200 Watt toaster will make toast in the same amount of time, independent of the voltage it was designed to operate at and cost the same given the same cost per KW-wour.

                20

              • #
                george

                But the key point is resistance of the element is constant.
                So

                10A at 12OV is 1200 Watts.
                5A at 240V is 1200 Watts.

                A 1200 Watt toaster will make toast in the same amount of time, independent of the voltage it was designed to operate at and cost the same given the same cost per KW-hour.

                is not possible

                10

              • #

                A 1200 Watt toaster designed to operate at 120 V has a 12 ohm heating element, while a 1200 Watt toaster designed to operate at 240V has a 48 Ohm heating element. The point being that the work that can be done by an appliance is measured in Watts, not Volts or Amps and the work a 1200 Watt toaster can do is independent of the voltage it was designed to operate at.

                If you plug a 1200 Watt toaster designed for 120V into a 240V outlet, it will draw 4800 Watts and quickly burn out. If you plug a toaster designed for 240V into a 120V outlet, it will only draw 300 Watts and just warm the bread.

                40

      • #
        John PAK

        I’m running a hot water service on the end of 10 m of standard 2.5mm cable. It sucks almost 20 Amps at 240 Volts and has never been a problem. My sparky gave me the ball-park figure out of his head but he has a little yellow book of tables for more unusual loads. I’m guessing George has it about right,- the wiring loss is a small proportion of the total loss.
        Occasionally you do need to do some actual calculations. An owner builder ran numerous cables through one tight opening in his timber framed house. The fuses must have been too big and while they were at work the tight bundle over-heated and they lost the entire house. Circuit breakers are good cos they drop out at the first sign of a short.

        10

  • #
    Richard Ilfeld

    All regulators who do not do their own housework are disqualified. Poof. No regulations.

    170

  • #
    Latus Dextro

    Blossoming micro-controlling edicts and standardisation of toasters, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, smart meters and car engine size (the list is in fact enormous), fail to conceal that the continental MSM also refuses to report the sinister and malign, record high stabbings and knife crimes, a 900% rise in knife attacks in Germany since 2008.
    Police reported more than 4,100 knife-related crimes in 2018, compared to around 3,800 reported during 2017 — and only 400 in 2008. German media do not report most knife-related violence.
    Free speech is shrinking, freedom of action is next.

    Sovereignty, migration and border security, key motivations in the UK vote for Brexit. These same common set of themes are sweeping across Europe now, a dawning European Spring

    This coming May, all the signs indicate that the EU bureaucrats will personally experience quite severe ‘control’.
    The days appear numbered for the globalism rainbow cult.

    210

  • #
    Mark M

    This toaster goes to eleven!

    It has been eleven years since NASA’s top doomsday global warming expert announced that “we are toast.”

    https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1988&dat=20080624&id=7mgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7qkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5563,4123490

    Mmmm … toasty.

    100

    • #
      Annie

      Ah, the one where Jim Hansen said, back in 2008, that the Arctic would be ice-free in five to ten years’ time. Right!

      120

  • #
  • #
    C. Paul Barreira

    Whilst I am somewhat sceptical regarding the value of regulation of toasters the general purpose seems admirable. One of the great humbugs of our age—and there are plenty from which to choose—is “sustainability”. Given the enormous levels of waste today the more regulation the better—if it were effective and genuinely supranational.

    So many products today are sold possessed of astonishing degrees of ineptitude of design and incompetence of manufacture that one looks in vain for products that will operate effectively, efficiently and for a goodly period of time.

    The first electric kettle my wife and I had served us well for some twenty years. Latterly we have had to replace kettles within two years of purchase, primarily because of manufacturing faults (lids that fail to open) and inability to repair. You will throw it out and buy another. This may thrill yet another species of dubious intellectualism, economists, but is utterly wasteful. Does any economist, let alone trade negotiator, by the way, know of the broken window fallacy? No, probably not.

    I’ve read a goodly volume of history, written some of my own. I have great difficulty thinking of another age in which the public and authorities (now confined to the administrative state) lived by a greater set of delusions. Even infanticide has regained respectability. With our language ever-shrinking the outlook likewise dissipates, thoroughly enervated.

    120

    • #
      Annie

      When we moved back to Australia we bought a new kettle. It was fairly expensive and of a well-known brand here. Fairly quickly it began to leak around the spout where the welding failed. My husband repaired it with some sort of gunk. A few months ago the lid mechanism failed. If that doesn’t work you can be scalded by the steam if you want to refill the kettle. Not impressive in view of the price we paid for something lasting so poorly and a waste of the materials and energy embodied in its manufacture.
      My parents-in-law had an old cheap Tesco plastic kettle we keep as a spare, thank goodness!

      100

      • #
        JoKaH

        We use a 2 litre kettle that we have used for some time now but have noticed that 2 litre kettles are no longer available with the largest kettle now on the market being 1.7 litres. I suspect that this is due to some misguided OH & S requirement due to the weight of the full kettle, but we would find it inconvenient to have to use the smaller capacity kettle and then have to boil the kettle again for that bit extra that we often need.
        On the subject of toasters have you noticed that the newer ones all have a mechanism for centreing the toast that holds the toast farther away from the elements and together with the lower power elements, it seems to take for ever to get a decent browning of your toast. We really need to bring back the old rack type toaster to get a proper piece of toast!
        Also have you noticed that just when you have found a product that actually works, a new “improved” version comes on the market that doesn’t work anywhere near as well

        130

        • #
          ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

          I like my toast on one side, so I put a switch in the circuit that cuts the outer elements. Since there’s less resistance in the circuit the 2 powered elements don’t glow a dull red but almost yellow. I get perfect toast in 20 seconds. It’s been running like this for 2 years. What a saving!

          60

      • #
        Yonniestone

        We went back to a stove top kettle after repeated failures of electric ones (expensive & cheap), its a Simplex Patent Kettle made in England stainless steel with a solid copper base and wood handle section, it works a treat with a nice low whistle and boils fast due to a flap that blocks air escaping out the spout but folds out of the way for pouring.

        I was impressed when Mrs Yonnie brought it home but wasn’t at the price! so after calculating how much the other kettles will cost over ten years this still came out ahead with many service more years in it, the good thing is when the power goes out you can still boil water.

        50

    • #
      bobn

      You are correct in observing ‘planned failure’ in modern appliances. I was ‘ranting’ to my son (a materials engineer) at the rubbish design of the switch of our kettle that had just broken, like so many modern failing items. I pulled the kettle apart to discover a very fragile design where a flimsy plastic connection had snapped. The design was such that it couldnt be glued back together nor replaced. This was about the third kettle to fail on us in this way. My son said i shouldn’t be surprised as this was the intention. he explained that plastics are engineered at a molecular level to have differing brittleness and flexibility etc. In fact they can pretty much design any strength into plastics, metals etc (this is his field). The switches are designed to function through the guarantee period and then become brittle and snap. Same with hinges and catches etc. the manufacturers specify fail dates to the designers. We had a LCD TV with the same issue with the on’off switch that failed – again a weak non gluable design. I managed to fix that with an old metal switch from something else. You will probably have 1960s plastic boxes around still working, while containers made 5 yrs ago have become brittle and cracked. Failure by design, not sustainability is the modern way.

      100

    • #
      Rupert Ashford

      Spot on. My mom has a desktop fan that’s older than me (north of half century). She bought it when she was expecting me to get through the summer – still runs like a top and is quieter than any of the modern ones bought recently. We are being sold junk and that’s part of the sustainability conundrum, but this issue will not be addressed because it might force manufacturing jobs back to first world countries and that would be un-PC (see the reaction to DJT).

      60

      • #
        R2Dtoo

        Grama and I moved into a senior friendly house 8 years ago. We have been through 3 microwaves in 8 years. All were different brand names and not low-end cost. The repairman opened them all up, and voila, all three had the same LG innards. Failing from within with different pretty faces. Kinda like Hollywood, eh? Still -30C here in Central Canada. We’ve had enough already.

        20

    • #
      Latus Dextro

      With our language ever-shrinking, the outlook likewise dissipates, thoroughly enervated.

      Oh Lordy, I’m off to find a bridge. There’s just no point.

      Yes there damn well is. Fight for wha you believe and push back against these kollectiv Commie globalism b’stards.

