The wireless world that will monitor and check your home energy use is about to be mainstream. “Google plans to launch a new service, Google PowerMeter, to provide homeowners with access to a Web-based display of electricity use at their home in real time.”
It will not just put power information infront of you at home, it brings it to your desktop. Tom Friedman must be happy to see some of his solutions to a hot flat crowded world coming through so quickly! See the greenbuildingadvisor story.
Climate Change – Amid the heroes, tragedy and horror that is now approaching 200 dead in Victorian bushfires a new reality, recognising we are in new terrritory, is starting to emerge.
On Lateline (Feb 10) John Brumby (Vic Premier) has been pointing to “the new climatic conditions in which we are operating”. He says “the climate is changing, we are seeing more extreme events… weather events”.
Its an encouraging and brave recognition given the present, ongoing, human trauma that is still unfolding. It may also see us charting a different course – away from Clive Hamilton’s prediction that “the major political parties will not want to acknowledge the association between global warming and the fires”.
Meanwhile Time Magazine Why Global Warming may be Fueling Australia’s Fires looks straight at this threat and Australian Firefighters are asking the government to “halve Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.” The Age prints the full letter.
