Post coal/oil

It would seem apparent to me that coal is a bad investment from a purely economical view. It would appear we are entering a new era where renewables are cheaper to produce energy than coal and oil. Just today in The age reported the knock on effects of lower oil prices. Many large companies are in real trouble. 

I've read of how many European countries are successfully transforming their economies from a coal/oil based economy to a sustainable ones. Many are now generating one quarter of their energy from renewable energy. That is a lot of money taken away from the oil/coal industries. I would seem we are entering a post oil/coal phase.

Australia once been leaders in renewables are now getting left behind. Investments in the sector of dropped dramatically since the Abbot government.

I find it interesting that for me there are good arguments for a shift to renewables without climate change been part of the equation. Renewables are cheaper and are continuing to get cheaper. Thats a great argument. It also affirms to me that political parties and their policies are strongly influenced by who supports them. Not logic. I suspect The coal/oil industries have known for a long time they are in trouble thus the opposition to renewables through political means. 

For me there is a ethical argument as well. I would like to think that when I've pass away, I've tread lightly. That my impact on the earth has been positive I've given back more than I've taken. Its a bit like if you go on a holiday and rent a house, I've alway been taught you leave it in the same condition as you found it, if not better. From a spiritual perspective, if God made it, and it was good. Then I want to say I've looked after what the creator has made.

The Bicycle Repair Man

A good friend of ours has just started a business in Phillip Island repairing bicycle and called himself the "bicycle repair man". Its a bit of a pun on the monty python routine...

You can contact the bicycle repair man here

Poetry

Christina has been typing away at night, busily forefilling her commitment to squeeze out a poem for each day of the month. I was particuly fond of this piece of political satire where they are collection of words that have come out of Tony Abbots mouth and Christina has linked them into this piece.

Housewives of Australia
have a bit of sex appeal
very connected
young, feisty
I probably feel a bit threatened

We always have
Enormous numbers of women
They are different
simply doing housework
Focused on the household budget
As they do the ironing
It’s folly to think they will ever dominate
I don’t think its a bad thing at all
—–
The most convenient exit
From awkward situations
The easy way out
To be on Team Australia’s shirtfront
A place for everything
Not everyone’s place
I don’t have any magic answers

You can catch more of Chrisina's month of poetry at Sojourn

A fellow traveller...

Sometimes you read something that you could have written yourself. Jason Coker wrote a post called "A dispatch beyond the borders of Church". It appears to be a very similar story to myself and Christina. For example

"What’s interesting is, we wouldn’t have this life if we were still in church. I don’t mean that as a judgement of the good thing that church is for many people, but if we were still in church we wouldn’t have the space for the life we live now. And it’s a better life. We enjoy more honesty, openness, and relational depth and diversity than ever, even though only a few of our friends are people of faith."

I know what Jason means; and I look forward to his insights in the next part of his journey. 
I suppose with me it is only now that I'm prepared to start or be something that is connected with Church after a five year break. To step forward from the back seat which we occasionally sit. 
It feels to use Richard Rohr language I have moved to the second stage of life. The five year break has been the space in which I transitioned.

Spurge

Today I wanted to renew the whole idea of worship been an act in of care for Gods creation. He made  the environment in which I live, it is good, therefore we should be looking after it.

We went out as a family and joined the crew at the Red Rocks Coastal care group. We were pulling out Sea Spurge. Initially Jemima pointed out this plant and thought it colourful like a rainbow, then we were told this was the weed which we were aiming to eradicate as it comes from Europe.

Walking around just looking for the same plant was almost a form of meditation. Initially I found them hard to find, then after a while I could see them everywhere. My focus changed.

G.K. Chesterson Saint Francis of Assisi

 

This was a short little book, so I downed it. In many ways I'm fascinated just as much by the author as Assisi. I started to notice Chesterson after reading Brian Mclarens a generous Othodoxy. It seemed as if many of Brian's referencing came from Chesterson. Then only recently after reading Paul Ham I was quite disappointed to find he was in the pro war camp of 1914

Anyway Assisi, I read and felt that I really didn't know Assisi. Most of Chesterson's writing was in the grid of nearly 100 years ago. When there was the British Empire and the only religion was Christianity. Most of Assisi's deeds where seen though this colonial view. I would like to read Assisi without this baggage.

He did have a few quotes such as "Christ came before Christianity" or something like that. It just reinforced to me that this puts into perspective the importance of differentiating Christ And Christianty. Reinforcing how difficult it is to find the historical Jesus.

2/5

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Mao's great famine by Frank Dikotter

 

I sort of had in the back of my mind that China had a famine during Mao's rule. But I never realised its severity. Or that's its causes where predominately due to the ineptitude of central planning of a communist system and the inherent corruption.

An estimated 45 million died during this period where Mao tried to implement communes, and push iron production to the down fall of the country. The book outlines the ineptitude of leaders. The inflation of quotes, the environment degregation as Mao insisted birds killed which stole seeds which then brought about plagues of insects. The hunger of people who ate mud and and when desperate enough went to canibilism. Horrid.

The book reiterated to me that central planning doesn't work.

It also had me thinking about tyrants. Stalin, Hitler and now Mao. I suppose all leaders especially these bad guys got fed a diet of what they want to hear. But it would seem to me that Mao's people feed him an even larger amount of lies than was actually happening. I don't think it was an excuse though.

It also gave me an insight into China today. I'm pretty sure the corruption still happens. It would have to be the case with a closed and censored media. China is still a place to watch with scepticism. This stuff only happened on 50 years ago.

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