Wonder what you can recycle in Boreham Wood

And I don't mean timber!

When I was Creative Director of my agency, we isntituted a thing called the Creative Review Commitee (CRC), whereby, David Brent-wise (cue holding up two fingers as in apostrophes), 'nothing is a bad idea'.

Well, of course there is a lot that can be, how do you say, 'not necessarily a good idea', either. And that was where the CRC was used as a first line of defecne to shoot down the dire, the obvious, the silly, the trite, the cliched, the boring and, hand in hand with this, the really bad puns.

Out they'd trot, we'd laugh, say no and move on to create the good, make a difference concepts that communicate and effect a useful result.

So seeing money my taxes contributed to (then given (minus cut) to the EU to give back (minus cut) to HMG to give (minus cut) to a Quango NGO to give to (minus cut) and agency to create and give to (minus cut) the media) used for such tripe is... a bother.

At best I, who has a sliver of interest in all this, may say 'Huh?, but what exactly is yer average SKY mag reader going to do? Drive from Reading to Cardiff to recycle their cards?

I love posters, and banner ads. You have to get a full story and message across in eight words or less.

My views on blowing all this dosh to tell people to recycle and what they can recycle are well known. But to do it this badly is a real waste. Especially when it's so self-serving, as the only direction to ad is pointing is at the website, and the stats on the website will be used to justify the spend.

Meanwhile, a lot of great little initiatives (ours included) are either not being funded or finding themselves competed with by those staked to aid us. Nuts.

Just make sure you wash them

Nothing wrong with this ad at all. It's very... 'green'

But what does 'British Grown' mean, environmentally?

Especially when they may or may not get shipped to another country to be packed. And is grown in a heated bubble 400 miles away really that good?

That's the trouble with greenwashing. What you have done, or do elsewhere can stain the rest.

'Up to' their old tricks?

My eye was caught by this ad, which offers 28 miles extra per tank, which is almost 10% of mine, or £5.

What it doesn't say is how many p/litre extra we're talking, but I guess at that gain it's worth doing the maths.

But what, exactly, and without any asterisks, does 'up to' mean?

So much to hear. So little to say.

I would love someone to explain what the point is to this news snippet.

Other than the choice 'efforts' (as in, 'nothing need come of it, but we can say we tried... and issued a PR'), did the publication in question ponder for a moment asking where or how this could take place, if it does at all?

Everyone's (still) talking at me, but I can't (be bothered to listen, let alone) hear a(ny more) word(s) they're saying (...again)

It's the new year!

Let's talk conferences. Not just ways to meet and talk, but also make money meeting and talking. As to actually doing anything, well...

Sorry, I'm jaded.

Here's the first of what will be many, but it's a goodie:

BP, Ford, Ben & Jerry's, Stop Climate Chaos, and others talking climate change 7-8 March in London

Dear Colleague,

Everyone is talking - if not going - carbon neutral. At least that's the way it seems. "Carbon neutral" was recently named Word [or two words, or phrase, shouldn't that be?] of the Year [that, or rather they, say a lot right there] for 2006 by The New Oxford American Dictionary.

Looking back, last year may end up remembered as the year that climate change went "mainstream," catapulted to the spotlight by major media outlets around the globe. And if 2006 was the Year of acknowledging climate change, it's time to make 2007 the Year of communicating AND acting on climate change.

Yaaaay, and this will cost me...how much?

I got to '...and to take advantage of the £100 early registration discount.' and gave up. That means they want at least £1k to talk some more.

Talk... about a waste.

Frying pan. Fire. No food.

Go green, Farmer Giles

"As with so many things in environmental debates, I confess to suffering from a slight lack of objective, factual information to help me follow debates.

One issue involving the above that has generated concerns for me surrounds so-called bio-fuels.

I have a vision of, and hence problem with the notion of driving, carbon-neutrally, through our green (or whatever colour bio-fuel crops are) and pleasant land, trying to find something locally-produced to eat. Should we not be encouraging moves towards less transport and more local production of essentials?

While it may work for Brazil (on the assumption they haven't whacked down green-lung rain forests to do so), they have a tad more space to play with. Do we?

Given the option, I'd prefer to stick with food."

It's a gas, gas, gas

Couldn't resist: An Ill Wind

"For my sins, I once did two years of a vet degree, before deciding it was nothing like James Herriot and gave up. However, having witnessed my tutor stick a pipe in a heifer's exhaust and generate a jet of flame, I even then wondered if this could be harnessed (what does methane produce on combustion... I must find out. Carbon dioxide I bet), much like I wondered about those flames at oil refineries.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, if methane is 25 times more onerous a greenhouse gas to carbon dioxide, and the rest of the stats that will be bandied about (stated as fact, rebutted, climate denied, accused of being in the pay of big oil, accused of shoring up charity directors' pension funds, etc) approximate to something significant, then while it originates in humour it should be taken seriously.

I have hence decided to add a section to my website http://www.junkk.com on matters effluent, and it shall be called 'Pooh Corner'. It should entertain my ten-year-olds at least, but if they get some kind of message after the Beavis & Butthead snickers subside, it will be worth doing.

For what it's worth, a while ago I noted a small piece about some UK researchers, I think in Scotland, who had made serious progress on a feed that did in fact reduce the toots and, as mentioned above, make for a better 'product'. I’ll dig it out and add it.

Maybe we'll soon be seeing less of the 'Angus' burgers being advert, but more where the 'g' - standing for 'green', is silent?"