The debate about saving the environment and rapid population growth/ immigration are intrinsically linked. You can’t seriously have both.
So how is it possible that groups like GetUp are both running open door immigration campaigns and save the environment campaigns?
You can’t rapidly increase population without the services to support the population. That means further development including roads, buildings, water and power.
Even if you won’t build new dams, you’re going to have to eventually increase water supply. Sure, there’s gray water, but that’s not going to supply all the water you need.
You need desal, and what does desal consume a lot of?
And then you have the contradiction of Australia being anti-nuclear power. Wind and sun doesn’t provide base load electricity, so you’ve got gas and coal left.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
but … “baseload power supply is just what Ausra is now being contracted to supply for the insatiable US market. It says that within two years it will be able to economically store its hot water for more than 16 hours.”
VC funding is helping determine whether baseload solar is viable or not.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/02/2…
You make a good point here. It seems like 35 mill or so might be a big stretch considering we already have water problems at 20 mill.
There are some other options in regard to clean energy. If geothermal energy works out (and Australia is certainly good at drilling), that might be able to provide a decent amount of power to replace coal, combined with a new smart grid. Nuclear power plants take a significant amount of water to run them, but maybe 3 and 4th gen nuclear could become a viable option. Something has got to happen.
No matter what month of the year, it is always important for us to save energy as it helps us minimize our expenses from the Texas Electric Companies monthly bills. You cannot tell if March is always the time when you spend the most energy, so just to be certain, conserving energy must be done every day.