JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
Interview with Professor and Author Christian Sandström on the current crises facing the green transition and the collapse of the battery giant Northvolt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK2r9kBgVwQ
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And so, Australia ambles on. Australia is not a nation that arrives; it is a nation that manages. We do not stride toward a grand destiny, nor do we throw ourselves headlong into reinvention — we adjust, we administer, we accommodate. The nation’s myths remain half-formed, its self-conception still fumbling between pragmatism and nostalgia, guilt and detachment. If the Britishness lingers, the multiculturalism muddles, and the indigenous veneration drifts between reverence and performance, it is because management, not revolution, is the truest Australian tradition. If Americans wield destiny and Arabs build empires in the sand, Australians simply keep the lights on, nodding politely at each new identity that drifts through. We are a people not of manifest destiny, but of pragmatic endurance. Whether that is enough remains an open question. But like all peoples made in the image of God, Australians are imbued with agency. If we will it, it is no dream.
https://www.kvetch.au/p/fumbling-for-an-australian-identity
I remember during the Republic Referendum, Phillip Adams proposed (maybe as a joke) that we should not have a new flag. Just don’t have a flag, and then every empty flagpole symbolises Australia. That always resonated with me.
50
There is a “barricade situation” going on right now at CIA Headquarters, Langley. Few actusl details at this time.
Live coverage at https://www.youtube.com/live/9zxp3RKryTQ
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I can go outside and watch my grass grow. It is more stimulating.
Anyhow it is all over:
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Here are a couple of very good videos about the situation in Once Great Britain, mainly to do with mass migration of illegals to the UK and the refusal by the UK Government and Conservatives to do anything about it and the inexplicable about-face by Nigel Farage and Reform UK who are now opposed to the mass deportation of illegal immigrants when they used to be for it.
Comments by Christian Darnton: https://youtu.be/i2xyRK67yQo
Comments by Jeff Taylor: https://youtu.be/oGc3bZzYYtA
Jeff Taylor’s comments are also relevant to Australia as he also talks about Nut Zero and how one reason that the Government tolerates or encourages illegal immigration or legal immigration is that it artificially boosts the GNP which gives the false appearance of an improved economy even though the reality is that GNP per capita decreases making everyone poorer, as you would expect with more and more net consumers of wealth and fewer wealth producers.
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Many countries use immigration as a mechanism for growth.
‘Net consumers of wealth’ is the rent seeking class, those who already own assets and generate an income for leasing them out without actually being involved in wealth generation. Countries with a large rent seeking class tend to have higher inequality, more social problems, and perform less well economically.
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That growth Simon, only occurs if the people you are importing have a work ethic and a desire to improve their lives and skills. Seems Australia is currently importing rent seekers and people wanting to exist on our welfare system, and live in religious or National ghettos.
A formula for degradation of our economy and our Nation, if ever I saw one!
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And not only that Murray, the people being imported both legally and illegally are among the world’s most uneducated and violent people, are mostly military age males plus have no interest in assimilation or work in any form. They are there to take over. And when they do eventually tale over, they will have no tolerance of the Left and their LGBT ways, DEI women’s rights or anything else the Left pretend to believe in.
They intend to turn the countries they migrate to into exactly the same type of sh-thole they left. They are not migrating to make a better life in a superior country to what the migrated from.
And the Lamestream Media and politicians don’t recognise or report the massive problems and social discohesion and costs and crime all this is creating which is obvious to regular people but in the UK they might get jailed if they express their concerns about such matters.
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You forgot ‘they’re eating the dawgs ‘
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Murray, do you think you should back up such a claim with evidence ?.
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Simon, you are even more of a communist than I thought.
How did people get to acquire the assets in the first place? It was generally through hard work, sacrifice and risk taking. That’s how they created wealth. And if the risk didn’t pay off, they lost that wealth as well. And such assets require ongoing management and hard work and worry.
They didn’t get their assets for nothing unless inherited or gifted in which case someone else did the hard work and risk taking on their behalf. And even then they have to pay numerous different taxes on those assets for the benefit of the state.
Perhaps living in the “perfect communist state” of North Korea would be more to your liking? https://youtu.be/s1FK-V8H0-g
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David Maddison,
Simon is also ignorant of what a rent seeker is. The main rent-seekers in Australia are probably the bureaucratic gum-in-the-works people — often drawing public service incomes — whose job serves no purpose but to add to the cost of doing business (in time and/or money).
Rent seeking is looking for “rent” for something that provides no value. Simon mightn’t have been confused if the economists had used a better term. I suggest parasites. Clearly Kennards Hire, Hertz Rent a Car, landlords, … all rent out valuable assets. That’s why people pay to borrow them.
