Survival bucket list

This could be one of the last blogs I write about advising the Federal Gov - I think they're probably sick of me by now! Due to financial constraints, I probably won't get to build the 'Algorithm' V3 R&D cluster this year. I'm now going to focus on a professional writing career if I can get really motivated. I also need a holiday.

Something for the Federal Gov to debate (if they have the impetus) and Oz in general to think about. How do we slow down melting permafrost and melting frozen methane clathrates beginning in the Arctic Tundra (US Navy intel)? Is 'All hell breaking loose' (http://michaelklare.com/) and how is security responding to it? Why can't we just all get along with each other in a business as usual scenario? With climate change, there is no business as usual scenario. Unpredictability is the new norm with a need to prepare for any scenario the climate and weather can throw at us. The 'Climate Code Red' book published in 2008, taking stock of climate change and spruiking a climate emergency, has been in the back of my mind for 18 years. BZE's 'Transition Decade' (2010-2020) fell flat with the LNP's lack of ambition and action. Maybe the Gov is finally ready for some big moves (now that Albo has the support) and can decide energy policy on it's own terms with minimal fossil lobby interference and influence? There's no better time to accelerate climate change action with an alternative vision to a dystopian climate future with more fossil fuel that we don't have to have.

So here's the survival bucket list (with a few extra suggestions): 

Energy
- fossil 'phase out' taxation at 25% (recommended by the Australia Institute) for all fossil C exports and fossil C imports of duplicated resources eg. Coal briquettes, BBQ charcoal, natural gas et al. Petrol, diesel would be exempted. Possibility for reopening a couple more refineries for greater energy sovereignty during the fossil 'phase out' - or don't bother  

- there's also conjecture around 'Peak oil' - but shale oil, development of Venezuela's oil fields, uncertainty in the Middle East, a melting Arctic and Greenland, a monster pipeline in Africa, rising oil supply but slower oil demand, and more will decide the future of oil. EV's or EV/diesel hybrids eg.Toyota 4WD, linked into plant industry biosubstitution eg. microalgae biorefineries producing biodiesel with biochar electrode value adds, are possibly the key to fossil 'phase out'. Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel can also be produced from plastic pyrolysis. For electrodes,  I prefer biochar from a pure plant feedstock (Dr Mauro Giorcelli's team advice) such as microalgae (and macroalgae) with 'N self doping' that is highly tunable for different battery and supercapacitor chemistries. On the 'Project Golf Buggy' web page on this site, I have added some updates that I think are worth reading. Anyone want to engineer a micro-electrolyser?
- a push for sustainable aviation fuel eg. Greener Hydrogen, ?methanol  
- National Natural Gas Reserve (for the 'phase out') - or don't bother if biomass and electrification alternatives can be quickly implemented 

- National Pyrolysis Strategy - Denmark loves it. The key to waste management in circular bioeconomy
- National Biomass Pellet Reserve (eg. Green Triangle, Eco Pellets Tasmania, Maxiheat etc)  
- responsibility, being the World's third largest fossil exporter (which could change), for resettling climate refugees from allied Nations  

Manufacturing
- 3 tiered subsidies for startups with a focus on tech entrepreneurship eg.pre-seed, seed and commercial  
- manufacturing with a strong focus on Oz made products for the housing industry, such as the 'Green tech home retrofit' (see NOTES), including ecovillages ('natural building' eg.hempcrete, rammed earth, strawbale, earth pounded tyres (Earthships); permaculture systems, renewable energy) on marginal land and/or regionally based, built by homeless people on paid apprenticeships with securing a home (rent free) after first one built, with more ecovillage building work available at the end of the apprenticeship  
- Carbon removal with a focus on biomass, sewage and plastic waste to biochar. Production tech and application R&D subsidies  
- a National Carbon Removal Marketplace to complement the ACCU, funded with the fossil C import and export taxes  
- a reassessment of 'critical minerals' in the light of new energy storage tech from UQ, UNSW etc. and advanced Carbon materials  
- increased financial support for groundbreaking projects eg. Industry 4.0 factories with flexible factory floors, vertically integrating advanced Carbon materials engineered from biochar feedstock eg.micro/macro algae, produced via cogeneration from bioelectricity kilns (plus solar and storage) powering the factory. Some advanced Carbon materials could include Carbon fibre, graphene, Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF) and more. Vertically integrated products could include electrodes (micro/macro algae biochar with N self doping) used in batteries and supercaps (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ta/c7ta08095f) for electrified logistics eg. public transport, trucks, trains, shipping, personal transport etc. Machinery and power tools also a market opportunity. Why not wearable devices, smartphones and tablets too?   

IT nerd stuff
- cyber security campaign in Gov using a combination of open source eg.Kubuntu OS and commercial CS software plus adoption of industry standard best practices for employees  
- super energy efficient IT with private cloud (isolated from the Internet) and public multi-cloud (hosted with Ubuntu cloud)  
- AI oversight ethics committee seeded with captains of industry and Gov officials  
- data centre backup energy systems with bioelectricity and solar generators  
- 'Quantum proofing'/'Post-quantum cryptography' data infrastructure  

The rest
- Federal EPA with authority/teeth to block projects of National significance without 'Environment...' Minister consent. 'Environment...' Minister still needed to approve projects of National significance  
- tight integration between emergency services and forestry management for bushfire preparation using Traditional Indigenous 'cool burns'  
- water futures with a focus on banning fracking, protecting groundwater and AWH tech including energy efficient potable water production and dew irrigation systems  
- plant industry at the core of the transition to a 'Regenerative Carbon negative Circular Bioeconomy'.  Focused on prioritising 4 main plant areas aka bamboo, industrial hemp, macroalgae and microalgae which are all fast growing, fast CO2 accumulators, low or no ag inputs, low or no irrigation water, plants, for high value products which produces 'waste' biomass residue that can be pyrolysed to produce Biochar  
- promotion of regenerative ag practices with permanent Carbon removal in the form of biochar. Incentives for 'Green revolution' farmers/agribusiness to adopt these practices  

NOTES

Gov greentech home retrofit program (could relieve some cost of living pressure)
- energy efficiency assessment 
- insulation, roof and wall (where possible)
- heat pumps
- water tanks (as big as possible)

- efficient shower heads
- solar PV
- home battery (C based)
- electric stovetop
- electric appliances eg. Kettle, toaster, fridge/freezer
- wicking growing systems 

Condition 
- Oz manufactured 
- priority for locally/regionally manufactured tech if it's available 
- 15% direct Gov investment with an expected 2% annual ROI
- priority for rental market
- priority for remote Indigenous communities