BARVENNON.COM
AUSTRALIAN DIARY
DECEMBER 2009.
CARBON CAPTURE
I am somewhat puzzled that nobody seems to have suggested
incomplete burning as an alternative to sequestration of CO2.
Consider the problem of sequestration. - first the CO2 must be
separated out from the exhaust. Then is must be compressed, then
it must be stored.
Incomplete combustion would generate somewhat less heat per Kg (at a
guess, about 10%-20%). However the carbon would be found in the
exhaust as particulate carbon, (like the black smoke that comes out of
a cold diesel engine starting up) which could be separated with
existing precipitator technology, and easily formed into bricks which
could be sold for industrial purposes (that did not involve oxidation).
TONY ABBOTT
Tony Abbott is being crucified because he doesn't have a Carbon Policy
and because he has allegedly changed his mind.
Give the man a fair go. He has only just taken
leadership, and I too am certain that the cap and trade system is
hugely inefficient. We have to wean ourselves off brown coal,
(unless the carbon capture system mentioned above is applied - it
should work fairly well for brown coal.) Otherwise, we could just
switch to black coal (of which we have plenty) and ship that to the
power stations in Yallourn and Port Augusta. In which case those
miners in Yallourn and Leigh Creek might have to move to Newcastle or
Gladstone. (Nicer climate too).
About changing his mind. I change my opinion about what
should be done frequently. Since we can only change our
politicians every three years, I would like to elect the politician who
is most responsive to the broad thrust of electoral opinion. I
never intend to give such a broad mandate to anybody that they could
march merrily along their way, saying "we got a mandate" even though
the sweep of public opinion has changed.
Actually, Tony has got an apparent lack of deviousness which I
like. And (unless Oxford actually accepts idiots) I suspect that
Tony could fight his way out of a wet paper bag (to mix a few
metaphors).
Julian MOTI (revisited).
In December 2007 I wrote about Julian Moti. With reference to my
analysis at the time, it is very nice to see that our own justice
system is showing political independence and insight by throwing out
that case. Perhaps there is still hope for liberty in the
commonwealth.
CENSORSHIP
Our Federal legislators (Conroy gets most credit) have enacted
censorship laws that, in the opinion of the New York Times are only
matched by similar laws in China and Iran. The laws will allow
internet censorship by issue of an "RC" (refusal to classify)
certificate. This does seem to be a broad classification.
Does it mean that unless a site has been sighted and approved it will
be censored?
Rupert Murdoch's "Australian" appears to approve the legislation in an
editorial "Turning the muck filter on" December 17th.
Obviously it is in Murdoch's interest that no source of public
information should be less censored than his own newspapers.
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