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Free market economists dislike rent-seeking behaviour because it leads to market inefficiency.
https://www.promarket.org/2023/05/05/carl-schmitt-and-the-origins-of-friedrich-hayeks-thought-on-rent-seeking/
Immigrants inevitably have to spend money earnt overseas to set themselves up, which leads to a short-term boost in GDP. Most immigrants are very hard workers, as they need to jump many hurdles to get here. They are not the ‘world’s most uneducated and violent people’.
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The ones going illegally absolutely are.
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You mean by Greencards?
😀
There is a big difference comparing controlled and not controlled Immigration, Imagine…
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Copied from Farcebook.
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Ha Ha Ha, The good lady wife and I were on a road trip when the hunger pangs struck. Now having not been in any franchised food shop for decades, we decided to “give one a go”.
I walked in, was greeted by all sorts of electronic menus and payment options, QR codes etc. To hard, I have always enjoyed a bit of banter with counter staff in any retail establishment, so simply walked out. Local bakery down the drag. Loverly lady asked how I was, bit of a chin wag and coincidently the pies were delicious!
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Hey Sambar, when on a road trip I sometimes visit a Maccas for coffee etc. I ignore the self serve terminals and order from the main counter where they have staff operated terminals mounted below the top of the counter so customers don’t see them. Funny thing is that I usually have my order in my hand while a family is still trying to navigate the kiosk unit. When I see customers baulk at the kiosk, I let them know thay can order from the counter.
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I sometimes visit Maccas when I’m on the road in country Victoria. When they installed those self serve kiosks, there were a couple of old outlets where they crowded out the entrance to the store. There was nowhere to stand or sit while you waited for your order. They created terrible choke-points. I think Maccas might be coming to the realisation that a hybrid system works best- a bit like self checkpout at supermarkets.
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In 2018 Jo posted a reference to an amazing article by Adam Creighton in The Australian reporting the outcome of sophisticated modelling of the NEM to assess the cost of different energy futures, including nuclear power.
https://joannenova.com.au/2018/09/engineers-warn-55-renewables-will-add-1400-to-electricity-bills-in-australia/
Adam wrote
Electricity bills will soar, and gas and coal-fired power stations will close if the share of wind and solar generation increases dramatically, engineers have warned after analysing the nation’s energy supply.
The analysis casts doubt on Labor’s claim that a 50 per cent renewable energy target — the centrepiece of the opposition’s climate change policy — would reduce electricity prices.
It found bills were likely to soar 84 per cent, or about $1400 a year, for the typical household, if wind and solar power supplied 55 per cent of the national electricity market.
The analysis by a group of veteran engineers — written and funded by five mechanical, chemical, electrical and nuclear engineers, with decades of experience in the power industry — was sent to premiers, federal cabinet ministers and shadow cabinet late last month.
It contrasted the costs of supplying electricity in the national electricity market under different mixes of generation. This included the Australian Energy Market Operator forecast for the year 2040 of 65 per cent renewable energy, including hydro, as well as five other scenarios, including replacing coal-fired or gas generation with nuclear power.
This is the whole article
https://au.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=E210AU1079G0&p=Adam+Creighton+engineers+warn+of+bill+shock+under+green+energy+surge
The model predicted fairly precisely what would happen to power prices if the push to force unreliable energy onto the grid continued. This absurdity has support from all the main parties – Coalition, Labor and the Communist party which I list as a major because they dictate policy to the ALP.
There is a beautiful 4 page summary of the results in a PDF which I can’t put on line although I have circulated it as an attachment to my list of agents of influence and there is a link to the full model which doesn’t work.
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There is now enough global data to make a reasonable forecast of retail electricity price based on wind and solar penetration. This table was created using DEEPSEEK based on 2022/23 data:
Midpoint Data
Country- Wind & Solar Penetration (%)- Retail Price (AUD/kWh)
Germany- 45- 0.475
Spain- 45- 0.375
United Kingdom- 35- 0.425
Australia- 35- 0.300
Italy- 25- 0.400
United States- 17.5- 0.250
China- 17.5- 0.125
France- 12.5- 0.225
Japan- 12.5- 0.275
South Korea- 7.5- 0.175
DEEPSEEK tells me the line of best fit starts at AUD0.1/kWh with a slope of AUD0.008/kWh for each percent increase in wind and solar penetration.
The predicted retail price in 2030 if 82% penetration could be achieved is AUD0.76/kWh.
I had asked a less specific question previously and it got to a higher figure. This forecast is based on mid range data rather than upper end.
