Juris wants us to break the mantra of growth

Today I heard from friend Juris Greste and being a retired people-focussed urban designer, he encouraged me listen to Ockham’s Razor on Radio National.

It was on this particular program that Kerryn Higgs from the University of Tasmania talks about her new book, “Collision Course” in which she laments our addiction to growth.

Juris, the father of the until recently imprisoned Peter Greste, wrote:

Dear friends,

It is interesting and challenging (to hopefully most of us) that I should be reading these links the day that our new Premier confirmed her commitment to economic growth. No mention of growth in quality (on any front), wisdom, creativity, cleverness, efficiency, well-being or even 'happiness'.   Is it the same old product, merely in different packaging?

How do we make an impression on this droning mantra?

Best to you all, Juris

The Ockham’s Razor program Juris refers to can be heard here.

Beneath the Wisteria supporter, Robyn Lipshut also alerted us to the same program.

(Juris lives in Brisbane).

Sweden shows us how to slow our flagrant use of fossil fuels

Andrew Lang - he understands bio-energy.

Our flagrant use of energy, primarily energy source from fossil fuels, is the root cause of climate change.

Renewable energy is the urgently needed source we need to explore, and more importantly engage, and the fellow who has a deep understanding of these “new” energy sources is Victoria’s Andrew Lang.

Andrew, a Churchill and Gottstein Fellow and who has studied energy efficiency programs and renewable energy implementation and technologies in the Nordic countries, North America, China, India and Central Europe.

He was the guest today on Radio National’s Ockham’s Razor.

A farmer from western Victoria, Andrew has represented the Australasia-Oceania region on the board of the World Bioenergy Association since 2008, regularly presenting at overseas conferences on bioenergy development in Australia and its potential.

Today he talks about Sweden's advancement in renewable energy.

He explains that some Swedish cities have a target of zero use of fossil fuels by 2030 for electricity, heating or transport.

Diesendorf removes the doubt, in less than15 miniutes

Extensive reading and listening had left me in doubt about the ability of renewable energy to replace that from fossil fuels the world now depends upon.

However, in less than 15 minutes listening to Mark Diesendorf on Ockham’s Razor on Radio National changed all that.

In a session headed: “Renewing Renewables”, Diesendorf produced a convincing argument for switching quickly from our fossil fuel powered electricity generators to a system almost wholly dependent upon renewable supplies, such as solar and wind.

It’s worth spending 13 minutes listening to Diesendorf.