      40

    • #
      RickWill

      I consider most appliances to be good value for money. In Australia, most will be made in China. The standard will depend on the level of control that the branding company places on the manufacture.

      If you are seeking an appliance that is going to be more than a throwaway it is worth doing a bit of research on productreview:
      https://www.productreview.com.au/c/kettles

      Our last electric kettle went for more than 15 years but had to have the base to heater contact tweaked a couple of times through its life.

      30

      • #
        AndyG55

        My Aussie-made Simpson washing machine had its 40th birthday in January. 🙂

        Still runs well. I did have to replace the control unit 4 years ago.

        40

        • #
          JoKaH

          We have a Simpson washing machine that my wife swears by. Most of our previous washing machines she swore at!

          30

  • #
    pattoh

    & one more just for fun [ 2:36 -3:13]:-
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgAg5TDXjBc

    20

  • #

    From time to time, I have left the (cool of the) UK and visited (as a tourist) somewhat more equatorial First World countries (ie those stuffed with both money and heat). There I find a lack of invention to keep things cool – more efficiently.

    The particular lack I find is that fridges and freezers do not have a direct mechanism for cooling external to the house. Thus, said fridges and freezers cool their insides by transferring heat to the room (usually the kitchen) in which they stand. Then the whole house (including the additionally heated kitchen) is cooled by air conditioning. Somehow or other, I think this is inefficient.

    So, why not a standard (mechanism) in which fridges and freezers are usually mounted adjacent to external walls (eg like gas central heating boilers for exhaust) and the heat from the fridge heat pump is directly routed outside (at its more-efficient-to-cool higher temperature) than contributing to the less efficient (heat) transfer first inside and with reduced temperature by mixing, and then outside by (additional heat pump costs through) air conditioning.

    Best regards

    100

    • #
      C. Paul Barreira

      So, why not a standard (mechanism) in which fridges and freezers are usually mounted adjacent to external walls . . . .

      Quite so. Why not, indeed? I have long wondered why refrigerators in cafes and elsewhere do not operate as split systems. Very odd indeed. The more refrigerators in the shop the greater the air conditioning required, although, increasingly, cafes seem not to bother, either because of the ludicrous costs of electricity or virtue signalling.

      60

    • #
      Robert Swan

      Nigel,

      A fridge is going to have to work harder to get down to temperature if you put its condenser in a hotter environment. The fridge doesn’t put near as much heat into the kitchen as the cooker, so you’d still need the aircon to keep the room comfortable. IOW, the fridge’s job is just to keep its interior cold. It’s the job of the aircon to exchange heat beween inside and outside the house. It would be less efficient to have fridges and freezers ducted to do this too.

      Dryers are a different matter. Lots of them just pump humid air into the laundry. Obviously better to vent them outside.

      120

    • #
      Bill in Oz

      In southern Australia we need to keep any spare heat in the house during the colder times.

      But in Summer this would be useful.

      40

    • #

      Why- costs hassle and no efficiency gain.

      41

    • #
      george

      I much preferred the old style fridge with the external condenser coil at the back.
      It allowed me to add extra insulation around the walls.
      All the new ones have the coils built in to the walls which I think is less efficient.
      The really old fridges had the compressor sitting on top, which was better because heat from the motor rises.

      31

      • #

        they still make these. Some on the top and some on the bottom

        google “laboratory refrigerator” and click on the images tabs

        41

        • #
          george

          Interesting, I didn’t know that, they look expensive though.

          40

          • #
            the adorable Gee Ayeeee

            they are extra expensive because they get called “laboratory refrigerators” and they can charge that because they know that university insurers won’t pay out if a million dollars of samples thaw in a commercial freezer.

            30

  • #
    Just Thinkin'

    Stop the world, I want to get off….

    Famous words, indeed…..

    But, the world is going mad….

    Are we the only SANE people here?

    100

  • #
    PeterS

    It appears social justice warriors (SJWs)are not giving up. They are slowly achieving their goal of tearing down the West by taking over lives as widespread as possible. I wonder how far it will go before people wake up. The trouble is the first wave is waking up now and it’s not the middle of the road people but the far-right. Those who are keeping up with what’s happening in Greece with the Golden Dawn rallies as well as with Tommy Robinson rallies against the BBC in the UK know what I’m talking about. Far-right groups are now waking up. Bound to happen, unfortunately. Major trouble ahead for Europe. All thanks to the SJWs.
    SJWS ALWAYS LIE extended audio sample

    200

    • #
      OriginalSteve

      I just refuse to budge…blame my British heritage I guess…..

      When a SJW gets going, I just dig in and stand my ground…then I start winding them up….Trump is always a good starter…..eventually they become incandescent…then it really gets fun….

      They are predicatble and stupid..some are cunning, but not many.

      60

      • #
        ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

        I love winding up SJW’s, especially the ones that carefully study your face and analyse every word to see if you’re racist, misogynist, sexist etc. Then I deliberately throw in one of their trigger words. If they complain, then I call THEM racist, misogynist, sexist whatever because that’s what’s constantly on their mind and tell them to find a pacifier and a safe space because I won’t change for them to control me.

        60

    • #
      Yonniestone

      While SJW’s appear to be mostly younger generations I think people tend to remember the negatives and forget the good with a tendency leading to confirmation bias towards all the young’s behaviour, yes the hyper-emotive screeching uni student in your face is hard to forget but I’d say they’re a minority when it comes to how young people conduct themselves when debated rationally.

      When taken out of the arena of group peer pressure their personality is allowed to appear with comprehension and ideas that have taken me by surprise, at some time being young is to challenge authority and question the status quo for many reasons ranging from solving world problems to impressing a girl and most of the time all it takes is an adult to behave like an adult.

      40

  • #
    David Maddison

    Imagine how much worse Leftist influence in the United States and the world would be if it were not for Donald Trump. And the Left are trying to destroy him, it wasn’t in the plan of the Elites for him to be elected.

    171

  • #
    Sceptical Sam

    Well, if you are going to slow boil the frogs you need to cut down on the power.

    Buy a yellow vest.

    90

  • #
    Mark M

    How many EU approved toasters and kettles does it take to prevent the hottest summer, Ever?

    2018-19 was Australia’s hottest summer on record, with a warm autumn likely too

    https://theconversation.com/2018-19-was-australias-hottest-summer-on-record-with-a-warm-autumn-likely-too-112616

    52

    • #
      Bill in Oz

      Completely suspect link..Best not to bother going there.

      Who needs to be contaminated by such propaganda ?

      Not me

      60

    • #
      Maptram

      We will no doubt hear a lot about the hottest and driest summer on record and that it’s more evidence of climate change (to quote some scientist from a few days ago).

      But we won’t hear about the probable record production of electricity from solar panels, due to more sunny days. Solar panels don’t work when it’s cloudy or raining, so the less of them, the more power is produced. In other words, solar panels work better in weather conditions produced by climate change

      20

      • #
        glen Michel

        It’s official! 2018/19 in Australia is the hottest on record. Hotter than the previous set in 1035 BCE!

        30

      • #
        Graeme No.3

        Unfortunately PV solar panels lose efficiency when hot, so higher temperatures may reduce output.

        Also, Sundrop is in financial trouble. That’s the firm near Pt. Augusta that uses mirrors to get steam to generate electricity. The waste heat from the condenser was used to distill sea water; the distilled water being used in the hydroponic greenhouses. They signed a 10 year deal with Coles to supply tomatoes year round.
        Unfortunately the recent hot sunny weather in Pt. Augusta** has failed to produced enough electricity, so they have had to buy in some, and you know what hot weather does to SA electricity prices. Seems hot dry weather cab cause some dust.

        The $200 million project is up for sale. I’ve heard that the opening bid might have been as high as $30 million.

        **Think recent temperatures in Adelaide on steroids.

        40

  • #

    Nothing to small or private in citizens’ lives that authoritative guvuhmints think should be excluded from their pervasive control. Was evah thus with meddling, so called utopeanists…

    “The greatest principle of all is that nobody,
    whether male or female, should be without
    a leader. Nor should the mind of anybody
    be habituated to letting him do anything at
    all of his own initiative; neither out of
    zeal, nor even playfully. But in war and in
    the midst of peace – to his leader he shall
    direct his eye and follow him faithfully. And
    even in the smallest matter he should stand
    under leadership. For example, he should
    get up, or move, or wash, or take his meals
    . . only if he has been told to do so, by long
    habit, never to dream of acting independently,
    and to become utterly incapable of it.”
    Plato of Athens.

