I don’t think KPMG partner Bernard Salt would like Hydra Sustainable -a member of the Victorian Government’s eco-perfect family. In today’s The Australian, Salt complains about hotels suggesting he re-use his towel to save water. Hydra goes as far as to suggest we should wash our hair just once a week to save water.
What Salt says:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16370702%255E25658,00.html .
What Hydra says:
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/thesustainables/hydra.htm .
I lived at a Presbyterian and Methodist girl’s boarding school in the 1970s and we were only allowed to wash our hair once a week and then only in the hand basins – noone was allowed to wash their hair in the showers at Clayfield College.
The ban on hair washing in showers probably had something to do with being austere – a Presbyterian and Methodist virtue. The rule actually created a lot of self-loathing, greasy-haired teenage girls.
Salt makes the observation that “The environment lobby has skilfully manouevered middle Australia to a no-dams policy without having to go through the tedium of public debate.”
The environment movement is really very Presbyterian and Methodist?
Salt suggests that no water restrictions would make Sydney greener and that this would be good for our souls, and our wildlife, and for social cohesion. … and I would add, our hair.
He suggests we should start talking about building some more dams.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
I really think Mr Salt sums up what is totally wrong. When faced with a shortage just increase supply at the expensive of everything else so I do not have compromise my lifestyle.
I think the theme song for this post should be “I’m an As***le” by Denis Leary.
Ender, what about creating a shortage by not building dams so we can all feel bad,
Jennifer – how about using what we have more wisely and easing the burden on the environment.
Dams where – haven’t the engineers gotten to all the gorges and filled them by now. (except Fitzroy and Franklin).
What’s left?
Let it be brown – it’s time we Europeans went native mode and got into the El Nino/La Nina cycle.
Amazing correlation between water meters and brown footpaths … it’s called “paying for it”…
Go with the flow (or lack of it!)
Phillip, I gather the Queensland Government wants to dam the Mary – Wyalarong is just a diversion (no pun intended!). Perhaps ultimately the choice will be between de-sal and dams?
Engineers want to dam everything. Of course the Land and Water Audit says most of our value in agriculture comes from irrigation … so … damn it dam it Janet !!!
Hi Jen
We do not have a shortage of water we just have too many people.Max.
You can’t dam the Mary Jen (or is it can’t damn the Jen River Mary ? – I’m feeling confused this week)
Piscine sympathisers have just got the Mary Cod (interesting fish like Murray Cod) back from extinction. Needs traditional riparian environment with plenty of fallen trees and snags. By golly we’ve even translocated it into other river systems to keep it going !!
http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/mary-river-cod/
http://www.nativefish.asn.au/cod.html
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/1954.html
We won’t have it. Myself, Rog, Louis and Jen will form a picket and block the Bruce Highway. Then we will march on the state parliament. Jen you’ll have to march up the back at the demo given you’re with the AEF (or is it ACF – I get so confused).
And speaking of AEF was it you guys polling me with a phone survey last weekend about matters environmental – uranium, land clearing, aboriginal issues, what env organisations I knew about and whether the ACF is part of AEF. All manner of questions and a nice young lady too.
And hey how come you guys picked AEF as a name anyway – ws it just the mood that took you or did you think – this will stir those greenies up.
Did anyone suggest a name like Australian Morning Fresh Foundation or Australians for none of this lefty greenie nonsense and sponsored by business Foundation.
How do I join to subvert the agenda. Is it true that only people from private school backgrounds and who let the tap run while brushing their teeth can be members?
Anyway I’m still confused is it AEF or ACF that are the good guys ?
Phillip,
My initial post failed and so I will risk repetition.
The AEF enunciates the environmental will of its members; subversives included. Private-school backgrounds are not prerequisite. The AEF values the needs and aspirations of people affected by evidence-based and solution focused approaches to environmental issues.
In this new era of scientifically objective and people-inclusive environmentalism, the AEF requires progression rom historical approaches that have disenfranchised Australians. In my opinion, supporters of such change are indeed ‘good’.
No branch stacking ?
OK was just teasing you … 🙂
I respect your opinion(s) even though I disagree with a few …
Just make sure you tread the fine line though …
So when will the AEF have some policy direction ?
Jen, You seem to forget that simply” daming more water” doesn’t ‘create’ more water, its just taking water away from somewhere else or someone else.
