Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to The Age (27/12/2011) on 29/12/2011 at 12:23 PM
Commenting on "Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go"
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/lets-pop-the-helium-balloon-before-we-let-it-go-20111226-1pa00.html

It is amazing that this article has turned into a scientific debate about helium. There is no mention in this article about the releasing of helium, or whether helium being toxic to the environment. The article is about the balloons which were filled with helium and what damage they can cause when the balloons are deflated.

Strictly speaking the helium used in filling up the balloon is eventually escaped back to the atmosphere, and there is no loss of helium in the atmosphere. A deflated balloon does not imply that the helium level is depleted in the atmosphere.

Please scaremongers don't start a hoax and waste public money in campaigning the ban of filling up anything and everything that needs helium! Helium-fill balloons should be allowed for indoor functions and the enjoyment of children, but banned completely from releasing into the atmosphere outdoor on whatever the occasion.

Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to The Age (27/12/2011) on 28/12/2011 at 12:00 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on "Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go"
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/lets-pop-the-helium-balloon-before-we-let-it-go-20111226-1pa00.html

No matter how intelligent a turtle was, a dead turtle is no longer an intelligent turtle. May I ask Martin C whether you are speaking as an "intelligent" person who has returned to the living world after a near-death-experience?

Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to The Age (27/12/2011) on 27/12/2011 at 10:13 AM
Commenting on "Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go"
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/lets-pop-the-helium-balloon-before-we-let-it-go-20111226-1pa00.html

As early as 2009, I started writing letters to local papers and political party calling for a ban in releasing balloons on various occasions by the public. It is treacherous that the disused balloons ended up polluting the ecology and killing defenceless aquatic lives.

Finally, carbon tax becomes law

Posted to The Age (8/11/2011) on 8/11/2011 at 3:35 PM
Commenting on "Finally, carbon tax becomes law"
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/finally-carbon-tax-becomes-law-20111108-1n4rq.html

Posted to Herald Sun (8/11/2011) on 8/11/2011 at 3:54 PM, 4:45 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on "Senate votes to pass carbon tax by 36 votes to 32"
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/senate-votes-to-pass-carbon-tax-by-36-votes-to-32/story-fn7x8me2-1226188702193

The carbon (dioxide) emission per capita of Australia is and will always be much greater than China and India because of our small pollution. To explain this, let us look at a household of 1 and another of 5. Both need only a refrigerator to keep food fresh or a washing machine to wash clothing. The household of 5 uses the same amount of electricity for the appliances and therefore "polluting" the planet with the same amount of greenhouse gas. Now, a hall with 1 occupant or 100 occupants requires the same number of lights to be turned on for a performance; and an electrified train carrying 1 passenger or 500 passengers consumes about the same amount electricity to commute between Melbourne and Sydney.

There are times when no consumers are involved and yet the waste has to be shared by the population. A lot of power is lost in transmitting electricity from the power stations to hundreds of kilometres of nothingness before populated towns or cities. A lot of energy is required to get rid of the sewer travelling great length of pipes to filtration plant. When we talk about power and energy, we really mean electricity which operates the equipment to make these things happen.

These examples explain the concept of economy of scale and illustrate the principle of fixed and variable costs. So long if we continue to live in a cocoon and not to increase our population, Australia will always be more expensive to live in and the greenhouse gas emission will be a lot higher than more populated countries. BTW, population of China is 59 times of Australia's.