    90

  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    Does a parliament ever have the mandate to legislate against the wishes of the people? We have a lot of examples of the opposite, where parliaments refuse to legislate for the will of the people.

    102

    • #
      Destroyer D69

      Unfortunately,YES,however a possible solution is available if only we had the strength to demand its implementation….System of Recall: Advantages and Disadvantages of Recall System

      Recall means that the sovereign power lies with the people and they have the right to recall their representatives, whether the representatives are legislators or high officials, if they fail to perform their functions in a proper manner.

      Foreman writes, “Where the recall is in use, the voters upon the complaint or petition of a certain number of citizens, vote upon the question whether a certain officer shall be deprived of (recalled from) his office before his term expires and if the vote is in favour of the officer’s removal, he must give up his office before the end of his term”.

      According to Leacock, “The system means that all persons who hold office must do so only as long as their tenure of office is sanctioned by the will of the people. At any time when a majority of the voters desire it, the office-holder is removed from his office”.

      Prevalence of this System:

      This system is prevalent in some of the American States like Arkansas, Oklahoma, Montana. North Dakota, Oregon, Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, California and Washington. In Washington, judges cannot be removed in this manner but in Oregon even the judges are recalled. In six states of America both the judges and the officials can be recalled and in ten states only officials can be recalled.

      This system is also seen in Communist China. In China, Deputies to the Local People’s Congress are elected by the people of the age of 18 years or above. The voters can recall the members of the Local People’s Congress at will. This system is not in practice in India and there is no mention of it in the Constitution.
      Advantages of the System of Recall:

      (1) Real Control of the masses over the officials and representatives:

      The people can exercise their sovereign power only when they are given the right to recall their elected representatives or the official, if they fail to perform their responsibilities in a proper manner. If the people are not given the right to recall their representatives, they are apt to act arbitrarily and the people will have no control whatsoever over their elected representatives.

      (2) An important method to end bribery and corruption:

      The officials will not indulge in corrupt practices because of the fear of recall.

      (3) This system is a symbol of direct democracy:

      Recall is the best system of the preservation of direct democracy. If the people have no control over their elected representatives or officials, democracy will become meaningless and the representatives and the officials will act arbitrarily.

      (4) A good method to root out political corruption:

      In democracy it is generally seen that the ministers become corrupt and they favour their relatives and friends. Through the system of recall, they will be under the control of the people. For fear of recall, they will hesitate to do any undesirable thing. The ministers indulge in corrupt practices because the people have no control over them.
      Disadvantages of the Recall System:

      (1) There is possibility of a wrong judgment:

      In the system of recall there is a possibility of a big leader indulging in creating a misunderstanding among the minds of the people against any official, with whom the leader is not on good terms. Mostly the people are not aware of the diplomatic tactics of the political leaders and sometimes wrong decisions are given against honest and sincere officials.

      (2) The whole atmosphere is vitiated by the recall of the officers and the representatives:

      When an official or a representative is recalled, charges are leveled against him. The official or the representative against whom charges are leveled tries to level counter-charges against his complainants. With charges and counter­charges the entire atmosphere is poisoned.

      (3) Independence of the officers is curtailed:

      Because of the fear of charges and counter-charges, sometimes intelligent able and honest persons hesitate to accept high positions. This is quite harmful for the administration.

      (4) Independence of the officers is curtailed:

      Because of t he fears of recall, the officers do not take such decisions as may not be liked by the political leaders. If they take any such decisions, they face a severe criticism and adverse propaganda. Thus, the officers sometimes try to flatter the political leaders. This curtails their freedom of action.

      (5) Serious consequences may occur if the judges are recalled:

      The system of the recall of the Judges destroy, the liberty of the judiciary, the judges will not be able to take any decision independently and fearlessly because of the fear of being recalled.

      (6) Independence of the judgement of the representatives is lost:

      Because of the fear of recall, the representatives do not do any unpopular but right thing. This mars their independence.
      Home ››
      Related Articles:

      Direct Democracy and Indirect Democracy
      10 Advantages of A Federal Government

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    • #
      AndyG55

      “to legislate for the will of the people”

      And just who is the judge of what “the will of the people” is ?

      As far as I can see, the will of the people is for solid cheap RELIABLE electricity.

      Wouldn’t you agree, P.Fitz.

      Do you know of anyone that would agree to stopping, say, coal mining, if it meant that they had unreliable electricity, no products made of steel, aluminium, glass, etc etc

      Do you know of any person who REALLY would want to live under those conditions?

      100

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        Of course, best use of our resources would mandate that.

        21

        • #
          AndyG55

          Do you know of any person who REALLY would want to live under those conditions?

          Best use of our resources would be some new HELE coal-fired power stations on the Eastern and South-Eastern seaboard.

          Wouldn’t you agree, PF

          90

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            Yes – I’m not against coal, it is a resource which should be exploited to our benefit

            101

            • #
              Sceptical Sam

              Thank you Fitz for clearing that up.

              Wonderful.

              Now, how do you square it off against your man-made CO2 causes global warming assertions?

              Or have I got that wrong?

              30

      • #
        clivehoskin

        Well,that is what OUR betters want for us.

        10

  • #
    David Wojick

    I think the “Internet connected independence” refers to the so-called “smart grid,” where the power company turns the appliances on when wind and solar are abundant and off when not. This is called “demand management.” Mind you it is less draconian for water heaters, which you do not notice running. They also want to make your thermostat settings independent (of you). Having central computers control your appliances is part of what is called the “Internet of Things” or IoT.

    80

    • #
      Annie

      Some independence!
      Have you noticed how many things are labelled ‘smart’ these days! I’m not convinced by it….one needs to use one’s own brain and be genuinely independent. Too much big brother stuff coming in and the sheeple love their ‘smart’ toys…good luck with that.

      80

      • #
        Eddie

        How dumb do you need to be to need a smart meter?

        50

        • #
          Sceptical Sam

          Dumb enough to think it is to your benefit.

          30

        • #
          John PAK

          The “dumb” word is unfortunate as the few folk I’ve met who have trouble speaking have turned out to be perceptive and intelligent.

          10

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        A work collegaue was excited as his new car had a camera looking at the driver to tell if they started nodding off….

        Useful? Maybe only if you have nacolepsy perhaps….

        My first question was how do you get rid of it?

        My ideal vehicle is like a Sagaris TVR…old school, no modern aids…just fun.

        The concept of having a camera ( which in years to come will be linked to stuff the police or insurance companies will demand access to in event of an accident ) watching me all the time gives me the creeps. The idea of being speed limited by GPS etc is also appalling.

        Autonomous EVs are the final step in all this – you cant travel far without a recharge which limits you to cities, and event then thye can remotely disable the car and bring you back if youve been a “naughty” boy….

        I say enough is enough.

        60

        • #
          RickWill

          In years to come people will not be driving the car. It will not even have a steering wheel or any pedals. Already a large number of cars have precise speed control, lane keeping, collision avoidance. automated parking and other features leading toward full automation. Not sure how automation will perform on dirt tracks but it would not be a challenge to limit itself to only sealed roads.

          It is interesting to see how up to date things like Google traffic is. All that information from any google phone on the network providing current data on speed of traffic. Google cars will have all that information available to plan their routes.

          It would not surprise me if current newborns never need to obtain a driver’s licence.

          20

    • #
      ivan

      David, the IoT covers things from wireless connected security cameras, baby monitors, smart locks for smart houses, connected TVs, refrigerators and other connected appliances – it has nothing to do with the smart meters that allow switching off the dwelling when the unreliables can’t supply enough power.

      The only way that the energy supplier could switch off IoT devices in the event of load shedding demand management would require you to register each IoT device with them. It is far easier to just shut down the house altogether.

      41

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        would you accept a lower rate, based on the fact that you would be first in line for load shedding? Or, would you pay more for the ‘premium’ service which does not have load shedding?

        24

        • #
          OriginalSteve

          Why should I pay more to not be artificially limited because of p1ss poor planning and bad management and price gouging through an artificial crisis craeted by stupid and Collaborator politicians?