That may or may not be ok, depending on the end use. Certainly not just to feed an arrogant, greedy ‘want’ that is not sustainable or because some may be uncomfortable about compromising their lifestyle.
How is ‘want’ arrogant and greedy? Is the ‘war on want’ a culture war?
Phildo wants to join a group that damns the dammers, we might put him in charge of the carpark.
Rog – looks like you’re going to have to march down the back at the demo with Jen.
It’s a good looking fish – the Mary River Cod – I’m sure you would love one if you gave it a chance to get to know you…
Dont know much about cod Phildo, is it related to the haddock?
I believe that building more dams is the key to ensuring the very survival of life on this planet. More ‘environmentally friendly’ methods are far more expensive in terms of wasting natural resources, or are inefficient and insufficient to meet the ever-growing demand for quality water across the world. There is no doubt that to ensure survival of the human race, we should build more dams!
Let us consider our vital need for water. The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The body is made up of 55 to 75 percent water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones. As the body can’t store water, we need fresh supplies every day to make up for losses from lungs, skin, urine and faeces. The amount we need depends on our metabolism, the weather, the food we eat and our activity levels. Furthermore, water is required in manufacturing and industry, for cooling and heating. Without water for regular washing, the spread of disease will increase. Thus, it is imperative that humans have access to sufficient fresh water in order to survive.
In his paper titled ‘We, The People’, United Nations President Kofi Annan stated that global freshwater consumption rose sixfold between 1900 and 1995 and that if present trends continue, two out of every three people on Earth will live in a water-stressed condition by 2025.
There is only one proven practical method for providing sufficient water and that is by building more dams. There are currently 45 000 known large-size dams in the world but in the face of growing populations and climate change, these existing dams cannot continue to provide sufficient water. In the most highly populated countries, such as India, there is non-stop construction of new dams to keep pace with the urgent need for water. It is only in relatively slow-growth countries like Australia that we can afford to argue over the political correctness of building more dams. However, even in Australia, it is now time to act, as we too are facing an all-time record water shortage. For example, the “Southern Star” newspaper of March 1st reports that in 2006 our biggest three Queensland dams have dropped to only 30% of capacity, drastically below the previous all-time low level of 47% in 1996!
Let me point out the sort of unrealistic alternatives to building more dams. One popular water saving device is the household rainwater tank. The Brisbane City Council even offers a financial reward to resident who install a rainwater tank. Let us consider the true benefits of tanks. The typical household tank holds about 1.1 kilo-Litres. The average Brisbane household water consumption is claimed by the Brisbane City Council to almost 1 kilo-Litre per day. Hence, without a rainstorm, the tank system will provide barely one day’s water! Despite very strict water restrictions it has been predicted that Brisbane could be without sufficient water supplies within two years. Due to ‘green’ political correctness we are hearing an array of half-baked airy-fairy schemes to provide sufficient water. There include drilling artesian bores in the suburbs, or on Moreton Bay islands, or under the sea bed, all of which ignore the historical problems of ground water pollution and salt contamination. Many may promote the distillation of sea water but neatly ignore the huge wastage of other resources that will be required to generate the electricity. Alternately, many may want to pollute our visual environment with highly inefficient, noisy wind farms or huge expanses or ugly solar power stations in order to distil sea water. These schemes have all been trialed and failed as practical alternatives to dams. Let’s be serious please! We need to build more dams and no amount of water restrictions, water tanks, or other water-saving devices will remove that need.
Though many may have to move away from their present homes in order that their land can become a water reservoir, they will be given a fair financial compensation and an alternative place to live, just like those who previously moved to make way for airports and freeways. What is more important is that several million others will then have sufficient water for survival!
Of course many may claim that there are environmental concerns with building more dams. They will claim that native fish may be disturbed, or that wetland plants will be affected, or that the hairy-nosed-wet-tailed river rats will suffer. They will wring their hands concerning the forced re-settlement of people. I am sorry to inform them that they are simply missing the point. The greater good is served by providing life-sustaining water to millions of others. Building more dams will not only provide more life-sustaining water for everyday life in the cities and towns, but for agriculture, and for generating hydro-electricity. We will show that building more dams enable far greater control over potentially destructive floods. There is absolutely no doubt, that we should build more dams!
I’ve managed to save up roughly $70007 in my bank account, but I’m not sure if I should buy a house or not. Do you think the market is stable or do you think that home prices will decrease by a lot?