The Ford Nucleon - a transport solution for peak oil and carbon emissions?

The Ford Nucleon was a nuclear powered concept car developed by the Ford Motor Company in 1958. The rear mounted reactor provided a 8000 km range and could be exchanged at charging stations, which were anticipated to replace petrol stations. The forward position of the cabin provided a degree of protection to the occupants from the reactor.

Thankfully, no operational models were built, but it's a wonder Howard hasn't picked this one up - it's American, nuclear powered and dates from the Menzies era!

[Wikipedia via EcoGeek]

New Zealand to be 90% Renewable by 2025

An interesting contrast...

A. In New Zealand, Janet Clarke commits to 90% powered by renewable energy by 2025.

B. In Australia, John Howard commits to a 15% renewable energy target by 2020, which the Government admits is simply the sum total of existing and planned targets under the Commonwealth and states' energy target schemes.

It should be noted that note that NZ is already 70% powered by renewables - mainly from hydroelectric dams, with geothermal a secondary source. Clarke also hopes New Zealand will someday be completely carbon neutral - I'm sure they also have lots of wind. Further NZ goals are a 2040 target for reducing by half per capita emissions from transport, widely introducing electric vehicles and achieving a net increase in forest area of 250,000 hectares (617,000 acres) by 2020.

[EcoGeek blog and renewableenergyaccess.com]

Improvement to Workplace Relations advertisement

Here's an amusing improvement to the Workplace Relations media saturation campaign spotted on a Flinders St tramstop...

Despite the saturation campaign (27 TV, radio and press advertisements to date), I notice a recent Roy Morgan survey commissioned by GetUp! indicates the results are less than impressive:

• 45% feel less positive towards the Government's laws as a result of the multi-million dollar campaign.
• 23 per cent say it made them feel better about the laws.
• 24 per cent say the ads made no difference
  
• 8 per cent not sure.

Prepare for an onslaught when the election is announced!

John Howard's YouTube climate change experiment

By unveiling his belated climate change measures on YouTube, John Howard is obviously trying to target youth culture (i.e. people under 55!) .
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You do have to wonder at this venture into new media - this audience is unlikely to be impressed by the image and probably more interested in the multitude of parodies already there. More significantly, this medium is empowering individuals who are able to assess wider evidence and construct a critical commentary. An ABC Lateline interview during Al Gore's visit last to Australia less than a year ago, paints another picture of Howard's climate change credentials.

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Labor was obviously waiting to ambush the announcement by releasing a television ad on the same day featuring a bedridden Howard complete with Menzies eyebrows and bedside photo of Bush. TV news appeared more interested in the use of media than on the substance of the issue.