1. Orlando shootings
Clearly the biggest news event of week was the Orlando shootings, followed now by Jo Cox’s murder in Britain. Continue reading Saturday salon 18/6
Tag Archives: Open Threads
Climate clippings 174
1. Climate change makes our food poisonous
- Extreme weather is increasing the levels of toxins in our food, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Crops affected include barley, maize or millet, cassava and sorghum.
Poisons include nitrates, “prussic acid” or hydrogen cyanide, and fungai. Continue reading Climate clippings 174
Saturday salon 4/6
1. Here come the Chinese
One million Chinese tourists account for 23% of tourist trip spend at $8.9 billion, an increase of 38% in the last year.
I’m not sure how excited we should get. I remember being told in Heidelberg Castle in 2008 that they got 4 million each year. In Prague the number of 70 million was quoted. Tourism here is small beer, but I wouldn’t like to live in that sort of melee. Our Brisbane Queen Street mall on Friday afternoon was pleasantly cosmopolitan. Continue reading Saturday salon 4/6
Election 2016 open thread: war edition
Economy up, living standards down, and ScoMo starts a war as a distraction. Only 29 more days to go!
The national accounts figures were ostensibly good news for the Government. GDP growth at an annual rate of 3.1 per cent is brilliant. The next OECD economy I think is the UK with 2.1 per cent.
Jacob Greber in the AFR put it this way: Continue reading Election 2016 open thread: war edition
Climate clippings 173
This edition of Climate clippings is devoted to some random transport ideas that have come my way.
1. Driverless electric pods for Singapore
By the end of the year Singaporeans could be using driverless electric pod vehicles to get to and from school and work: Continue reading Climate clippings 173
Saturday salon 28/5
Warning. There’s nothing about Australian politics in this post!
1. American teen so rich he couldn’t tell right from wrong
In 2013, 16-year-old American teenager Ethan Couch
- was sentenced to 10 years’ probation after killing four people in a drink driving incident. During his sentencing hearing, Couch’s defence team successfully argued that their client was so wealthy he could not tell right from wrong, and therefore should be given a lighter sentence.
During sentencing his psychologist testified Couch “was suffering from “affluenza” at the time, a condition resulting from the inability of his wealthy parents to instil basic moral principles into him.” Continue reading Saturday salon 28/5
Election 2016 open thread
The election campaign grinds on, and we are not yet half way there. In this post I look at some of the claims being made on the economy, and it can serve as an open thread on the election.
The Coalition has made a big play on jobs and growth, plus Labor’s said recklessness and inability to manage the economy, finding huge ‘black holes’ in their costings. Of course, Labor is yet to supply it’s costings, which in 2013 the LNP only released on the Thursday before the election. So, always helpful to a fault, they’ve done Labor’s work for them.
Problem is, say Labor, it was a litany of fiction and lies. Continue reading Election 2016 open thread
Climate clippings 172
1. Pumped power storage
RenewEconomy has a great post on pumped water storage to store electric power to complement solar. It talks about working heads of less than 200 metres and the use of “turkey nest” dams. Continue reading Climate clippings 172
Saturday salon 21/5
1. Protect your plastic money
If you haven’t heard about it you will. And if you think it won’t happen in Australia, you’re wrong.
Thieves can use RFID technology to empty your card. Seems they can steal your details with a cheap credit card reader, which they hold near you wallet or purse. It could be on public transport, or standing next to you in a supermarket. Continue reading Saturday salon 21/5
Climate clippings 171
1. 3D solar towers
MIT researchers have developed and tested a range of 3D solar towers to achieve power output that is up to 20 times greater than traditional fixed flat solar panels with the same base area. Here is an example of two of the models tested: Continue reading Climate clippings 171
Saturday salon 5/5 (late edition)
1. Midnight Oil to burn again
Midnight Oil, led by the former Hon. Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Education, are returning to a high-ticket priced venue near you.
- Once again, we’ll witness the gangly mantis, this time just plain old Pete Garrett, belt out songs condemning American military imperialism, condemning the loss of Indigenous land rights and noting that beds, as well as pink batts, keep burning. Continue reading Saturday salon 5/5 (late edition)
Climate clippings 170
1. Arctic ice in trouble
It’s too early to say whether the 2012 record for Arctic summer ice loss will be beaten, but it’s shaping up so that it could. The NSIDC satellite is broken, but robertscribbler has been looking at the Japanese satellite. This is what it shows: Continue reading Climate clippings 170