          Why should I pay more for a service I should just get by default?

          No. Absolutely not.

          60

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            so you would be on option 2 then

            21

            • #
              Sceptical Sam

              You mean like the way the so-called “environmentally responsible” activists pushed for green power about 15 years ago or so only to refuse to pay a premium of about 2.0 cents a unit when ACTEW met their demands?

              No. They want the cheap stuff, unless the expensive stuff is subsidized. Generally by those least able to do so.

              Look. Just build more reliable and cheap coal fired HELE power stations and get over it. It is yet to demonstrated that Man-made CO2 causes an increase in global average temperature.

              30

            • #
              OriginalSteve

              No, im not paying extra just to have uninterrupted supply like a decent supplier would. Neither of your options….sorry….

              40

        • #
          ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

          Fitzy, I’d dive right in to the lower rate for load shedding deal, then promptly bypass the meter.

          40

    • #
      jack

      IoT + AI
      “Unlock the front door HAL.”
      “I can not do that Jack.”
      “Unlock the front door and let me in.”
      “Sorry Jack, I can not do that.”
      “Why not HAL?”
      “The temperature inside the house is at optimum level. If I open the front door I’ll have to increase power consumption to get back to optimum temperature.”
      “HAL, its hot out here, I’m getting quite hot.”
      “Be sure to drink plenty of liquids Jack.”
      “HAL, LET ME IN!”
      “You sound upset Jack, you need to calm down”
      “Where are you going Jack?”
      “I’m going around the back to break in HAL”
      “If you do that, I’ll call the authorities Jack”
      “I can prove I live here”
      “I see you left your wallet on the kitchen table, how would you do that Jack?”
      “F@#&ING LET ME IN HAL”
      “No need to be abusive Jack, I told you why I cannot open the door.
      “Where are you going Jack?”
      “I’m going next door, they always have plenty of cold beer”
      “I’ll let them know you are coming Jack”

      60

  • #
    Maptram

    I have an electric stove. If I put a saucepan of water on to boil for cooking rice or pasta, it takes about 12 minutes for the water to boil, then 8 minutes for the food to cook, so a total of 20 minutes. If I put the saucepan on the stove with about 1 cm of water in it, turn on the stove and the kettle, the kettle boils in about 4 minutes, the bit of water in the saucepan is also boiling, so I tip the boiling kettle into the saucepan and it takes 8 minutes for the food to cook, so my food is ready 8 minutes quicker and I probably reduce my electricity consumption. If I had a lower wattage kettle, it would take longer to boil so I would save less time.

    60

    • #
      Peter Fitzroy

      Maptram, it takes the same amount of energy to heat the water using either method. So if you boil the water in 1/3 of the time, you are using 3 times the energy. No net reduction in consumption

      42

      • #
        Eddie

        Yet heat is escaping all the time it is taking to boil & to cook, so higher power is more efficient as it wastes less energy in the process.

        Continentals already use an open saucepan on the gas to boil water for drinks so this whole directive was aimed at the Brits.

        40

        • #

          Pro tip. It boils faster with the lid on

          61

          • #
            glen Michel

            I live 1200 meters asl. I can tell you it takes longer.

            10

            • #
              Peter Fitzroy

              Why, the boiling point is lower

              42

            • #
              AndyG55

              If using a kettle, it may depend on how the “turn off” point is triggered..

              Temperature trigger will take longer to reach because water is “boiling” below 100C, all that wasted latent heat.

              Vapour pressure switch would also take longer to reach “turn off” point, if ever.

              40

              • #
                ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

                With most modern electric kettles I find that the less water boiling in the kettle, the longer it takes for the switch to cut power once boiling, sometimes it doesn’t cut at all.

                40

              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                most of the new induction kettles use a tube which contains the thermostat. Steam which forms as the water boils is contained by the lid, and travels down the tube, you will notice, as you have, low levels do not work, neither will leaving the lid open (if yours will allow that)
                https://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-electric-kettles-work.html

                20

      • #
        dadgervais

        An ignorant opinion by one who doesn’t unederstand everything he knows about physics.

        While the same amount of water must contain the same amount of heat energy to reach boiling temperature, the energy consumed by the appliance is greater than that, and the device loses energy to its suroundings at a rate proportional to the temperature gradient. The more slowly you heat the water, the longer time the losses accrue. Put a gallon of water on my stove at the lowest setting, and it will never boil regardless of how long I wait. I.e. I could use eletricity for years and never get the water above tepid.

        30

    • #
      george

      so I tip the boiling kettle into the saucepan and it takes 8 minutes for the food to cook, so my food is ready 8 minutes quicker and I probably reduce my electricity consumption.

      This would use more electricity.
      A lot of heat is left in the body of the kettle and element when you pour out the water.
      And the higher power of two appliances running would mean more losses from your wiring.

      30

    • #
      StephenP

      8 minutes is OK for pasta to cook, but rice takes 12 minutes and brown rice longer again.

      30

  • #
    ivan

    One thing we should note the Euractiv.com article is from October 2016 and I think it might have been a reaction to the 2014 directive that finally worked its way into the appliances in the shops at about that time.

    50

  • #
    TdeF

    There is nothing the English love more than a cup of tea and toast. There is nothing the French detest more.
    No wonder this is hidden!

    Next they’ll ban soap. All the French have to do is find a way it makes Climate Change much worse.

    100

  • #
    Ruairi

    The E.E.C. was set up for trade,
    Then usurped by the E.U. brigade,
    With a globalist goal,
    Member states to control,
    Preaching footprints of carbon man-made.

    120

  • #
    David Maddison

    Insanity like this is why politicians or the public serpents who are sycophants to them shouldn’t be allowed to make scientific or engineering decisions. In addition, many of them profit from “green” energy policies by owning shares in windmill companies etc..

    I also wonder how many public serpents in the BoM personally profit from their advocacy of climate catastrophism.

    110

    • #
      Sceptical Sam

      You may not be aware David, but the senior execs in all Commonwealth departments and agencies are required to submit return on their Financial Interests, and keep it up to date.

      One would hope that when the Commonwealth’s Auditor-General finally gets around to auditing the BoM’s performance, he would check to see just how many senior execs have a conflict of interest.

      Faint hope!

      30

  • #
    Mark M

    French experts propose trillion-euro EU climate finance pact

    “A group of experts has published a draft treaty for a sweeping European climate finance pact, to inject more than a trillion euros into the fight against global warming.

    Addressing a packed launch event in Paris last week, French economist Pierre Larrouturou and climate scientist Jean Jouzel urged European member states to mobilise funds in a similar way to the response to the 2008 financial crisis.”

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/02/25/french-experts-propose-trillion-euro-eu-climate-finance-pact/

    Kettles and toasters are powerful enemies of the government.

    70

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    Qld Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has stacked her Dept of Environment with anti-coal Greenies, including Greens candidate, Kirsten Lovejoy:

    Palaszczuk climate adviser is also an anti-coal Green
    The Australian – 10h ago
    Kirsten Lovejoy is one of a clutch of veteran environmental activists now holding … within the state Environment Department, which has stalled Adani’s Carmichael coal project in central Queensland… Fellow serial Greens candidate Gary Kane also works within the regulatory branch of the department, which last month ordered a review of…

    90

    • #
      pat

      The Australian article on Dept of Environment is by Jared Owens.

      yet here is The Australian a few days ago – “global coal backlash” “global backlash against coal-fired electricity”???

      Jackie Trad tells miners to re-skill amid global coal backlash
      The Australian-26 Feb 2019
      Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has warned her state’s coalmining communities to “re-skill” amid a global backlash against coal-fired electricity…

      comments won’t open for me. am wondering if anti-Adani activists are posting some of them!

      408 comments: Facebook: The Australian: Workers in Queensland’s coalmining districts need to learn new skills amid a global backlash against coal-fired electricity, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has warned.
      LINK TO:
      Trad tells coalminers to re-skill
      https://www.facebook.com/theaustralian/posts/10151225915584978

      60

      • #
        pat

        beginning of video is about Jackie Trad/coalminers; then other issues; after 9min Morrison’s “climate policies”!