However Blackout has now shifted the burden of electricity price inflation onto taxpayers through the AEMO tender scheme. So the real price increase will not hit consumers directly and immediately.
Unless Dutton undoes the contracts already agreed, there is no prospect of electricity costs falling in Australia. The higher costs will fuel inflation for decades as Australia becomes less competitive.
The damage that Howard’s RET has done is near the end of its life but Blackout has elevated the graft to new heights; reaching straight into taxpayers pockets so the graft is not so glaring as monthly energy bill.
30
Aa the United States under TRUMP’s leadership rapidly moves ahead in leaps and bounds at an unprecedented rate, it seems most of the Western world is NOT following.
In fact, in response to the huge progress in America, the wokist of Western countries like Australia, Canada and Once Great Britain seem to be regressing at an accelerating pace.
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FWIW
“Australia Shuts Down Solar Farms Due to Bushfire Concerns – But the China Connection is Even More Worrying”
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/03/18/australia-shuts-down-solar-farms-due-to-bushfire-concerns-but-the-china-connection-is-even-more-worrying/
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Wow, just heard on local radio that climate change is the cause of more tropical cyclones and that ex tropical cyclone Alfred is absolute proof of this. The fact that this cyclone was as far south as Brisbane was also a wake up to for what to expect in future.
So, one event in 50 years is proof that things are getting worse and yet no events in 50 years where not proof that things were getting better.
Trying hard to follow the logic, sadly there doesn’t appear to be a lot.
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Logic? There is none – the mythical beast called ‘climate change’ destroyed that too.
A few years ago the remnants of ex-TC Gabrielle clipped NZ’s East Cape (a regular occurrence, yet due to extensive carbon farming pine plantations, half the trees ended up on the beaches and in the sea, a veritable deadly health hazard) yet despite being downgraded to a ‘low’ 48 hours prior (by all 3 govt agencies of Aus, NZ, Fiji) our Govt media, the mad media / radio, and therefore the people, still refer to ‘Cyclone’ Gabrielle being caused by [insert today’s scary slogan here – ].
Who needs facts when you’ve got an illusion to sell.
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Why the surprise. Climate Change™ causes all things “bad”.
We had a northerly last night. The airborne particulates as a result if climate change caused some sneezing. I had to run the air purifier for a couple of hours to ease the symptoms.
10
The following is an assessment of the Kursk happenings over the last week which explained a lot to this bewildered observer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWF46ZDf0_E
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Rowjay,
Interesting discussion, but quite a distance from impartial or dispassionate.
In the talk, there were a few mentions of “who would trust America now?”, saying this like it’s a bad thing. Maybe a few countries will be less blase about their own defences and step things up. They’ve been asked to do that for years. What else was going to convincen them?
I suspect Putin would’ve felt less testosterone-poisoned if the alliances at his borders hadn’t been of the NATO paper tiger kind.
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Not a “bad” thing, but now not a guarantee of old alliances. The whole idea of having the US as the big stick in the NATO alliance was to minimise a European military buildup that could make Russia nervous. That plan has changed and Europe is arming up still without knowing if the US will help if things go native.
The Europeans were already convinced and taking action. Was it just bad timing or did a few thousand more Ukrainian souls get thrown under the bus as a consequence of withholding arms and intelligence?
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It had to be expected.
Many Europeans now agree – Gaddafi was wrong, Kim was right.
00
Greenpeace fined hundreds of millions for pipeline actions.
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2025/03/19/jury-finds-greenpeace-must-pay-millions-in-case-over-dakota-access-protest-activities/
Woohoo!
30
Their defence:
Their response after the verdict:
That would not be the response of an organisation not involved in the project disruption. Clearly their “work” centres on major project disruption.
USA will become a hostile environment for Greenpeace similar to what they have experienced in Russia. This is on the basis that they can survive economically. USAID funds are going to come under greater scrutiny.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/opinion/article_9806bca2-036c-11f0-b79a-ab5620c98407.html
The end of Greenpeace could be very close.
00
Wonder why, if EV range and associated anxiety is a thing, they dont reduce the power rating of the drive motors to bring performance back to something like a brisk 2 litre car? while increasing range.
I wonder if its because acceleration is the main thing they have to sell? It seems to be the thing the dwell on a lot. On the surface of it you wouldnt think they would suffer from a 20% power reduction, you know, for the planet.
Perhaps I am missing something about the overall package.
10
The energy consumed has very little to do with acceleration. It is primarily related to speed.
The power required is well-approximated by the velocity cubed for viscous drag whether it is bearings, tyres or just vehicle windage. So if driving at 50kph takes 4kW, driving at 100kph will take 32kW.
