Friday, April 11, 2008

Flushed with, well, anything really

Tread lightly: Install a water-saving device

Some of the kit to help flush with less looks promising as one hopes they will be able to be tuned to still actually work. Flushing 2/3 times to clear the bowl kinda defeats the object.

But when it comes to the simple act of replacing a certain volume of water within the cistern, surely it is not beyond the wit of man to make something out of a second use item ( This may kick off some notions to find and share what works)?

Smokin'!

Carbon emissions to be turned into CDs

Hey, if it works as billed, what’s not to like?
So long as the energy used in reprocessing adds up, I’m sure if the resultant raw material is reliable then many re:uses can be found.
Thumbs up from here on what’s been shared so far!

Can't be licked... or hard to swallow?

Green initiatives: Matthew Neilson of the Royal Mail

Whenever I see the prefix 'Carbc.. sorry, Carbon' in marketing materials I do start cranking an eyebrow, especially when followed by offsets, neutralities, etc. I frankly still have no clue what they really refer to, or mean, in the great enviROI+ scheme of things. Until that becomes clearer, I often feel 'Climate friendliER' may be more accurate, especially on a factual basis.

Of course there are oodles of initiatives that are better than nothing, especially vs. what could go down, but very often the plain and simple fact is not doing anything in the first place, especially involving new stuff being made and then going places, is perhaps the 'purest' enviro-solution.

As mentioned that's hard to avoid even with a lot of consumer-based marketing I know, but worth bearing in mind when the eco-labels get licked and applied, especially to my nth 'we're in your area' double glazing DM pack.

And when it comes to fellow public servants HMG, I idly glance at the plastic bag my 2008 Tax return just arrived in. Hope Somerfield will be happy to accept it in their recycle bin:)

Moderated Out - As potent as what is allowed in

A few days ago I posted on a blog in Nature and, it seems, ended up 'moderated out'.

Hence I have created that label to help track if I ever get put in eventually, and just to create an archive of where and when it happens.

It's a technique worth noting, if only for being as pervasive as it can be powerful. Rather depending on the scope, reputation and heft of the medium, what folk read can only influence their views, and if they only get to read one set of views, or see a huge imbalance between differing ones, it's also hard to see how one would avoid thinking that there is a majority at work. And be swayed by a perceived 'group think'.

Hence editors have a huge power, especially online, which is seen erroneously as 'open'. What they choose to leave in, change or leave out can have profound effects.

As a blog 'owner', I can see why and how certain moderating rules need to apply, which is the chink in the armour of any censorship debate. Who decides, and what is the limit?

But often it is pretty clear what the reasonable rules are. BBC has them. Guardian CiF has them. I have them. And usually they revolve around good taste, decency, manners and adhering to certain standards of factual accuracy even if wild subjectivity can creep in.

So far I have not had to purge anything... and fingers crossed I won't. And if I do I hope to be able to make clear why in an acceptable way to the spirit of free debate I wish to encourage. I fear I cannot say that many of even our most major national media are quite so true to even their own rules.

On top of the subject at hand, there is also an equally pernicious moderation at play, and that is when the moderator feels they are being 'dissed'. Depends how it is done of course, but often it just comes across as precious. Hence why I no longer contribute to such as Biased BBC, though I still lurk.

Here's another, just to add to the list. It's an ad blog, for heaven's sake.

Here's what they posted: Is it possible to separate the Olympics from politics?

Here's my reply: 'You are joking, right? Let's just look at our history books. I repeat, let's...'

I remain unclear why it was not deemed worthy of inclusion.

CATEGORY - TRAFFIC (UK)

Whatever your thoughts on using a car, there is no doubt that if and when you do, the best environmental option is to get the journey over with as quickly and smoothly as possible.

I have been engaged with the Highways Agency of the value of some roadside signs (Variable Message Signs (VMS)) in conveying relevant information as well as they might, but in passing was given this useful site:

Planned Roadworks and Events

I will be using it in future to check with prior to major trips, and share in case you might find it worthwhile too. The RSS update is worth it, but remember to purge dated advisories regularly.

Traffic Info