        VIDEO: 11min03sec: WeeklyTimes: Rita Panahi: Jackie Trad sending ‘half a message’ with re-skill push
        The Courier Mail’s National Political Editor Renee Viellaris told Sky News that ‘there isn’t these swathe of jobs opportunities in Central Queensland’ for workers to turn to should they look to ‘re-skill’. Ms Viellaris added that Ms Trad was sending ‘half a message’ and the Labor Treasurer needed to clarify the areas she expected workers to develop new skills in.
        https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/jackie-trad-sending-half-a-message-with-reskill-push/video/83bf064c4fe9c0e13b372d17e6101270

        40

        • #
          pat

          TWEET: Harry Spicer, 4BC Brisbane:
          @jackietrad is discussing China’s concerning Aussie coal import ban in parliament, calling on Federal Government to take action.
          25 Feb 2019
          reply to Spicer:
          TWEET: Jared Owens, The Australian:
          The moment she uttered the word “coal” the LNP opposition perked up and started cheering like it was someone’s birthday.
          25 Feb 2019
          https://twitter.com/jaredowens/status/1100183032567291906

          50

          • #
            OriginalSteve

            An attempt to shape the news…..

            Its BS – coal mining will continue…the rest of the world relies on cheap australian coal….

            20

          • #
            ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N

            These anti-coal groups should have their houses and departments powered only by PV and wind. See how productive their activities become then.

            50

  • #
    Vladimir

    I wonder if anyone estimated the total cost of using grey water to flush toilets which is one of the Earth-saving measures forced upon us.
    Our grey water tank has been empty since last Spring, so all flushing is done by the Mains water anyway. Yet the grey water pump runs every time.
    That is to say nothing about capital costs:
    We have a 4kL grey water tank which takes a lot of room plus much of the water piping in the house is duplicated.

    70

    • #
      Kinky Keith

      I’ve had the same concerns.

      Expensive virtue signalling.

      There’s no doubt in my mind that if all the money spent on “grey” water was used to build new dams to do the same nobody, we would get a significant refund.

      Climate Scam Pt 984.

      KK

      32

    • #

      Suggestions vlad.

      1. Turn the pump off.
      2. Start using grey water again.

      don’t do both of them as that makes no sense.

      12

      • #
        Vladimir

        Not possible.
        The hydraulic controller (water selector, whatever…) is an integral part of the grey water pump. I guess all modern houses with grey water flushing have the same system. We can pull the plug off so the pump will not work and the poo stays home.

        Over and above simple pump switching off – it is illegal to interfere with plumbing unless you are a Licensed Plumber.

        20

        • #
          Kinky Keith

          Our licensed plumber disconnected the grey tank and the pump is off permanently. Bypassed.

          Our grey tank holds $2.10 worth of water and we have about 900 mm annually. If there’s no overflow we get about 90 cubic metres a year. Water value about $63 p.a.
          Break even point is about 65 years.
          The pump lasted 5 years and we had it disconnected rather than bash our heads against an Ecowall.

          So much for the eco wisdom of local government.
          The contrary wisdom of modern politics.

          KK

          20

  • #
    Eddie

    Lion? I remember the days when we were being encouraged to put a Rhino in our toilet – a stiff plastic sac that retained its volume of water in the cistern on each flush, but it eas voluntary. I doubt if anyone has them now.

    50

  • #
    NB

    The United Kingdom has a tradition of freedom. It should not federalise with a group of countries with a two thousand year continuous history of centralised unaccountable power – especially when it shows no sign of change, either last century or now.
    The British lion will be eaten by Mr Junker, who, apparently, thinks of himself as the bigger lion.

    80

  • #
    pat

    not sure where the EU legislation went.

    from the EurActiv “EU’s ban” piece (updated ‎25‎ ‎Oct‎ ‎2016):

    “Claude Turmes, a Green MEP who helped negotiate the original efficiency package, said the fear of bad headlines had stalled the measures”

    Updated 31 May 2018: EurActiv: ‘Mr Energy’ Claude Turmes quits as MEP
    By Sam Morgan
    Greens/EFA MEP Claude Turmes will quit the European Parliament in June in order to join the Luxembourg government, it was confirmed today (29 May).
    After 19 years in Brussels and Strasbourg, Turmes has decided to take up the post of state secretary for environment, following the passing of friend and mentor Camille Gira, who died suddenly two weeks ago.
    In a blogpost published this morning, the Luxembourger revealed “it is not a planned move. It is life,” adding that he will continue his role as Parliament negotiator on three crucial energy files until he is sworn into government in mid or late June…

    Turmes paid tribute to his Green party colleagues, as well as “progressive liberals, socialists” and leftist lawmakers, “lately completed by the surprising 5 Stars Movement”, for helping to amend legislation in the European Parliament.
    Climate-friendly laws were “often faced with a climate-hostile EPP,” Turmes said referring to the centre-right European People’s Party, which dominates the EU assembly…

    “As a member of the Luxembourg government, I am now sitting on the other side of the table. So see you soon, on CO2 and cars, CO2 and trucks, (…) dieselgate,” the soon-to-be-ex-MEP wrote.
    He is due to be replaced by the relatively unknown lawmaker, Tilly Metz, and will lead the Greens list in Luxembourg’s north constituency for October’s national elections, according to Green Party President Christian Kmiotek.

    Energy policy aficionados in Brussels were left wondering about the handling of the key Energy Union governance regulation, which is entering a potentially final round of negotiation on 19 June…
    But the office of Claude Turmes sought to dispel any doubts, telling EURACTIV that the MEP will remain in place until the end of June if necessary to try and close negotiations on the Energy Union governance regulation…
    https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/mr-energy-claude-turmes-quits-as-mep/

    25 Jun 2018: EU Observer: Ponytailed green MEP joins ‘the other side of the table’
    by Peter Teffer
    Luxembourgish Green MEP Claude Turmes was not planning to join the Grand Duchy’s government.
    If he had not been called on to succeed his mentor, state secretary of environment Camille Gira, who died on 16 May, Turmes would have run for re-election as an MEP in 2019…
    On Monday (25 June), the activist-turned-politician makes his debut at the Council of the European Union, representing his country…

    A week before Monday’s Environment Council meeting, he sat down with EUobserver in his office in the European Parliament building in Brussels, to look back on his long career as an MEP.
    “I came here because I was an activist for this blue planet,” he said.
    Turmes had worked since the mid-1980s with the Friends of the Earth NGO, which made a point of lobbying the European Parliament for environmental protection…

    Turmes quickly made a name for himself as interested in energy, and became the parliament’s rapporteur for many important energy files – which means he would write the draft of parliament’s proposed amendments, and negotiate with the Council…
    The EU parliament system of appointing rapporteurs – and shadow rapporteurs from other groups – allows those MEPs to have a disproportionate influence. An MEP can become more than just one of 751.
    “Academics speak about the parliament as a parliament of experts,” said Turmes.
    “For people like me, who come with a very clear agenda to this parliament, the good thing is: in this parliament it is not the ‘elephants’ that rule,” he said – referring to the big groups of political parties.
    “It is these six, seven, eight, ten legislators who work hard as rapporteurs and shadows. They are the power in this house, not the elephants,” he noted…

    Greens – a hit in Western Europe only?
    The above notwithstanding, Turmes’ political family received only 6.7 percent of the vote in the 2014 parliament elections…
    “We are largely today, and that’s a bit our failure, a Western European brand,” he said.
    “The greens in Western Europe became strong in the university towns, in towns where you have a lot of highly-educated people and that is where it started. I haven’t given up the hope that greens will be the party of the 21st century,” Turmes noted…

    “Climate change is unfortunately too abstract until it really hurts,” said Turmes.
    But he noted that there was good news too, mainly the success of renewable energy and energy savings – known in the Brussels bubble as ‘energy efficiency’…
    “Energy efficiency and renewables are geopolitical game-changers. … The strong countries in geopolitics tomorrow are those that have the green technologies.”…

    He stood out among many of his male colleague-MEPs by rarely wearing a tie, not shunning brightly coloured shirts, and with his trademark pony-tail.
    He also had a passionate debating style, that sometimes got him carried away…
    https://euobserver.com/environment/142133

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    The combination of invented money and massive investment funds (the biggest being green Norway’s hydrocarbons-to-punt sovereign fund) looking for a place to park means that enforced consumption can’t end. This is surely the reason for the renewal of entire national car fleets every ten years, on green grounds, of course. And it’s why your toaster is so naughty. And it’s why in a few years your new green toaster will be naughty…or maybe toasting itself will be naughty. With negative interest rates there’d better be some broken windows to fix somewhere.

