Thread: Greenie Desal Insanity, Just Like All Other Greenie Schemes,Will Cripple Us
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Old November 12th 10, 01:15 PM posted to aus.invest,aus.politics,sci.skeptic,sci.geo.meteorology
Sylvia Else Sylvia Else is offline
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Default Greenie Desal Insanity, Just Like All Other Greenie Schemes,Will Cripple Us
On 13/11/2010 12:43 AM, wrote:
In sci.skeptic Sylvia wrote:
[...]
A person may buy a rainwater tank because it makes them feel green (and
they like that feeling). If they do that, then that feeling is what
makes the value higher for them.
[...]

Turning to some facts we have surveys of why and how many Australians
have installed tanks upto approx 2008. According to some "no one" will
opt for a more expensive option, when there is cheap, desalinated water
around.

Who said that?

The real world seems to have disobeyed the theory, again.

From the Aus Bur of Stats:

In 2007 (latest data available) 19.3% (1.5 mn) households have a
rainwater tank. Another 3.2% have a tank on order. This compares with
17.2% of hh in 2004 and 15.2% in 1994.

SA had the highest proportion 45.5% of hh; Qld is the 2nd highest at
22.1%.

Saving water was the main reason to install a tank (41.7%); 27.3%
installed a tank because they had no access to mains water; 19.5% were
concerned at the quality of mains water; 12% installed a tank to
reduce the cost of water; 6.3% wanted specifically to use the water
for outside use (e.g. during the past few years water restrictions
prevented or at least restricted using mains water for lawns, gardens
or car washing).

34% of hh 2007 reported they would not install a watertank because of cost.


If reticulated water is unavailable, then you have no choice, and the
cheaper option is not available. A few install water tanks to make them
feel green. Yes, some install them to avoid water restriction, which
again relates to a cheaper option not being available (for doing with
water what the restrictions disallow - I even considered it myself). A
lot of people don't know how to calculate the cost of the water from a
water tank, and think that it's cheap when it's not.

But none of those considerations enter into a discussion about whether
water tanks are more expensive than other ways of supplying water.

Sylvia.
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