Clean energy utopia
IT is 7pm on a cold, still night in the city which boasts ‘100 per cent green energy’.
Thousands of electric cars are plugged into chargers. Electric lights, heaters and TVs are running. Electric stoves are cooking dinner, electric trains and lifts are moving late commuters and early revellers, and the pubs and clubs are busy.
The hills bristle with turbines, but there is no wind and not one is turning. Every roof is covered with solar panels, but there is no sunshine and the panels are fast asleep. The green city is facing peak electricity demand... on batteries.
But for several days clouds have shaded the solar panels and there has been no wind to turn the turbines – the battalions of batteries are running out of juice. One by one they drop out. The street lights fade and the city goes dark.
In this green energy utopia all the wicked coal-powered generators have been demolished, exploration for gas is forbidden, and no one dares to mention nuclear.
Hydro schemes have gone (replaced by ‘wild rivers’), new hydro developments are stalled by green lawyers, and diesel generators are banned.
There is only one problem with this green perfection.
When the city wakes to another cloudy windless day, where will its electricity come from?
- Viv Forbes, Rosevale
Speed cameras on
WON’T worry most of us because we have incompetent drivers who sit as low as 60km/h in that 90 zone. Forget about getting anywhere near the speed limit during the busy times.
- Brendan Pratt, via Facebook
WASTE of money. Why put a point-to-point system on a stretch of highway that has multiple entry and exit points in the area? Doesn't make sense.
Plus if you really want to you can bypass the first camera at the Jimboomba end heading north by taking the service road... great planning.
- Dallas Follett, via Facebook
IF anyone is worried about how fast they are actually travelling between the two speed cameras, go out for a drive at night or early morning when the traffic is low and time yourself.
The 10 kilometres should take you roughly six minutes and 40 seconds to travel.
- Andrew Jack, via Facebook
WASTE of taxpayers money. I rarely get above 80 with the nervous nellies in front of me.
- Shari Taylor, via Facebook
