Comments for Inside Story

Comment on The vision thing by Vivienne Ortega

Vivienne Ortega — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:35:00 +0000

“..while South Australia’s economic and population growth rates were lower than Australia’s as a whole over the five years to June 2012, the state economy actually outperformed the national economy in per capita terms..”
Maybe it’s because SA hasn’t been burdened by the costs of population growth, and continually outstripping their infrastructure, that they are better off. Growth is not always “good” if it’s beyond the optimum size. South Australians should avoid being forced to accept a desalination plant, like Victoria. It will blowout the costs of water.

Comment on China’s museum-style multiculturalism by Leon Buker

Leon Buker — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:07 +0000

I’m surprised at the suggestion that an Australian style solution to multiculturalism will have legs in China. The Chinese are very reticent to even listen to an idea that comes from a Western ideology. They would much prefer something with Chinese characteristics.

Whilst we can criticise the current Chinese government for whitewashing ethnic difficulties, blindly applying a Western model is equally a form of whitewashing. Maybe I misunderstood the article, but I didn’t feel it was sensitive to the unique cultural situation of China.

I’m no China expert, only having lived in the rural parts for a handful of years. However, I feel that due to the very low levels of education that many Chinese currently have access to, open discussion is not going to be the way forward on many issues. They simply lack the critical thinking skills required for open debate and discussion.

China is more likely to follow the model of Singapore than Australia.

Comment on I get by with a little help from my friends by Frank Golding

Frank Golding — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:45:27 +0000

Apart from all that, Frank B seems to have liked the book. The cover was nice!

Comment on Britain’s military complex by Janan Al-Asady

Janan Al-Asady — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:02:54 +0000

An excellent article with a refreshingly accurate analysis of historical events.

Comment on Women behaving badly by julie copeland

julie copeland — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:17:36 +0000

Yes, I congratulated Jill at the time on this stylish essay – worthy of Austen herself – particularly Jill’s bagging of the earnest American authors’ ideas that we read Austen for a sort of moral`lesson’, rather than for the sheer enjoyment of her brilliant play with language & wise wit.
Which was so typical of Jill, who despite her Anglophilia (eg. I couldn’t `get’ her love of Beryl Bainbridge!) – I very much enjoyed discussing reading, writing, politics -everything. I miss her strong but informed opinions, her knowledge, integrity, her lively company; she was one of a kind.

Comment on Gone solar by Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:06:59 +0000

“between 10 and 20 per cent of available houses have a rooftop system”

- yet this supplies only 1% of Australia’s electricity. In other words, rooftop PV is woefully inadequate to decarbonise Australia’s electricity. The fundamental problem of no PV supply for 2 hours out of every 3 remains. Grid utilities will continue to be needed to ensure supply. David Roberts in that same series of articles admitted he knew of no solution to this problem – keeping grid utilities in business despite subsidised PV creaming off profits.

Comment on Gone solar by James Brown

James Brown — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:42:47 +0000

Power Networks: Impact of Photovoltaics

A key issue is whether large scale photovoltaics, in areas with good solar radiation levels like Western NSW, North Western Victoria, Northern South Australia plus the transmission and distribution network, can compete with distributed local solar.

Similarly can local battery storage compete with large scale pumped hydro energy storage which at present comprises 99% of bulk electrical energy storage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity and can potentially provide the storage required to maintain electricity supply in Australia for more than a day.

Photovoltaics and batteries are not necessarily sustainable long term. Service life is limited recycling is not yet developed and rare elements required for manufacture face future shortages.http://phoenixprojectfoundation.us/uploads/IEEE_Solar_Hydrogen_Paper.pdf

Long term sustainable energy may involve large solar thermal plants with integrated thermal energy storage, pumped hydro energy storage, and wind turbines. This combination requires a traditional transmission and distribution network.

Traditionally the electricity industry has projected the past unchanged into the future. In the early 70′s it was surprised that energy demand was not continuing to grow at 6 percent per annum for ever. Again we are in a period of transition. Future power networks will be different but they will exist. Isolated independent power systems lose all the benefits of pooling and aggregation. The world abandoned cottage industry for good reasons.

Comment on Gone solar by Barry Healy

Barry Healy — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:15:01 +0000

I have a friend who is the proud owner of an electric car. It is configured so that the house can draw energy back out of the car battery if there is an emergency in the grid. Such an elegent solution to the storage problem.

Comment on Women behaving badly by jane Goodall

jane Goodall — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:20:49 +0000

What very sad news about the loss of Jill Kitson. This is a lovely example of her work – so good to see someone refusing to tip the cap to prestigious scholars, and steering a critical argument with such precision and verve. Through a long career in broadcasting and writing she has made a real contribution to Australian cultural life.

Comment on Old medium, new century by Hannah Zande

Hannah Zande — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:00:47 +0000

Slight error in the image “Two eras of blockbusters”. The movie was titled ‘Return of the King’ not ‘Return of the Ring’.