Lets say you drive 100km at 50kph. It takes 2 hours and consumes 8kWh of the battery capacity. If you then drove the same 100km at 100kph, it would take 1 hour and consume 32kWh. Both assuming no head or tail wind and the start and end locations are at the same elevation.
These days, it is not uncommon to come upon an BEV on the freeway creating nuisance because they are moving at 80kph rather than the posted 100 or 110kph. They are conserving battery drain. The anxiety guage is able to predict the remaining range.
Over the many years of owning an ICE I have coasted into service stations 4 times. I have never run out of fuel and had to walk. My wife could use a much smaller tank because she rarely goes below half a tank before filling.
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I have postponed going off the grid till we see how the Federal elections turn out and what Dutton does with Blackout’s AEMO contracts.
The word is that electricity prices will rise 10% this year. THe connection fee needs to do that for a few years to make off-grid an economic choice.
However I have worked out that I can get good value from a 3kWh battery. That is roughly the power we consume between sunset and sunrise each day. Most of it charged at the 45c/kWh peak rate. So a 3kWh battery could save almost $500 per year. At an installed cost of $3200, I would have a 6 year payback at present rate but certain it will go up. The battery may also cycle a bit through cloudy days so there is some room for more than 3kWh per day cycling.
I have also been advised that Victorian FITs go to zero as of July25. I expect FITs will go negative in a year or so to reflect the true value of rooftop solar.
Politicians are slowly coming to realise that the RET is regressive theft that hits poorer households that are renting while benefitting those who own a roof and are able to install solar panels.
10
60 days until the new circus hits down again
So a funny:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/3c5d0d61a6d67c7161937aeadbd187dc/19d406562dd1a006-b5/s1280x1920/3f31fc631736f23b94b50a2241cdaf0a523fce67.webp
The candidates arrive.
Doctor…in you go.
Lawyer…in you go.
Real estate agent…in you go.
Used car salesman…in you go.
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Mostly black screen for me with a Sign In option. And I do not have a Sign In for Tumblr.
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Climate Uniformity is today’s phrase for Australia: all your big cities will max 28 or 29 degrees, from Perth to Hobart to Brisbane, bar Darwin on 32C. Carbon®️ causes ‘equality’ at long last – on the final day of summer. Could it be the Doldrums Of Albatross (DOA)?
https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/todays-weather/?var_id=ws500-gph&ortho=8&wt=2
Antarctica’s circumpolar jetstream is a near-perfect circle while the northern hemi stream is throwing a wobbly and flying off in all directions, reminiscent of those Left behind who are losing the plot BIGLY at the moment: Chaos v Calm.
As for the cyclone season so far:
Indian Ocean
18 named storms
11 cyclones (6 of which were 2-day wonders)
5 of which were Cat 3+ (3 were 1-day wonders)
Pacific Ocean
7 named storms
1 cyclone (3 were less than a day so no count)
1 Cat 3, the infamous Anthony/Alfred
In our neck of the woods we’ve had more snowstorms than ex-cyclones this ‘summer’, yet there’ll be an activist working on a model somewhere to show it’s all humanity’s fault and we need to trust the $ciencetits.
Happy Equinox Tonight!
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My wife really looks forward to the March equinox and not because it is my birthday. Almost as much as she dreads the September equinox despite it being a few days after her birthday. Next week or so we will have one hour less sunshine and the house can be transitioned from cooling to heating mode. And the curtains won’t fade as fast.
SE Melbourne had 20 or so days of summer this summer; more than the past 4 years. This morning at 7am (6am sun time) the outside temperature was still 22C. It will not hit the magic 30C today because it is cloudy and winds have shifted further south as the next front rolls in.
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Boston Dynamics reveal Atlas’s new advanced movement skills
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1902414579000312081
Leaps and bounds…
You are obsolete.
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Florida’s Trump drone show
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_stcjsjUa7v1zo7ib2.mp4
Oh no…more lefty heads just exploded!
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Brilliant.
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Elon Musk also in the news for this claim:
“Elon Musk claimed 14 computers at the Department of Treasury and other government agencies [I think he said HHS] just “send money out of nothing” during a podcast appearance with [Ted Cruz] on Monday. He appeared to be criticizing the government’s bookkeeping, though it’s worth noting the government can, in fact, print money at little to no cost.”
It’s not clear to me what he means but if the computers are like the computers controlled by commercial banks and central banks, then they’re able to ‘conjure new money into existence’ with a bookkeeping entry.
Basically, it’s the power to inflate the money supply. The more entities doing it, the harder it is fighting price inflation, I would say.
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