Climate emergency Renaissance

I'm a technologist with an interest in not just technology but also the politics of technology - or, 'technology politics'. I blogged a while ago that sometimes technology and politics get mixed up. They have got mixed up. There's now an energy war, with the technology of energy, and the competition of ‘linear energy systems’ V ‘circular energy systems’ ramping up. A real ‘transition’ is when linear energy systems get replaced with circular energy systems – circular energy systems being the kernel, if you like, of ‘Circular bioeconomy’. Yes, there's a grey area in between the two systems, especially with fossil fuelled logistics (which can always purchase Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits from a Carbon Removal Marketplace (CRM) platform), but I would argue there's not much in between and not much time left for the breaking climate system and the choices we make to sustainably adapt to it in order to make the switch. I call it a ‘Climate emergency Renaissance’.

How to fund it? I believe the best source of income in Australia is, rather than taxing working people for the transition (including fossil workers), up the ante and introduce a 'Fossil Carbon export tax', pioneered by Prof Ross Garnaut and Prof Rod Sims. Additionally, the 'Fossil C import tax' would be good for many/all? fossil eg.Natural Gas (NG) or fossil derived products eg.coal briquettes, except for petrol and diesel. There's also only 2 operating oil refineries in Australia with limited oil mining in the Country. Obviously, we need to get off petrol and diesel and will increasingly do so with electrification of civilian and possibly military logistics but an import tax that hits commuters in the hip pocket in the mean time is not a great idea, especially with the 'Cost of living' inflation problem. It seems pointless to tax petrol and diesel imports then subsidise them. There's also a possibility of condensing bio-oil from plastic pyrolysis (addressing the plastic waste problem) and converting it to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) which burns cleaner than regular diesel with the bonus of a plastic char byproduct that can be used as a feedstock to produce advanced Carbon materials. There's also a possibility using microalgae for biodiesel, though seawater grown microalgae in near coastal areas would be the most sustainable option.  Finally, in my opinion, the Country should reluctantly milk what fossil fuel we are currently mining and ban future fossil mines and expansions. 

Undoubtedly, there’s a contractual problem with fossil fuel exports with various types of contracts already in motion in this space. We could treat it like China treats it’s rare earth mineral monopoly and game it so the contracts remains globally competitive but tax as much as possible. Not that it would bother me if it did become noncompetitive which it probably will be anyway over time, but it seems like a great source of Gov revenue that is more or less untaxed! I agree with the late Hugo Chavez’s idea to use fossil wealth to 'float more boats' (which requires taxation) but I disagreed with his idea to put an oil pipeline through the Amazon rainforest which is already under logging, oil mining and farming pressure. If the infrastructure is environmentally or culturally damaging, then it shouldn’t get built. Ideally, wealth could be achieved without any fossil fuels. Also, there’s the issue of the 'Natural Gas' shortage on the East Coast, and possibly elsewhere? It’s an artificial shortage, that, like Santos, has committed to fossil exports without first supplying NG to meet domestic NG demand. Mark Ogge, from the 'Australia Institute', wants a National Reserve of NG. So do I.

But, I’m also working towards meeting that NG shortage with a semi-retired 'Top-Lit UpDraft' (TLUD) business that could provide stoves to replace NG stovetops using biomass/wood pellets but due to indoor fire restrictions and safety, the system would need to be used outside, but could be viable in most other countries with no indoor fire restrictions. I also wanted a cheaper system than the Fabstove, that is half the price and provides 2 burners without needing any electronics to cover most water pasteurization (though not needed if you’re connected to the water grid) and cooking options.

So, I would describe the 'Climate emergency Renaissance' as a circular energy problem nested with a circular bioeconomy possibility. I've been especially interested in the connections between circular bioeconomy, the plant industry, manufacturing, renewable energy and housing and how these could synergistically work together in policy. Too much change too quickly? An oasis in the desert? This blog is definitely mission creep on technology entering the realm of politics - but it's also not all about tech! Read on...

