About GroundSwell Bass Coast

Posted on June 1, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

Escalator500We’re a community group concerned with understanding the many dimensions of climate change, located 120km SE of Melbourne. We meet at San Remo pub, at 7.30PM on alternate Tuesdays, everybody welcome. Please click Climate Emergency Petition to help make climate a big election issue.

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Victoria to host Australia’s largest floating solar plant at water facility

Posted on October 1, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

A $1.4m floating solar plant – Australia’s biggest yet – is being installed in Warrnambool as part of a government deal with state water corporations.
— Read on reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-to-host-australias-largest-floating-solar-plant-at-water-facility/

Just do it…

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Will the Food and Livestock Industry Follow Fossil Fuels Over the Market Cliff? — Paul Gilding

Posted on September 17, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

The climate emergency is now a methane emergency – because only rapid
methane reduction will slow the rate of warming at the required speed (<decade). The most effective response is to cut livestock emissions – reduce
consumption of beef and dairy and lower methane emissions in production.
This means the food and livestock industry, particular beef and dairy, face
a truly existential risk. Their future will be decided this decade. If they
don’t embrace change and recognise its disruptive nature, they will go down
the same path as fossil fuels. Denial, resistance, avoidance and delay
followed by their collapse.
— Read on www.paulgilding.com/cockatoo-chronicles/will-food-and-livestock-follow-fossil-fuels

methane on 20 year time scale 86 times worse warming effect than carbon dioxide, 10 year time scale even less, how many years do we have?

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Human chain (politics) – Wikipedia

Posted on September 16, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

2020 by Bihar, India, which was estimated to include 51.7 million people across 18,000 kilometres
— Read on en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chain_(politics)

To wave goodbye to Queen Liz, long queue not long at all compared

“2020 by Bihar, India, which was estimated to include 51.7 million people across 18,000 kilometres “

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T-Omega re-thinks floating offshore wind turbines for huge cost savings

Posted on September 12, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

Boston startup T-Omega Wind says it’s prototyped and tested a unique floating offshore wind turbine that can withstand massive storms, but at 20% the weight and around 30% the price of conventional designs, unlocking the world’s best wind resources.
— Read on newatlas.com/energy/t-omega-floating-wind/

Here we go, Star of the South…

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John Pilger: Silencing the lambs. How propaganda works | Green Left

Posted on September 12, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

John Pilger asks: “Isn’t it time those who are meant to keep the record straight declared their independence and decoded the propaganda?”
— Read on www.greenleft.org.au/content/john-pilger-silencing-lambs-how-propaganda-works

As pandemic of acceptance of AUKUS dissolves our collective conscience and infects Mental Health here’s a sobering attempt by John Pilger to shake us out of our complacency:

“”US foreign policy,” he said, is “best defined as follows: kiss my arse or I’ll kick your head in. It is as simple and as crude as that.” should grab your attention enough to want to read the main story. Presume you recognise name Pilger, a fine Australian.

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The Vanishing River – Foreign Correspondent

Posted on September 11, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

The mighty Colorado is under threat. From the Rockies’ snowy peaks to Mexico, the river is a lifeline for tens of millions of people. We journey along its waters to see the places and meet the people changed by a drier world.
— Read on www.abc.net.au/foreign/the-vanishing-river/14047622

from Las Vegas to all that irrigated agriculture, less hydroelectric power to pump less water for farming, less and “you don’t know what you got till it’s gone” 1970 song Big Yellow Taxi

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Payback time | New Internationalist

Posted on September 4, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

Danny Chivers reports on the movements making links between international debt and the climate crisis in a bold and imaginative way.
— Read on newint.org/features/2022/08/08/temperature-check

huge debts, by autocrats, tied to projects for fossil fuel organised crime, cancel debts and deliver SDG finance

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COWES Cultural Centre

Posted on September 3, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

slow as…

Construction progress after 9 months, still so many big styrofoam blocks to be placed before concrete pouring.

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Passive House Tour of Hempcrete Passive House

Posted on September 3, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

Passive House Tour of Hempcrete Passive House
— Read on passivehouseaustralia.org/iCore/Events/Event_Display.aspx

Bass Coast Shire has entrusted design of COWES Cultural Centre to PassiveHouse practitioners. In contrast with highly respected CSIRO developed NABERS, building efficiency standard. Bass Coast Shire has entrusted design of COWES Cultural Centre to Passive House practitioners. In contrast with CSIRO developed NABERS, building efficiency standard.

PassiveHouse offers just one software product, last update 2015. There’s just a single PASS/FAIL rating, that energy consumption should be less than 15kWh/m2/year. This corresponds with 8 star in NABERS. In your climate, if low occupancy or occasional high, cost/benefit might be preferred at 7 star, or maybe critical required 9 star. With NABERS you can check capital cost for rating against annual energy cost.

Other than the software product, on PassiveHouse web site, there’s just one other product, per above, well established and respected Hempcrete. For COWES, outside cladding is concrete bricks. Some environmental cred is claimed with some of aggregate in bricks being recycled crushed glass. Energy balance is less than making new glass products. Compared with composite large, insulated, structural panels, installation time will obviously be much longer, assuming no problems with supply chain or availability of tall building brick layers.

As original design was discarded, cost was higher by 50% at $32Million. This building replaces what, before Kennet amalgamation, was Phillip Island town hall, shire offices, library and theatre all of which have been AWOL for a couple of years already. In 9th month of construction, on site they’re still placing big blocks of styrofoam for impending concrete pour(s). Completion is scheduled for 2023, plus or minus? It will be interesting to see how much blowout in final cost.

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ENERCON Climbing Crane

Posted on September 2, 2022 by groundswellbasscoast

The first ENERCON wind energy converter has been installed with the Climbing Crane LCC140 prototype.
— Read on m.youtube.com/watch

In case you’re spooked by ever bigger wind turbines, with blades lifted by spindly construction cranes or even helicopters, here’s something new. To stack modules vertically for the tower and nacelle/alternator assembly and then attach blades, check this for a rugged alternative.

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