green

The rivers of money flowing into the government’s coffers present both problems and opportunities. Our growing economy and population is producing demands for increased spending on infrastructure, health and education. Some people believe tackling the growing inequality in Australia should be the top priority with increased focus on services for those left behind by the economic boom. A recent survey indicates most Australians believe the surplus is the result of being overtaxed. So, should the money be given back as tax cuts or will that drive up inflation and interest rates? Is the solution for the government to save and invest the money as an insurance against an uncertain future?

The above paragraph is a summary of the latest episode Different Of Opinion A show aired on ABC and hosted by Jeff McMullen which aims to assemble a panel of free thinkers to discuss the biggest challenges facing Australia's future.

This week they discussed how the massive $20billion surplus should be spent. The panel featured Dr John Hewson. Now I wouldn't exactly call myself a Liberal fan, especially under Howard. But I have to say Dr John Hewson, the former Liberal leader really impressed me. He put up the argument that political decisions should be conducted in the framework of global climate change. It's a shame no current politicians think this way.

I highly recommend watching this episode, which can be downloaded from the abc website. It made for thought provoking television.

Yay, all enclosed licensed premises are smoke free from today! That includes pubs, clubs and gaming rooms... well unless you're stinking filthy rich. No surprises there, we all know there's one law for the rich and another for the rest of us.

As you can probably tell I'm not a smoker and I'm glad to see this new law come in. I might even be tempted to go out more often now that I won't come home smelling like a chimney. However I don't think they have gone far enough. Smokers are still permitted to light up in out door dining areas (except for when there's a roof as well as walls that cover more than 75% of the wall area) - how lame. Screw any of us who would like to enjoy alfresco dining as in - the fresh air; outdoors.

I'm also concerned with the littering aspect. Cigarette butts are already one of the most common forms of litter with an estimated 4.5 trillion butts littered every year worldwide! The Victorian Government, to their credit is offering $300 with a Butt Rebate Scheme through Sustainability Victoria. Hopefully most businesses will jump on board.

On a lighter note, some people are taking this opportunity to quit, such as Jess McGuire. You can follow her struggle on the ABC website. Good luck Jess.

Oh, and I do take a little pity on the smokers. The depths of a Melbourne winter is not the most kind time of year to introduce this new law. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

One of my pet peeves is the amount of water wasted while waiting for the hot water to come through. I would guess it would be one of the major contributors to house hold water waste. In one place I lived in recently the wait was excruciating. It would take at least a minute for warm water to come through for a task as simple as washing your face, and that was after a brand new hot water service was installed!

I've been contemplating this problem while planning my new house. What can I do to reduce the delay in hot water? I've wondered what would be involved in insulating all the hot water pipes. Of course there's the option of diverting the cold water. Setting up such a system to cover all of the house hold taps would be difficult not to mention a pain to use.

Fortunately I caught a re-run of an episode of New Inventors last week. The winner was Enviro Save Water System invented by Lloyd Linson-Smith. What Lloyd has come up with is an ingenious way to divert the cold water from the hot tap back into the system for reuse next time you require cold water, no matter where in the house you need it. The best bit is it's fully automated, you don't have to think about it. When the hot tap is turned on, water flows through a value which measures the temperature. If it is cool the water will be directed to a bypass line and into a bladder. When the water reaches temperature it's redirected back through the tap.

Great job Lloyd, I will be installing an Enviro Save Water System when I build.

Hugg Me

So yay, in their latest budget the Australian government has announced an increase in the solar panel rebate. It now sits at $8k. Nothing to be sneezed at and I'll happily take it when I finally get around to building my house. However I can't help thinking it's a bit of an election ploy to try and win back some marginal green votes. It still works out to be quite expensive to install a solar panel and I'm not sure how many people will take it up. So, could the money be put to better use? It would certainly go a long way towards insulating a house.