No water, no power

Last year the Tanzanian electricity supply was wrecked due to the drought that knocked out the hydro generating plants. Today we hear that Australian electricity is threatened by our current drought. The National Electricity Marketing Management Corporation forecasts that the water crisis could cause power shortages next year unless action is taken. Water is needed for the Snowy hydro power, and also for cooling towers of coal powered generators.

Premier Iemma has responded immediately by allocating water reserves in the Hunter Valley for use by the big power stations in their cooling towers.

Bayswater Power Station, Hunter Valley, NSW

Also in the news today is the Australian government plan to spend $23 million telling us about its ‘leadership role’ and ‘balanced voice’ on global warming. No wonder voters are cynical about politicians! After years as a climate skeptic, Prime Minister Howard now wants us to see him as having shown leadership in this area. Leaders are supposed to drive the machine and steer it, not just apply the hand brake. Still, it's an election year, so what can we expect?

I wonder how far $23 million would go in Tanzania if it was invested in projects to produce electricity from renewable resources? Water used to be a renewable resource, but with global warming, that isn’t necessarily so any more. As most of their electricity is hydro, they have an urgent problem.

Climate skeptics are a dying breed. The evidence for global warming has become widely accepted on the basis of scientific concensus. Here’s an excellent resource, accessible and authoritive, for key information about global warming. The helpful guys at RealClimate say,

We've often been asked to provide a one stop link for resources that people can use to get up to speed on the issue of climate change, and so here is a first cut.

They point towards info at different levels – beginners to advanced – and have a handy set of links to answers for specific contrarian myths.

Our fearless leader

Like extreme poverty, climate change is one of the big issues that we need to know about if we are to live our lives responsibly and leave the world a little better for having been here.

So, keep learning, keep giving!

Viral marketing

Viral marketing is the term used for good old fashioned word of mouth recommendation. When something is intrinsically good or clever, its users spread the word and tell others about it. The internet along with TV and radio have speeded up this process so much that word now spreads like exponentially, like a virus.

This blog is part of that process of spreading the word about the School of St Jude. After mentioning Amy's blog yesterday, I had a message from her saying how thrilled she and Freda are to be returning to the School in March-April.

She also said that she and Freda are working with the Smith Foundation to put on a fund-raiser there in Kentucky, so they hope to see a new large cadre of donators and sponsors building in that part of the world.

The result is that the enthusiasm of these two women will 'infect' many others, an infection that will be passed on others. Viral marketing. It only works with GREAT ideas and projects.

On the topic of great ideas that are becoming viral, check out this activist blog that supports the campaign to bring David Hicks home. It takes a clever visual idea that packs a powerful message - day after day.






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