Veronika Wild

  -Image by Copilot It’s not just Santa’s elves that are busy in the lead up to Christmas. Scammers are also poised and ready to take advantage of the festive season. We are busy, rushed and ready to spend and may not be as careful about whom we send our money or information to.  This is especially true of our young people, who may not be as aware of the resources and remedies available to them. Not that you have to be young to be taken advantage of.   I made a mistake myself this month which I will tell you about shortly.  I have written quite a bit about scammers in 2022, but some things have changed. For example, scammers have learned to game the system, offsetting any negative reviews by flooding the review sites with positive reviews or websites with fake testimonials. They have also used AI to advance their cause, but it is also being used to catch them.  Trust Pilot for example, has been using advanced AI to weed out around out 3.5 million such reviews ...

  Original sandstone exterior of the Blue Magnolia Modernising Heritage Buildings It’s always a bit of a challenge in Tasmania to retain the historic charm of a place, yet still make it user -friendly and adapted to modern living. People are busy. Both men and women work outside the home. We need our washing machines, our dishwashers and indoor bathrooms. When we come home we want to relax with our computers and televisions.  One of the few places I managed to visit during this year’s Architecture Week which ran from late October to mid-November, was the “Blue Magnolia," once part of a conjoined pair of sandstone row houses in an internal block dating from the 1840s. Sadly, not many of their contemporaries have survived because they were knocked down over the years as the city expanded.  Subtraction and Addition  This pair had already undergone an unsympathetic renovation in the 1980s. The buildings had been partially merged into one and many of t...

  Myth# 9 Renewables are Bad for Business  FACT: Some businesses are struggling with high power costs, but the reasons are complex. The structure of our electricity market, foreign ownership of gas, and the fact that we are only partway through the transition. Variability is real, yet many businesses have already adapted. Net Zero itself is not the problem—unchecked climate change is. In the long run, clean energy reduces costs, builds resilience, and strengthens economies. According to the Climate Council, business installations in Australia increased by 60% between 2016 and 2017 with some 40,000 commercial systems being installed. Below are just a few examples.    Concerned about its high power bills, the Country Cob Bakery in Victoria installed solar panels on its roof and now saves $9,000+ on its energy bills.  Young Henry's Brewery, a well‑known craft brewery and tasting bar in Sydney’s Inner West, has also made big savings.  Large r...

  Myth # 5    Renewables will Cost Jobs and Destroy Rural Communities     FACT: With adequate preparation, the transition from coal to renewables does not have to be brutal as the case studies below show. Renewable Energy already employs some 30,000 workers around Australia and this number is expected to continue growing, whereas that in coal mining and coal -fired generation is expected to decline in line with commitments made by some 60 countries to end the use of coal by 2030. The benefits are not only environmental, but because they are less polluting, bring health benefits as well. Around Australia some 16 large Battery projects are currently either being completed or in the process of development.  Just Transitions  When last coal mine in Germany's  Ruhr District  closed* in 2018,  not a single one of its 3,000 workers lost their job. The writing had been on the wall for Germany's coal industry since the 19...