swanning_it
Member
Democracy? Someone once said to me "there can never be a true democracy, because that would be anarchy". Democracy can only ever be a comparision between states, one being more or less democratic than another, but we always need laws to temper one persons perceived democratic right against anothers.
Buzzman for PM has a nice ring to it!
I think the people from Sundanzer refrigeration are on the right track. The "Values" they promote are very nicely put at the link below.
Buzzman
Member
swanning_it
Thanks for the blow, but no thanks. I'd be as bad as Mao or Stalin. But it wouldn't be writers and academics I'd be bumping off......
Has anyone read Douglas Adams? Remember the Great Ark Fleet of Golgafrincham, and the B-Ark captained by a rubber-duck-loving nincompoop?
The telephone sanitisers and marketing executives all being sent off to colonise a new world - OURS!!!
You have to admit, he might have been onto something...... 
:)
Oh, and rockabye, did you notice that the one thing SunDanzer does NOT say is:
- we are working to establish locally-owned manufacturing and servicing facilites in developing countries that will, eventually, make us completely redundant
Nobody EVER says that! Wonder why?
- nor did they say whether or not the raw materials they use come from re-used resources, sustainably-cycled resources or 'raw resources'
- nor whether they have a "Return To Maker" policy for 'end of life' recycling into more new refrigeration units.
Ok, what they have is good, but it's scrapes the surface.
I don't think the Sundanzer people can't be held responsible for all of the world's problems. They are endeavoring to make a difference, unlike many very wealthy corporations. The values they are promoting are admirable but not always achieved, even by those with the best of intentions. If just 10% of the worlds businesses adopted similar practises the benefits to everyone would be amazing.
They do include many of the ideas you mention, but in a broad context.
"We engage in sustainable practices that conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. As importantly, we make products that are designed to improve the lives of people in sustainable ways."
And this is where we come in. By choosing products that have a long life, low energy use and made by people who aren't just focussed on money we can be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
Remember, everyday is a chooseday.
dymonite69
Member
Superior technology is only a very small part of the solution. There are very few resources which have an unlimited life-cycle. The more complex, the less they will last. They also require further consumption of resources to recycle.
Available resources is more of an issue with demand rather than supply.
Although renewable energy sources are theoretically infinite in capacity our collecting and storage devices have limited lifespans. They also do not provide the energy density that currently drive a lot of our mining and manufacturing processes.
The most efficient battery still contains less energy than a lump of coal per kg of weight.
We won't be able to have our cake and eat it too. A green future means our choices will be far more limited than we are currently experiencing.
Look at this map:
Good link. The current way of doing things is very limited, fossil fuels or fossil fuels. Question is will the map change if I continue burning coal at current levels or will it change if I stop wasting as much energy as I am now?
I think our choices are going to have to be different but not limited to what we have now. By diversifying into lots of different ways of accomplishing tasks we can lighten the load so to speak on the narrow range of options we are currently using.
Simple things like walking instead of driving when possible will make huge inroads into energy consumption and comes with side benefits like improved health. More choice, not less will spread the weight of humans better until population limits start to take effect.
My 70kg is far more efficiently transported via the solar recharged lithium battery on a 25kg electric bike than using a petrol driven 1500kg car. The bulk of the energy contained in a litre of petrol or a kg of coal is wasted as heat during production or consumption. By contrast the battery can be reused 1000 times with energy extracted from the sun, or hydro or wind.
Buzzman
Member
rockabye
I wasn't intending to 'diss' SunDanzer, but more to point out that their statements are all basic "motherhood" statements and are, effectively, just so much fluff unless they are ACTIVELY using recycled materials, not simply designing for longevity. Although as you say, that is better than SO MANY other coproations and that in and of itself should be acknowledged and supported.
And you are totally right about using 1500kgs of steel, plastic and rubber to shift one person. I travelled to Sydney this week for work and it was a round trip of almost 1000km with just me in the car.
But until there is a VFT between Kempsey and Sydney, I will drive. The four hours this takes (in my 6.9L/100km 15-yr-old Corolla) is for me far preferable than the 8 hours in the uncomfortable XPT train, with it's minimalist 'canteen' that can't even supply a cappucino, never mind a decent sandwich.
Having said that, I have used the sleeper on the night train to Melbourne, and can recommend all but the food. Take snacks of your own and wine to drink, and if travelling solo splash out and book the whole cabin if you need peace and quiet. So it's not so cheap that way, but no dearer than last minute flight prices. It just takes 11hrs, but you get into Southern Cross Station in time for a good breakfast before you need to go to a meeting, and you're in the CBD, unlike the $70 cab fare from Tullamarine.
But take earplugs if you are a light sleeper, and take the bottom bunk as it doesn't move about quite as much as the upper. But otherwise it's a top trip.
fifonik
Member
"Green" really mean nothing important to me. Currently, it's just a popular word and popular utopian idea. Nothing more.
I've installed solar systems (HW and PV) not because I'd like to be "green" but because I'd like to save money. Actually, all these modern technologies are not "green" and their production make huge environmental footprint.
Many people are happy: "We've installed Solar systems! We're green!". They don't care that all pollutions remain in China?
You must log in to post.
