LETTERS NOOSATODAY.COM.AU
Perfect day Last Saturday Noosa Main Beach lived up to its reputation as one of the best beaches in the world. A surf boat competition was conducted by Queensland Surf Rowers League, Noosa Surf Life Saving Club and Sponsor, local company Megabeam. This was a youth carnival restricted to surf boat rowers under the age of 23, categories were under 17, under 19, under 23, male and female. 32 crews competed, over 100 young people,all of them qualified and proficient surf life savers from surf clubs in SE Queensland. The surf conditions on the day were ideal and contributed to some very good, exciting races with some very close finishes. There is a lot of organisation required for a surf boat carnival and many of the people involved were young people from Noosa. At the same time, a beautiful day had attracted hundreds of people to Noosa Main beach, it was very busy. At times over 100 swimmers were in the water and 100s more on the beach. Surf Life Savers in Australia are noted for vigilance and service and the Noosa patrol on the day certainly epitomised this and were very good. Many swimmers were alerted to potential problems with the sweep at the edge of the patrolled area. This was a classic Aussie beach day and we are indeed fortunate to live in such a great place in a great country with many young people caring for their well being as well as their fellow Australians. John Robinson, Doonan
Give climate a rest I would like to say that I agree with Woody Dass’ letter about repetitive letter writers. Can the climate experts just agree to disagree and give it a rest for awhile. Noosa Today is a local paper so how about some local issues? Peter Bitossi, Noosa
Tough on looters Once again we are seeing evidence of looting after homes have been inundated with floods.
LENSCAPE
Colleen Ginty sent us this image of sunrise in Noosa. If you have a Lenscape please email to newsdesk@noosatoday.com.au It’s hard not to support vendetta justice for those grubs when caught. Fines or even time behind bars is not a deterrent as it’s repeated every opportunity these excuses for human beings get. Ernest Wright, Tewantin
Technology needed first There’s a big fat elephant in the room in the mad rush towards renewables and net zero, with the premature closure of coal-fired power stations. According to the CSIRO, moving to net zero will all depend on new technology ie, it just doesn’t exist now: “... we will need the tools and collaborations to do it. Achieving these net zero goals requires the development of new technologies as well as demonstration of these technologies at scale to drive wider adoption“. (csiro.au/en/about/challengesmissions/Towards-net-zero) Field of dreams stuff - build it and they will come. And don’t worry about the prediction this week by some energy CEOs that prices will rise by 35 per cent next year.
Albo and Chris Bowen better keep Harry Potter on speed dial. It seems they will need some magic that multiple paddocks full of ugly solar panels and wind turbines can’t provide. John Mikkelsen, Noosa
Science rules What have scientists ever done for us apart from giving the world the electronic pacemaker, cochlear implants, penicillin, electric vehicles, spray-on skin, flight box recorder and global warming facts? Just asking.( apologies to Monty Python). Margaret Wilkie, Peregian Beach
Flatulence tax There has been much discussion lately concerning excess carbon in the atmosphere. Now we learn that the New Zealand government is considering a flatulence tax which will make NZ the first country in the world where farmers have to pay for their livestock’s flatulence. It seems that this inflationary tax will be
passed on to the consumer, while the offending animals will just go on passing wind as if nothing has happened. The political comedian Barnaby J has ridiculed the proposal and vowed to immunise Australia against this latest form of creeping socialism. The revolutionary NZ levy system has been worked out by the well named organisation He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), which is also known as the Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership. Curiously, there is no proposal to tax human sources of methane. such as the copious emissions from the All Blacks’ scrum. This is a clear case of discrimination against farm animals, as predicted by George Orwell. Indeed it may well be a conspiracy on the part of veg groups to remove meat and dairy from the household menu. Well, I for one am not yet prepared to exchange my T-bone steak for a veggie burger. And if the Australian government resorts to back door methods of raising taxes along the lines of the NZ model, they can forget about a second term in office. Bill Bodkin, Sunshine Beach
Methane, madness and more For a larf I will start With the story of the cattle fart Methane: 0.00017 atmospheric No wonder Albo’s gone hysteric. Seaweed helps and maybe corking, Or even taxes! Now we’re talking!! No vax Novak yes or no? HRH and CO2. Inflation; who d’you think’s the winner As you eat baked beans for dinner. Digital currency getting near, Banks will own you, don’t you fear? A Chinese cop shop in Sydney town, I wonder why? Or don’t you mind? Black is white and he is she, And soon the incomprehensible 6G. Lies misinfo on mainstream. Oh! If only this were all a dream!! Elizabeth Cameron, Tewantin
Cleaning up with solar Zero Emissions Noosa research shows that businesses which invest in solar regularly report the economic benefits it delivers. Pomona Laundromat has shown that not only has its new 17kW solar PV system offered economic savings, but it has also benefited the community and brought it one step further on the journey to net zero. Pomona Laundromat owner, Frank Burkardt says: “I now feed more than double the amount of energy back into the grid than I take out. Unfortunately, the energy companies pay back a fraction of what they charge so I would rather give it back to the community and tourism by offering a free e-bike charging station.” Frank installed the solar system to offset the laundromat’s carbon emissions with the goal to be carbon neutral. To date, the system has performed well and has produced more electricity than the laundromat consumes. The cost to implement the system was a large initial outlay but offers long term savings. Given the business operates 24 hours a day, Frank’s next step is to invest in a battery system in order to be fully independent from energy suppliers and to go off grid. Since buying the laundromat business, Frank has installed a 17kW commercial three phase solar system, upgraded to LED lighting, implemented a timer for the TV and ceiling fan so that they are not running the entire 24 hours every day that the laundromat is open, and, installed outside power points for ebike chargers. The chargers are free to use and operational during specific daylight hours only to ensure solar power is used for charging. 32 NOOSA TODAY Friday, 21 October, 2022
Pomona Laundromat.
Picture: SUPPLIED
“I am hoping that other businesses and maybe our Council will follow my lead. “Giant Noosa and Spoke N Trail bike shops have already shown interest to provide free chargers to be installed in a vandal-proof enclosure to extend the range of e-bike tours into the Noosa hinterland,” Frank said. The laundromat’s electricity bills are now around one-third of what they were, carbon emissions from operations are lower and free ebike chargers in Pomona encourage higher ebike tourist traffic from Noosa. This results in co-benefits for both Frank’s operations and the region’s coastal and hinterland communities. If Pomona Laundromat’s story inspires you, Frank says: “If anyone wants to follow me, contact me and I’ll show you how to do it.” For further inspiration to support Noosa’s zero emissions goals, more details and an array of case studies and initiatives are available on the ZEN website. Join ZEN to support our work or help out with our projects at zeroemissionsnoosa.com.au
Owner Frank Burkardt with his e-bike chargers at the Pomona Laundromat.
Picture: SUPPLIED