Key priority policy areas 
- climate change acceleration  
    - science  
        - Universities   
        - CSIRO climate scientists get their jobs back  
    - policy  
        - adaptation and resilience  
        - fossil Carbon export tax (Prof Ross Garnaut and Dr Rod Sims model)  
        - fracking ban  
        - circular bioeconomy (see below)  
        - renewable energy (see below)  
        - water  
            - Redox Flow Desalination (RFD)  (at model stage)
            - greater groundwater protections  
            - storm water managed sponge cities with Biochar pavements, roads and water filtration   
            - water tank subsidies  
        - Permaculture bioregional planning   
    - prescribed burns for bushfire management using First Nations 'cool burning' techniques   
    - emergency services  
        - more funding for logistics (how long is a piece of string?)  
            - mobile command centres eg. Sesame Solar
- cost of living inflation 
    - welfare
    - mental health reforms underway
    - RBA Mortgage rate lever
      - probably over used for inflation/deflation growth control and not as effective as it used to be due to many external factors  
- cybersecurity  
    - ASD etc.  
    - business   
    - digital literacy eg. Canberra  
- AI  
    - ethics eg. Public safety  
    - digital literacy eg. Canberra, business, schools and Universities  
- circular bioeconomy 
    - plant industry 
        - regenerative growing systems
            - agriculture, forestry, agroforestry and horticulture 
               - industrial hemp
               - bamboo
               - microalgae 
            - macroalgae/seaweed farming 
            - aquaculture
            - fishing  
        - National Pyrolysis Strategy 
            - ANZBIG funding ($11 million would be handy!)
            - National Carbon Removal Marketplace platform
               - Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits to replace ACCUs
            - Biochar and it's applications 
            - kiln and stove technologies startup capital 
            - advanced Carbon materials 
                - biomass
                - Biochar 
                - plastic upcycling/Pyrolysis 
                - more funding for Universities 
                - greater international collaboration eg. China, US, EU, Japan, the rest of the world
    - manufacturing 
        - 'Future Made in Australia' planning and action
        - biotechnology (with close collaboration with the 'Plant industry' portfolio)
        - renewable energy 
            - transition from linear energy systems to circular energy systems (try an AI search...) 
                - linear energy systems eg. fossil fuel
                - circular energy systems eg. main grid, community grids, household scales
            - biomass + big batteries for dispatchable power, grid firming and grid reliability 
                - biomass to bioelectricity, ?heat and biochar
                - Redox Flow Desalination (RFD) (at model stage)
                - Biochar to Carbon based solid state batteries (blue sky)
                - Biochar to Carbon based perovskite solar Photo Voltaic cells->panels (still at prototype stage)
                - electrified Military + Civilian logistics R&D with subsidies where needed
                    - close collaboration with Oz battery industry eg. 'Queensland battery industry strategy'
                    - potential new ventures with a rebooted automotive industry
            - free solar PVs and community batteries for remote First Nations communities 
        - critical minerals 
            - eg. Cu, Al, Fe, Na, Mn, Si, Ga et al
            - close collaboration with the mining industry
        - housing for homeless
            - hemp(char)crete ecovillages
                - apprenticeships for homeless people to build them for themselves
                - linked in to the Global Ecovillage Network (ecovillage.org)
                - Permaculture design principles
                - close collaboration with the building industry
                - close collaboration with the hemp industry clustered in the 'Plant industry' portfolio
                - close collaboration with the 'Renewable energy' portfolio 
- Palestine position eg. Suspension of IDF contracts (no brainer)  
- A 'Citizens Assembly' in Canberra, based on the UK model  
- free liberal science/art undergraduate degrees with TAFE skill module options 
- childcare reforms underway
- space industry funding restoration linked in to the 'Future Made in Australia' policy
- health care
   - University fee subsidies for medical students committed to working x number of years in rural areas following graduation (the ADF have/had a similar arrangement)  

Other possible areas for reform

- aged care underway
- welfare
    - living wage
    - skyrocketing rent
    - scarcity of rental properties 
    - skyrocketing bill increases
- WHS
    - more!
- building industry 
    - ecovillage lifeline 
    - natural building apprenticeships 
- mining industry 
    - Steam activated biochar-Mn-MOF for soil remediation of heavy metals etc. contamination and water filtration of contaminated water
    - efficient water use with better groundwater protections
    - ban of As in gold/other mines
    - fracking ban

That's all for now!