nomadpete

Correction.... LIFE is a Terminal STD. Nobody gets out of this game alive. But I'm havin a ball until then!

And all the way to Poepples peg (South Australia)!

So.... Not a climate change issue. Nor a renewable energy issue. Just a case of (perceived) real estate rorting.

Unfortunately there are many peoply who don't have the ability to get their heads around the complexities of politics. There is so much verbal bs, tempered by so much history of actual actions by partys and individuals, that they give up trying to think about it. Sadly these folk are swung by the most recent bs.

A simply automated switch does exactly that to put a half a million horsepower steam turbine, in a power station "ON LINE" . However, at any time, the grid load is constantly erratic. So all these assorted spinning inertias are forever struggling to keep rotationally locked. Any resulting phase lag or lead will result in instant disconnection from grid. That causes all renaining generators to hunt to restore their synchronisation. The grid counts the number of cycles per day and adjusts the frequency so that all synchronous clocks (remember them?) are accurate. However, the 2025 election has nothing requiring all this accuracy. Back to topic.

That inertia is actually part of a synchronisation problem. Consider the differences between all those spinning weights. The rate of recovery from an upset will be radically different depending on the mass. For instance a Gas turbine is lightweight and slows suddenly in response to a sudden load. However the Wivenhoe hydro turbine will hold up better with it's 300 tonne spinning mass. Precise rotational synchronising is comparitively erratic. In comparison, an inverter will wind up or down in milliseconds - so actually the system synchronisation should improve when we replace those steam or gas turbines with electronic generators.

Siso, the majority of wind turbines are mechanically synchronised to the grid. So they actually have some inertia similar to steam turbines. That is why they all turn at exactly the same speed (unless they are feathered). Yes, the latest ones use inverters, which can instantly electronically adjust their phase to match the grid frequency. Just like the household solar grid feed inverters. A 'poles & wires' distribution system might have an automated voltage regulator (transformer tap adjustment). That is not related to phase or frequency synchronisation.

Another hard unpopular decision would be to stop indiscriminate logging and clearing - which prioritises profits above welfare of the biosphere.

Anthropogenic climate change is caused by humans polluting the atmosphere. Unfortunately it has become a convenient smokescreen behind which we collectively hide all the other damaging human caused pollutions. Using the word 'pollution' (to describe a cause of global warming) is a small step toward acknowledging that we are doing damage to more systems than the climate, with more kinds of pollutant than CO2.

Not sure what you are referring to. The grid is totally synchronous. And it is, for all sources of generation.

I refer above to international comparison of the retail price per Kwh of electricity. I can't find a objective comparison between present Kwh per household and other country's energy consumption per household. That might be relevent to the cost argument.

Last figures I have seen confirms that Australian retail electricity prices are not that high. They rate as 15th highest out of 38 OECD countries. I reckon our bills are considered high because we currently use vastly more electricity than our parents ever did.

True. But it isn't our tax dollars. Besides, Canadian Airforce probably were looking for a un- USA place to play.

Here's one for Octave. Yesterday's Lord Howe afternoon bliss was disturbed by a surprising roar of jet engines! Bear in mind, the runway here is 880mtrs long. Jets simply don't come here. However the RCAF happened to be in the area. Their first pass was an aborted landing - just off the deck with wheels down. Globemasters can have a landing roll of about 950mtrs. Their takeoff roll @ MTOW is well over two kilometres. At that point they dropped off Flightradar24, and didn't reappear until after the fourth pass. Note the 'back door' is open. Sightseeing!

OPEC used to have us over a barrel. Solar panels + EV's sets us free from that racket. Even though I might never own an EV, I sm pleased. Also pleased to note that some people are changing the terminology of 'climate change', to 'climate pollution". All forms of pollution need to be reduced.

Grid stability (& instability) is a complex system. All grid operators put a lot of effort into prevdnting cascading shutdowns. And all grid operators have the ability to shut down generators to prevent over generation. No, I don't believe it was caused by renewables. The anti renewable lobby used to say renewables won't work. Now they are whingeing that renewables make too much electricity.

Alternative Energy and a islanded microgrid. Lord Howe Island put in a $12 million dollar solar + battery, 3 years ago. So far they saved 360,000 litres of imported diesel ($2.6 million). That makes it pay for itself in about 5 years. https://arena.gov.au/assets/2024/09/Lord-Howe-Island-Hybrid-Renewable-Project-Public-KS-Report.pdf

Quite agree, OME. With only one caveat..... We really need Australian ownership of raw material extraction AND the value adding processing.

Random Thought re: Australian manufacturing. This ABC article mentions a problem restarting manufacturing..... apart from trying to be competetive on price....there is a shortage of tradesmen with experience required for industry. They are literally a dying breed. I have long believed that our only hope is to initiate a group called Dinosaur Engineering. Gather up the remaining skilled old farts to work voluntarily to do the design, training and setup of each manufacturing project. There are many competent 'older' people languishing in a sea of retirement boredom, who would love to get their teeth into the challenge. Like Mens Sheds on steroids. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-28/tools-engineering-pattern-making-manufacturing-industry/105134026

My ungripe of the day..... I am sitting in Sydney domestic terminal awaiting a call to board a short Dash-8 to Lord Howe. A rare place of NO MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE.... AT ALL! I will enjoy a break from all the gloom & doom of constant news.

But will a thieving seagull ever refund a stolen chip?

Seems that little credit was ever given to the merchant marines. Yet they were serving in the same wars as 'servicemen'. And doing it on unarmed, slower vessels. My uncle served in merchant marine in both big wars as a radio operator. Never sunk but was attacked. I still have an old hand drawn map of a course in the Med, with notes of sightings of subs that were stalking them but torpedoes missing them.

For all those who have had chips stolen by seagulls...... You have been warned! (A sign at cafe in Hyde Park Sydney)

Aha! So the USofA has proved it can reverse the T rump isolationist policy! (Way back when it got threatened by a world war)

Posted our votes in yesterday. I made sure of my preferences by voting Under The Line - as I have strong political opinions.