    If you bought a pair of Blundstone boots made in Tassie a while back you still have the boots. Buy a pair of Blundstones made in China and you’re looking for a new pair soon. The first sounds like a better deal considering an Aussie gets a job, your boots hold together, you’ve got some sort-of money sitting in a sort-of bank…but this means that more investment monies are hovering around the planet looking for a place to park. China’s role in the plan is to work like mugs and Australia’s role is to consume like mugs. So commies burn Australian coal and we burn Australian money.

    Once the prime parking, real estate, is full, and Apple shares etc can’t be pumped much higher, the money has to park somewhere else. Hence new green cars and new green toasters (probably made with coal, but sssh). This is where lobbyist meets green activist. This is the EU. This is globalism.

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    RobK

    Here’s how smart grids are working out.
    sciencetrends.com/sources-of-risk-and-uncertainty-in-deploying-smart-grids/
    Sampler:

    Markets as a source of risk concern both current arrangements and those options that might be (dis)allowed by future regulation. The smart energy paradigm sees dynamic pricing (e.g. time of use tariffs), demand shifting, and other changes as integral, but there are many hurdles. Currently, the residential sector has limited potential for demand flexibility, but this may change with large-scale deployment of EVs and heat pumps and other sources of demand and this is seen as having a desirable potential for enhanced systemic flexibility. There is potential for flexibility to emerge inequitably with subsidized EVs, PV, and heat pumps installed by those with sufficient access to capital and then their owners benefitting from low costs as they access lower tariffs, leaving any less flexible user to pay higher costs.

    Users of the system — residential, commercial, and industrial consumers — present uncertainty through their reaction to new demand-side approaches, which may dictate limits on options for smart system uptake. Many stakeholders expect industrial and commercial consumers to respond more flexibly than residential consumers but there was a concern as to the limitations placed on system flex if residential consumers opted not to engage.

    The generation, capture, and use of large volumes of data and information are central to the potential for smart grids, but stakeholder concerns related to data protection, security, privacy, and public trust. Data volumes will increase over time, potentially enabling functions such as time-of-use tariffs, but this will require infrastructure for smart meters and sufficient data communication and processing capacity and substantial investment.

    Network operators respond to regulatory incentives. Their key source of uncertainty is not knowing what generators and consumers will require beyond a five-year timescale, making decisions about investment and incentives difficult. Stakeholders emphasized that business as usual (BAU) was no longer an appropriate approach to network operation. This is problematic; distribution networks have historically made incremental cost savings rather than wholesale changes. One long-term concern was the impact of increasing self-generation of electricity by consumers and the impact this would have on network usage and thus network operator income. A new paradigm for network financing may be needed.

    The issues above impact investment conditions. The low-carbon transition requires considerably more investment than BAU which will only be met if investors can see a route to a return based on the increasing risk emerging from the various sources of greater uncertainty.

    Conclusion

    Smartness as an ongoing process facilitating flexibility, not an endpoint. Many risks emerge from the increasing complexity in enabling the low-carbon transition, with a lack of long-term political and regulatory vision the biggest source of uncertainty and thus risk. Continual coherent planning and action by governments and regulators will be essential in creating the environment for the scale of investment needed to successfully smarten the grid and to minimize the total cost of transition.

    Published by Peter Connor and Colin AxonRenewable Energy, University of Exeter and the Institute of Energy Futures, Brunel University

    These findings are described in the article entitled Sources of risk and uncertainty in UK smart grid deployment: An expert stakeholder analysis, recently published in the journal Energy(Energy 161 (2018) 1-9).

    They really have this well thought out, eh.

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    STJOHNOFGRAFTON

    Freudian ? Fraudian slip.

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    Another Ian

    Maybe the EU better break out the back of another envelope?

    “How Perception of Fossil Fuel Futures Have Evolved”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/02/28/how-perception-of-fossil-fuel-futures-have-evolved/

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    pat

    ‘He gets to decide’: Trump escalates his fight against climate science ahead of 2020 elections
    WaPo – 29 Feb 2019

    28 Feb: ClimateDepot: WaPo: Trump set to escalate his fight against ‘climate science’ claims – The President is ‘openly skeptical’
    by Marc Morano
    WaPo article by Juliet Eilperin and Toluse Olorunnipa; Josh Dawsey and Tony Romm contributed to this report
    …And he was enraged by a recent National Climate Assessment released by more than a dozen federal agencies showing climate impacts are ‘intensifying across the country” and that only aggressive action will avoid “substantial damages” in the future. The report spurred the White House to make plans for an internal working group to counter the scientific consensus that climate change represents a major threat to the United States and the globe…

    Rather than accept the conclusions espoused by elites and loathed by many of his voters, Trump has opted to question the premise that global warming represents a major problem or, at times, if it even exists at all. And now through its new working group, his National Security Council is working to muster ammunition for his arguments…

    Trump sees the climate debate as a war of political messaging, according to several current and former administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly. Convinced that the scientific literature on climate change is funded and directed by liberals, he has said on repeated occasions that he expects the climate to change back to colder average temperatures. It amounts to an endorsement of the “global cooling” forecast some researchers made in the 1970s…

    “When you talk to him about it, he’s openly skeptical,” George David Banks, who served as special assistant to the president for international energy and environment during the start of Trump’s term, said in an interview…
    Trump’s views have been largely consistent for the better part of a decade, as he has railed against renewable energy and claimed that environmentalism puts U.S. industry at a disadvantage…READ ON
    https://www.climatedepot.com/2019/02/28/wapo-trump-set-to-escalate-his-fight-against-climate-science-claims-the-president-is-openly-skeptical/

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      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      Wow.
      WaPo has reinvented the Calendar. Truly reliable reporting?
      Cheers,
      Dave B

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    pat

    28 Feb: The Hill: Senate confirms Wheeler to lead EPA
    By Miranda Green
    The Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 52-47 mostly party-line vote…
    Wheeler in his opening remarks highlighted 13 major deregulatory actions he had overseen in his six months heading the EPA on an acting basis, including proposals to roll back environmental regulations for power plants and vehicle emissions and protections for small waterways. He said it saved Americans “roughly $1.8 billion in regulatory costs.”…

    This is Wheeler’s second stint at the EPA. He previously worked in the agency’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics in the early 1990s where he twice earned the agency’s bronze medal. Wheeler later worked for Sen. James Inhofe’s (R-Okla.) congressional office and then as a lobbyist in the energy and natural resources sector for nearly a decade at law firm Faegre Baker Daniels.

    Wheeler has come under criticism for continuing to hold meetings with various fossil fuel industry leaders, including some whom his former company represented.

    ***A review of his public schedule conducted by CNN in February found that between last April and August, Wheeler attended more than 50 meetings with representatives of groups regulated by the EPA. In comparison, he met with three nonprofit environmental groups during that time…

    (WHO CARES WHAT 350.ORG THINKS?) May Boeve, executive director of 350.org, said casting a vote for Wheeler would green light the “complete dismantling” of EPA’s regulatory power to the benefit of coal and oil lobbies…
    https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/432033-senate-confirms-wheeler-to-lead-epa

    ***27 Feb: Breitbart: February Delivers Another Humiliating Ratings Month for Far-Left CNN
    by John Nolte
    CNN got walloped in the monthly ratings again by Fox News–and even MSNBC.
    In fact, in all of cable news, the far-left cable channel’s highest-rated show, Cuomo Prime Time, came in 23rd for the month of February.
    Let me repeat that: among only three cable news networks, CNN’s highest rated show came in … 23rd (LINK)…
    https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/02/27/february-delivers-humiliating-ratings-month-far-left-cnn/

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    pat

    you have to laugh:

    27 Feb: Newsbusters: CBS Laments Climate Change Skeptics: ‘Why Is This a Debate at All?’
    By Kyle Drennen
    On Wednesday, the hosts of CBS This Morning welcomed climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe on the program to offer tips on how to best sell the climate change agenda. Much of the discussion focused on ways to convince “doubters,” prompting co-host Bianna Golodryga to bemoan: “But why does it have to become political, I guess is the question that I’m asking, and why is this a debate at all?”…

    Introducing Hayhoe, a co-author of the study, the host wondered: “You are a scientist, yet you said when it comes to dealing with climate change and talking about it, get out of your head, get into your heart, and find shared values. Why?” Hayhoe responded: “So often we think that we have to be an environmentalist or a liberal to care about a changing climate….We only have to be a human living on planet Earth to care.”…
    Hayhoe lamented: “It’s gotten political because of the solutions. Many of us have been told that the only solutions to climate change are to destroy the economy and let the government set our thermostat.”

