This is the Chinese Year of the pig – appropriately it is the year we must remove the snouts of many pigs from the troughs kept full by tax payers and electricity users.
An election year is the best time to put maximum pressure on all politicians. Soon we will have gone so far backwards in management of electricity, essential infrastructure, water, vegetation, bushfires, education and the climate war on hydro-carbons that recovery will be very difficult. Things are bad now but if the Limp-LNP’s or the ALP/Greens again get control of energy policy, what is now bad will get much worse. We are faced with either a confused calamity or a dreadful disaster.
The Saltbush Club and its members must do as much as possible to change the climate of public opinion which is the only thing that will replace or re-focus politicians. We are not a political party, but we do have a political agenda. We will not run candidates but we are happy if members run on Saltbush priorities. We have credibility and knowledge. We must use our influence.
The Saltbush Website
We have not been idle. Here is a list of posts on our web site:
https://saltbushclub.com/w4pl/post-list/
Go there, lodge comments, or copy links and circulate them anywhere. Put things into social media, write your own letters, phone and meet media and politicians.
Support those web sites that support our cause (apologies to those missed out in a rush. Let us know more for next time):
https://www.americanthinker.com/author/viv_forbes_/
http://www.pickeringpost.com/glance/time-to-leave-the-paris-agreement/8752
https://wentworthreport.com/?s=viv%2Bforbes
https://www.thepostemail.com/2019/01/28/smash-the-green-shackles/
https://www.iceagenow.info/failed-climate-predictions/
https://canadafreepress.com/article/stop-wasting-our-dam-water
Media Bias
Two incidents recently highlighted the problems we face with much of the media:
Have a listen to this from the ABC 7:30 Report (7 minutes) from 13th Dec 2018:
- ABC 7:30 Report - 13th Dec 2018
- And read this correspondence resulting from a letter-to-the-editor which I sent:
From: Gold Coast Hinterlander
Sent: Monday, 28 January 2019
To: Viv Forbes
Subject: Re: Climate Alarm Vandals
Hi Viv,
You may not be up to date on the latest, (no surprise there!) but I have officially retired and now have no reason to put up with your ignorant mule-headed opinions on climate change!
May your synapses keep on jumping and your brain implodes with conspiracy theories about green-horned monsters taking over the planet.
Marie, newly retired and free!
REPLY
Well Marie. Thanks for telling me.
I am particularly pleased to get your note – I will use it (and some others) to illustrate just how some in-bred parts of the Australian media have developed a closed intolerant, unscientific mind.
Best wishes in your retirement.
You should have retired years ago.
Viv
Petitions:
The Australian Conservatives are running a petition on “Exit Paris”. I have no faith in the effectiveness of petitions in changing laws – that needs politicians to be changed. And the Australian Conservatives appear to be using numerous petitions to gather addresses of possible supporters. However every little bit helps. So if you would like to support it, the petition is still running here:
https://www.conservatives.org.au/escape_paris
Another petition was organised by one of our Saltbush members a few years back. It read:
“This petition by citizens and taxpayers of Australia draws the attention of the House of Representatives to large sums of Government income that are being spent on programs, subsidies, compensations, commissions, etc. with the aim of achieving a national target of a 5% reduction in the human production of carbon dioxide from that of the year 2000, by 2020, without a high-level, incisive cost/benefit study having been conducted.”
Here is MP Denis Jensen introducing it to a packed attentive audience in Parliament. His words are still true:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pZNdeR6vfQ
Nothing happened.
The Saltbush Sheds
People keep asking where/when there will be meetings of members. This is something locals must do. But it achieves very little if we just meet among ourselves, have a beer or coffee, agree that things are crook, and then go home feeling we have achieved something.
However, as a response to the demand for meetings we propose the
Saltbush Shed Meetings.
Every shed must have a shed boss approved by us who decides when and where meetings are held and who is invited. These meeting can be in a shed or in a posh club, at regular or irregular times and there are just two rules:
First, every Saltbush member who attends must bring along a non-member.
Second, what you do/discuss is up to you but it must promote Saltbush goals - we must beware that some people will attempt to hijack the meetings to discuss other matters such as banking reform, gender equality, UFO’s etc. Our sheds must stick to our agenda:
https://saltbushclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/saltbush-priorities.pdf
So if you would like to be authorised to organise a Saltbush Shed in your town of Kick-a-tin-along, send us an email advising how interested people can contact you. We will then advise all Saltbush members who may then choose to get involved. If no one replies, that is not a useful activity. But it could be useful.
Our very first shed is The Saltbush Shed at Five Dock (between Sydney and Parramatta) which will meet at Five Dock. If you would like to attend a meeting pls contact the Shed Boss, Jim Simpson:
There is room for more Saltbush Sheds in Sydney and all over Australia.
Social Media
Australia is in a desperate battle to get sensible policies on energy, climate, water, agriculture, fishing and more. The malignant green disease is everywhere. We need help to change the policies or change the politicians, probably both. We need all members who use social media to promote Saltbush concerns there. Despite my reluctance we now have a Saltbush facebook site and moderator (apologies to those who offered to set this up for us earlier and were rebuffed by me).
