Ask me anything
A thank you for my paying subscribers
The posts I write on this Substack will always be free for everyone to read. But I feel I should give some reward to my paying subscribers. So, I’m running another “Ask me anything” post. Paid subscribers can ask questions in the comments, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
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Would Australia be better off without State Governments, and hence without the states? Of course they were needed to get Federation over the line, but now, why not get rid of them and split their responsibilities between the Federal and local governments?
I can think of many good reasons for getting rid of them.
Are there any good reasons for keeping them? Do they undertake useful policy experiments, for instance? Do conditions in different states somehow justify different legislation?
Hi John. Last night Saul Griffith shared his Electrify Everything thesis on the Gold Coast, with compelling arguments about how rooftop sola plus EVs and residential/community batteries can advance decarbonisation significantly in the here and now, if incentives are provided given upfront costs.
There is a counter narrative through Nate Hagens (who produces the Great Simplification podcast) and others that the world lacks the critical necessary to electrify everything;
Sauk reckons materials recycling, evolution of a renewables circular economy and energy efficiency make the electrification transition doable, especially if we assume technology improvements also kick in towards more productive wind, solar, battery tech.
What do you reckon between both views?