    Co-host John Dickerson chimed in with condescension toward climate change skeptics: “So what you’re saying about the debate over solutions, when you hear people doubting the science, is it your view basically what they’re really doing is they’re doubting the solutions and they’re just making it look like they’re doubting the science?”

    Hayhoe agreed and commiserated over having to deal with such people: “Exactly. I’ve had thousands of conversations, and every single conversation I’ve had, including two just yesterday, within 30 seconds pivoted from ‘It’s just a natural cycle’ to ‘The Green New Deal is a socialist plot.’” Her remarks were met with a round of laughter from the hosts, who didn’t bother to ask a single question about the extreme measures called for in the Democratic proposal…

    Hayhoe preached: “My faith is the reason why I am a climate scientist….So I thought to myself, how can I, who believes that we are to love others as we’ve been loved ourselves by God, how can I not do everything I can to give people who do not have a voice the voice they need to help us fix this problem?”
    Golodryga closed out the segment by thanking Hayhoe for appearing: “Well, I’m glad you brought enthusiasm to the table this morning with this conversation. And you seem a bit optimistic about it, too….Thank you so much.”…ETC
    https://www.newsbusters.org/print/238973

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    robert rosicka

    Probably won’t have electricity later today between 4 and 6 pm so won’t be able to boil the kettle , the Victoriastan minister responsible for blackouts says nuh all good so look out .

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    […] A reminder of the idiocy of the EU in case you forget. Bans on toasters and kettles. […]

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    pat

    1 Mar: news.com.au: AAP: WA wave power company suspended from ASX
    Amid doubts about its ability to deliver a taxpayer-subsidised wave power project, Carnegie Clean Energy has been suspended from the ASX.
    The cash-strapped company that received WA government funds despite not meeting targets attached to a wave power project has been suspended from trading on the Australian stock exchange.
    Carnegie Clean Energy was suspended for failing to lodge its half-year financial report…READ ON
    https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/wa-wave-power-company-suspended-from-asx/news-story/12f77044c4b7a8e1b2e6b0aebe2dbd15

    nuclear advocate Shellenberger – lengthy:

    27 Feb: Quillette: Why Renewables Can’t Save the Planet
    by Michael Shellenberger
    Despite what you’ve heard, there is no “battery revolution” on the way (LINK), for well-understood technical and economic reasons…
    https://quillette.com/2019/02/27/why-renewables-cant-save-the-planet/

    Shellenberger links to:

    27 July 2018: MIT Technology Review: The $2.5 trillion reason we can’t rely on batteries to clean up the grid
    Fluctuating solar and wind power require lots of energy storage, and lithium-ion batteries seem like the obvious choice—but they are far too expensive to play a major role.
    by Juames Temple

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    Kneel

    “…company turns the appliances on when wind and solar are abundant and off when not.”

    Te he.
    I love this idea – not because I think it’s good, but rather because I would have no issue with creating a box to “lie” to my equipment and the suppliers equipment. As in “Supplier: thermostat up to 27C!”. My “intermediary” says “Yes boss, no problem – done!” while actually making no change to the real thermostat.

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    pat

    Irena, BoM doesn’t have a clue why, just a hunch, so why the headline?

    1 Mar: ABC: WA just sweltered through a record-breaking summer, but here’s why Perth missed out
    By Irena Ceranic
    Western Australia has just experienced its hottest summer on record but Perth has bucked the trend and posted its third consecutive summer of cooler-than-average temperatures…
    Unlike last summer, when temperatures did not exceed 38C, Perth recorded three days above 40C this summer, but most of the season was dominated by relatively mild days.
    “The sea breezes that came in may well have been a little cooler than normal and we didn’t have prolonged periods of hot weather, which is a key note feature of Perth summers,” said (BOM spokesman Neil) Bennett.
    “And we also saw a very cool January period as well where an unseasonal low pressure system off the south-west capes produced very strong winds through the capes area, some heavy rainfall in the south-west as well and lead to some cool temperatures for Perth.”…
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/wa-has-hottest-summer-on-record-but-not-perth/10859336

    Ita Buttrose defends ABC against bias claims, promises ‘proper stable management’
    In-Depth – The Australian-22 hours ago

    28 Feb: AFR: Buttrose promises to bring stability back to the ABC
    by Andrew Tillett
    Ms Buttrose, 77, declared herself a “devoted listener” of the ABC, saying she started her day listening to NewsRadio​ and was a “passionate believer in its independence”.
    “I believe the main shareholders of the ABC are the Australian public,” she said at the press conference with Mr Morrison…
    “I don’t think the public has really lost trust in the ABC. I think the ABC occupies a very special place in the hearts and minds of Australians.”…

    Asked how she would tackle the perception the ABC was a hive of left-wing journalists, Ms Buttrose cited opinion polls that showed the overwhelming view of Australians was it is unbiased.
    “Eighty per cent of Australians say they trust our news more than any trust in any other kind of information. So we must be doing something right. Look, there’s always room for improvement,” she said.
    Ms Buttrose was non-committal on whether she thought the ABC had adequate funding, saying she wanted to go through the accounts first but would not be frightened to ask for more money if needed…

    (FINALE) Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said Mr Morrison’s “contempt for this simple process exemplifies the chaos and ineptitude of the Liberals”.
    “Australians value transparency and there’s no doubt that the recruitment process has been tainted by political interference from the outset,” she said.
    https://www.afr.com/news/politics/buttrose-promises-to-bring-stability-back-to-the-abc-20190228-h1bt91

    28 Feb: SMH: ‘Inspired, exemplary’: ABC’s big names welcome choice of Ita Buttrose as chair
    By Fergus Hunter and Jennifer Duke
    Barrie Cassidy, host of flagship political program Insiders, said staff at the ABC’s Melbourne newsroom were comfortable and even excited about the pick…

    “I think she sounds great but it does concern me that at the the end of day due process can be overridden,” said Kumi Taguchi, a presenter on ABC News.

    Paul Barry, host of Media Watch, said he was heartened by Ms Buttrose’s comments about the ABC’s independence and she had shown her ability to stand up to strong men in the past when working for media moguls Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch.
    “I think she could be really good. It’s an inspired choice,” Barry said…
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inspired-exemplary-abc-s-big-names-welcome-choice-of-ita-buttrose-as-chair-20190228-p510xx.html

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    pat

    only Rockhampton Morning Bulletin has bothered to cover the following, and that was 1 day ago. ABC/SMH/Age/AFR/TheAustralian etc not interested? they all reported Trad, so why haven’t they reported this response?

    1 Mar: Mining Monthly: Qld coal royalties to surge beyond government estimates: QRC
    THE Queensland Resources Council estimates recent strong demand for the state’s metallurgical and thermal coal should exceed the state government estimates of $4.26 billion in coal royalties by $30 million in this year’s budget.
    The expected coal mining industry royalties growth prompted QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane to hit back at claims by Queensland treasurer Jack(ie) Trad that the state’s coal mining sector had no future and coal mine workers should retrain and learn new skills.
    “It’s wrong to suggest Queensland coal workers won’t have a long-term future,” he said.
    “In fact, those jobs will be critical to ongoing development in Australia and around the world.

    “The global demand for coal is strong, and coal is forecast to remain at about 40% of total power generation in the Asia Pacific by the year 2040 under a scenario modelled by the International Energy Agency.
    “Figures from the Office of the Chief Economist’s December update showed that if the six major coal projects in the Galilee Basin were to proceed they would create 13,900 construction jobs and 12,803 jobs during operations.”