See here:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Saltbush-Club-1991981027583033/
Pls also spread Saltbush news and messages in Twitter, Linked in and all the rest.
A Royal Commission to Investigate the Real Cost of Emissions Reduction
The war on carbon dioxide has resulted in enormous costs being incurred by Australian industry and consumers in trying to meet emissions targets. But few people know how it is incurred, what the full cost is, who pays, and who benefits.
We need a searching Royal Commission to investigate:
1. The full costs of the Renewable Energy Electricity Act 2000, the RET Certificates and all the subsequent acts and regulations that depend on it – who pays, who benefits, how much?
2. The full cost of all subsidies and tax breaks that support green energy; including but not confined to the impact and costs of such interference in forcing the early retirement of coal-fuelled power stations in Australia.
3. The impact that early retirement and closures of coal-fired plants had on wholesale electricity costs both in SA and the East Coast NEM; and the likely effect of closure of Liddell Power Station.
4. A review of the costs of alternative diesel generators and batteries in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania in the last four years to provide system security in those states as coal fuelled power plants have been withdrawn or interconnection with the NEM disrupted. Who paid for these generators and batteries and how?
5. The impact of renewables subsidies and the merit order in the NEM on delaying decisions on replacing coal and gas generation.
6. The cost of new infrastructure that is required for transmission lines and roads for scattered wind and solar facilities; who pays and what is the allowed return on this investment?
7. The effect of subsidies and tax deductions. Are green energy producers double-dipping ie getting subsidies or tax breaks to build their plants and then claiming tax deductions on the total capital cost?
8. What will happen to electricity costs in the struggle to achieve target emissions?
9. The effect of connecting more wind and solar farms to the electricity grid. What restrictions should be applied to ensure grid stability and minimise electricity costs?
10. The effect of rooftop solar connections on electricity price and grid stability.
11. The cost recording and supervising the renewable energy legislation and who gets the bill – taxpayers or electricity consumers?
Saltbush is seeking advice from informed members on how to tidy-up and logically reword the above terms for such an enquiry. Comments welcome.
Advertising.
We are toying with the idea of running a small cartoon advert whenever funds allow. Maybe call it “Saltbush Corner” in the Australian. The first advert may be this one
called “Drain the Swamp”
https://saltbushclub.com/2019/01/30/drain-the-swamp/
Any suggestions on the idea, for finance, or people to manage it?
What Can I do?
No one can do everything but everyone can do something. Here are some suggestions
Make fun of them - no one can survive ridicule, so make fun of the greens, the global warming forecasts, local state and federal government stupidity.
Attack biased comments from ABC, Fairfax, CSIRO, Ministers etc
Write short pithy letters to every media in your area. Keep each letter to one central point with short, simple, colourful sentences.
Use every social media platform to spread ideas and scepticism.
Let everyone know about our web site: www.saltbushclub.com
Forget Party allegiances – get involved and support the right candidate no matter what party.
Ask awkward questions in letters, social media or website comment:
Who released the water from the Menindee Lakes on the Darling River?
Who sold the Liddell, Bayswater and Loy Yang power stations for next to nothing?
Who closed the Yallourne Power station?
Who demolished the Torrens Power Station.
Why has the Nathan Gorge Dam not been built?
Why have the climate models failed?
Why is all the flood water in North Queensland going to waste?
Why are we not building more flood-proof essential infrastructure?
Why are greens allowed to increase bushfire risk?
Why is Chicago as cold as the north pole?
Why is it snowing in London?
https://www.theguardian.com/weather/video/2018/feb/28/timelapse-video-of-london-waking-up-to-a-blanket-of-snow-video
Understand, support and use preferential voting to ensure your vote makes the greatest impact. Number every square, put greens last and then select the others in order of least worst.
Never support Citizen Initiated Referenda. A referendum to “Ban Coal” may get 51% support in today’s political climate. Instead support “Citizen Initiated VETO”. If 51% of people vote to abolish green energy subsidies, or exit Paris, it happens.
Meet every candidate in your electorate and debate them on energy and climate policies.
Meet and have a friendly chat to local media representatives.
Oppose centralism and regionalism. The climate bullies will aim to increase the power of UN bodies (usually secretly), abolish or emasculate state governments and amalgamate local governments. Their plan is that every regional council is dominated by one large regional city which is dependent on federal handouts to balance its budget.
Talk to the world, not among ourselves. Don’t write to Saltbush about one small point you may disagree with – talk to the world about all the rest of our priorities.
Promote an enquiry into the real costs of green energy.
Attack and expose the way big business and the banks support the war on coal, cars and cattle.
Jo Nova is speaking at Liberty-fest in Perth
See: https://libertyfest.org.au/2019-perth-speakers/
Yellow Vest Rally
The Climate Realists of Canberra are holding a Yellow Vest rally in Canberra on Feb 12th 1.30 pm outside Parliament House. Saltbush is not a sponsor or a participant but the Climate Realists do urge sensible energy policies and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
More info from:
In this Year of the Pig, let’s get all the snouts out of the troughs