BatteriesNotIncluded
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steel. Latex or silicone to the rescue. Possibly allowing lighter and even more porous aluminium cylinders for power to weight advantage. Alternately cylinders could potentially be made from industrial nylon, polypropylene, bio-mimicry created ceramics, Kevlar, or some as yet unnamed nanomaterial.
Dr Mark Diesendorf Unfortunately the large-scale use of hydrogen produced from renewable sources of energy is at least 25–30 years away (except possibly in Iceland). This is the result of the high cost of renewable energy, of electrolysis (small-scale is likely to be even dearer than large-scale centralised), of fuel cells, and of hydrogen storage at the production sites and on vehicles. The sum of all these high costs is very high. Much R&D is still needed.
Sustainability
1. Utilitarianism is the belief that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility. Is our utilitarianism the only leitmotiv for us to preserve ecosystems and other species?
Dr Mark DiesendorfWe humans are totally dependent upon the natural world for our survival. Nature provides the elements that make up our DNA, the food that we eat including essential nutrients, the bacteria which help us to digest that food, the air that we breathe, a fairly stable climate, soils, etc. So, utilitarianism (in terms of protecting human well-being) is one motive for working towards a sustainable society. We must protect ecosystems and biodiversity because, without them, we cannot survive.
But utilitarianism is not the only philosophical framework that justifies the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. There are ethical and religious frameworks as well. For the conservation thread in Christianity, see Charles Birch’s writings. Taoism too has a strong conservation thread.
2. Transportation infrastructures in urban sprawls have led to unsustainable levels of traffic and resource use. What would a city integrating a sustainable transportation system look like in your very humble opinion?
Dr Mark Diesendorf I would need several pages to answer this. See the writings of Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy (e.g. Sustainability and Cities) and chapter 10 of my book, Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy.
3. Do you think the term ‘carrying capacity’ still has value? If so, what do you think of the population policies of governments around the world, most of which promote more births?
Dr Mark Diesendorf The term ‘carrying capacity’ has limited usefulness when applied to humans, because as Paul Ehrlich and John Holdren showed, environmental impact depends on three factors: population, affluence (e.g. measured by GDP per person) and technology choice. The sustainable development process must address all three factors. Since Australia has the world’s highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita (apart from a few oil sheikdoms), each birth in and each immigrant to Australia adds disproportionately to global warming. So, I’m opposed to government policies that encourage births and excessive number of immigrants. Incidentally, these policies are driven by a few vested interests, such as the housing industry and the Roman Catholic Church.
I do think that Australia has a responsibility to accept refugees. Currently refugees are only a small percentage of immigrants. We could increase refugee immigration while severely cutting professional and business immigration, which is a large proportion of immigrants. By moving to Australia, professional and business immigrants inadvertently help to impoverish their own countries. Australia could be more helpful to developing countries by cutting business and professional immigration and increasing foreign aid.
4. Obviously countries such as Brazil, Mexico, India and China are becoming richer at quite a rapid rate, and as their middle class grows in size, so it seems likely that their carbon footprint will increase. That's the obvious downside, but on the upside they will bring millions more educated minds to the problem. Do you see the development of developing countries as an opportunity or threat?
Dr Mark Diesendorf They are a threat to the extent that they are following the dominant US model of development and they are an opportunity to the extent that they can leapfrog over the mistakes of western development and move to sustainable development. There is a significant sustainable development movement in China. This would be greatly strengthened if western countries, like the US and Australia, set a better example in sustainable development.
5. A 10-cent levy for plastic bags will be introduced in Victoria in 3 years. Will this be sufficient to prevent the damage to wildlife that occurs from the 69 odd million plastic bags that are littered each year in Australia, or should they be banned as Planet Ark founder John Deere appears to suggest?
Dr Mark Diesendorf They should be banned. Even China is banning thin plastic bags.
6. What are your views on traditional light bulbs being banned and the mercury concerns of more eco friendly bulbs?
Dr Mark Diesendorf I support the ban on incandescent light-bulbs and the further development of more eco-friendly bulbs. It appears that most of the tiny quantities of mercury in fluorescent lights is bound tightly and will not be released into the atmosphere when the bulbs are dumped.
7. Wandering round the internet I have seen mention of bans on azo dyes and pentachlorophenol in textiles, p
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Interview with Dr. Mark Diesendorf(Answers) (Read 4205 times)