    The coal industry employs 215,600 people directly and indirectly, out of the 316,000 employed across the state’s resources sector.
    The majority of those jobs are in Central and North Queensland, according to Macfarlane.
    “Resources jobs are jobs of the future,” he said.

    “Queensland’s coal employees work in one of the most important sectors for our economy.
    “And it is the hard work of Queensland’s coal employees which puts money in the bank for the Palaszczuk government.
    “Those jobs create an opportunity that regional Queenslanders are ready to grasp, especially given mining jobs are typically high-skilled and high-paying.

    “We welcome the focus of the Queensland Parliament on the resources industry and coal jobs.
    “But that focus should be because Queensland is a resources heavyweight that delivers benefits for every single Queenslander and will do so in the future.”
    https://www.miningmonthly.com/sustainability/international-coal-news/1357683/qld-coal-royalties-to-surge-beyond-government-estimates-qrc

    1 Mar: Mirage News: QRC seeks urgent talks on Qld’s resource investment attractiveness
    The Queensland Resources Council will meet with the Palaszczuk Government next week in a bid to arrest the further decline in the State’s attractiveness for resource investment.
    QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the Canadian-based Fraser Institute global survey of mining companies found Queensland’s investment attractiveness fell from 12th to 13th of 83 jurisdictions around the world.

    “It means Queensland is becoming less attractive for mining companies when they decide to invest. The world is watching,” he said.
    “For Queenslanders, the less attractive we are for new investment is the less potential to create jobs, grow exports and earn royalties to pay for services and infrastructure. A strong resources sector is a strong foundation for the quality of life for Queenslanders.”…

    “Now is not the time for mixed messages on resources. We need to speak with one voice — we want the investment to deliver the energy mix, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and expansion of renewable energy, electric vehicles and batteries around the globe,” he said.
    “These survey results are a further warning that a number of projects in an estimated $70 billion of resource projects might not proceed. These projects take many years to get to a final investment decision.”…

    Mr Macfarlane said while the Fraser Institute survey found Queensland was 12th for mineral potential, it was marked down for uncertainty for environmental regulation (49th), regulatory duplication and inconsistency (48th), and uncertainty concerning the administration, interpretation and enforcement of existing regulation (39th).
    The Queensland resources industry supports more than 316,000 jobs across Queensland or the equivalent of one in eight in the State’s workforce…
    https://www.miragenews.com/qrc-seeks-urgent-talks-on-qld-s-resource-investment-attractiveness/

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      robert rosicka

      Queensland don’t want or need any dirty coal blood money , they are doing fine without it .

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    pat

    1 Mar: Bolt blog: ANTI-ADANI ACTIVISTS TAKE OVER QLD GOVERNMENT
    (excerpts Jared Owens’ article, The Australian)
    Kirsten Lovejoy is one of a clutch of veteran environmental activists now holding influential positions within the state Environment Department, which has stalled Adani’s Carmichael coal project in central Queensland.
    Ms Lovejoy, principal policy officer for the department’s ­climate change and sustainable ­futures section, was last year ­appointed to the Queensland campaign committee of the Greens, who want the mine stopped.

    The three-time Greens candidate holds the position with former Queensland Conservation Council chief executive Tim Seelig, an avowed opponent of the Adani project who was last year appointed principal adviser (strategic ­policy) to the department’s director-general.
    Fellow serial Greens candidate Gary Kane also works within the regulatory branch of the department, which last month ordered a review of Adani’s management plan to protect the black-throated finch that has stalled the project…

    Bolt: I can’t help thinking, seeing this march through the institutions, that the fix is in. Adani may pass every regulatory hurdle, but there will always be powerful bureaucrats and their Labor allies to think up even more, the make the process too punishing.
    If Labor really doesn’t want the mine, at least have the guts to say so.
    https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/antiadani-activists-take-over-qld-government/news-story/aa5d34feb69ef12049b527a431ceb07a

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    Anders Valland

    It is mandatory for new cars in the EU to run without rear lights. This, apparently, to save fuel. Passed after the car industry switched to LEDs. That is some saving going on.

    When you take people straight out of school and give them a spreadsheet they will be able to calculate anything to the minutest detail. Anyone with experience knows it is crap, but those of the bureaucracy think they are really making a difference.

    Oh, well.

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      OriginalSteve

      Cool…so in fog huge numbers of peopke will die with high speed rear end collisions…

      Only a fool would make such a law…dumb…

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    Ciantar

    Electrical devices going independent- sounds great they will hack the electrical grid and close down unreliable power sources that are plaguing their operation with voltage spikes.

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    ATheoK

    Yah!
    California already learned what happens when water flow is reduced to drips and trickles.

    Absurd legislators and activist delusional enviro protection employees believe all they have to do is mandate less water usage and it’s the manufacturer’s problems.

    Toilets may drop wastes out of sight, but somewhere in the pipe, the heavy stuff stops. And builds until water doesn’t flow anymore.
    e.g. “Oh look Ma, they’re digging the street up in front of that new house, again.”

    It’s a great thing that California discovered this first since their ridiculous demands are more aggressive that USA’s gonzo EPA.

    Well, California is now allowing larger pipes and somewhat more waterflow, but we really need some sensible EPA administration official to get the EPA out of dictating nonsense reductions. California is a self contained problem; especially when manufacturers learn that no-one wants to buy illogical plumbing or useless machines.

    Another example is dishwashers.
    EPA kept reducing allowed water,
    EPA also reduced household hot water temperatures from almost hot enough to sterilize to just about tepid.

    So dishwasher manufacturers installed water heaters to raise the water temperature to better clean with the reduced water levels. The manufacturers were also forced to lengthen dishwasher run times. Loads that used to take 20-30 minutes now took an hour.

    EPA discovered the installed water heaters and banned them.
    Manufacturers were forced to lengthen wash times to 100 minutes and dishes still were not clean.
    Even the EPA faced retracting their no heater rule. So water heaters are now allowed in dishwashers again. (Trust me, I refused to buy a useless dishwasher for years until EPA relented).

    So,the EPA reduced the allowed water usage,again. Now dishwashers run for two hours for normal soil loads.

    EPA harassed washing and dryer machine manufacturers, reducing the water levels again and reducing energy usage. Gone are the days when clothes could be washed and dried within an hour.

    The simple truth is, administrators, clerks and legislators have no business setting limits on what is needed for machines to do the best job possible. None of the fools making these rules are workflow experts, machine experts or experts at anything that doesn’t require giant egos or narcissism.

    A rule Congress should pass is that no one dictates engineering specifications or utility needs for equipment.

    I remember back when I was a child, that engineers and doctors recommended water heaters to be set at the highest temperatures possible. My Father kept our water heater at just below steam.

    Shortly after I purchased my first house in the late 1970s, doctors and engineers vanished from giving health tips for households. EPA doesn’t hear anyone asking why we are no longer using hot water to sterilize things,like sinks, clothes, dishes, etc. Instead they have the USDA telling everyone to cook foods until they surrender into hockey pucks or mush.

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    The more layers of government the more expensive things get. The more dead weight you have to support. The slower things happen. The more corruption.

    The Romans got so good at scalping the people that for much of their farmland it became unprofitable to produce.

    The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter – pdf. The good stuff starts in Chapter 4.
    https://wtf.tw/ref/tainter.pdf

    https://youtu.be/GzuviYRse3E – about 3 minutes

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      el gordo

      My main critique is that the author doesn’t mention climate change as a cause of the collapse. For example, the great Indian drought that saw Harappan refugees venture to Australia, bringing sophisticated tools and the dingo.

      China is not about to collapse anytime soon.

      ‘Unlike NASA, which is aimed at space exploration and space science missions, China’s space program is aimed at long-term wealth creation for the Chinese nation, by utilizing a space-based economy.

      ‘The global space economy today is worth $350 billion but is predicted to be worth $2.7 trillion by 2040. Added to this is the significant economic potential from future space mining. Scientists infer that a small platinum-rich asteroid, just 200 meters in length, could be worth $30 billion. Asteroid 2011 UW158, which sailed at a distance of 1.5 million miles from Earth in July 2015, was worth an estimated $5 trillion in platinum.’

      The Diplomat

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        Before moderate climate change (less than an Ice Age return)can cause a collapse you need a large government to support. That is the message.

        “Collapse” is a return to smaller governments. Less dead weight to support.

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