Lights, camera, celebs.. hypocrisy!

The film festival that wants to save the planet

I feel more 'aware' even as I write...

There were moments where I felt that maybe a little introspection was having a salutary effect, but my irony alert meter eventually did break its needle.

But for poetry in prose, this cannot be equalled...

Here we are, 150 film-makers and journalists from all over the world, congregated in a luxurious hotel, fed succulent fruits with impossibly beautiful names – the cupuacu, caju, abacaxi, the pupunha and the jambo – and connected to intravenous drips of caipirinha, looking across the inky-black waters of the aptly named Rio Negro, the river that will take us into the Amazon. Here we are, ostensibly, to discuss the end of the world.

Of course, to some '"The best way to convince people today is through film, through the image".

To others, perhaps, a better way is by example.

Make do and mend

Saw this report on the news this morning: 'Green Grannies' web lessons

Not a great start that what I call reuse was described as recycling, but I persevered.

In fact, so much that, as per host invitation, I wrote in with a suggestion on some tips.

Sadly mine did not make it. As, I imagine, many other did not.

What did make it was 'making soup out of chicken bones' and 'darning your own socks'. Inspiring. Not. Ain't gonna happen with such as this.

Much as there is much to laud in such an initiative, I fear the way Aunty decided to pitch in was hardly the best help Granny might have hoped for.

I will have a rummage and see if more can be made of this (Not much yet on the Oxfam site), for all concerned to benefit rather than filling a box-tick 'green' slot on national broadcasting.

Renewable Energy By Imitating Fish?

Sound a little far fetched? Well, not so, according to the VIVACE research project from the University of Michigan.

It seems that schools of fish swim highly efficiently by riding the vortexes created in the water as those in front of them push their tail fins from side to side. The research looked at this principle and came up with the concept of utilising vortex induced vibrations (generally something that civil engineers spend most of their time trying to eliminate or minimise in bridges and in any project where structures sit in water) to create a potential renewable energy source that will operate even in slow moving currents.

Interesting. Maybe a technology to keep half an eye on?

May the force be with you?

Controversial food scraps bin scheme for all households

Hmnn. Not sure I like the sound of that word 'force'.

With 3 (and counting... we have a biggish garden, unlike some) compost bins it really is no problem dealing with the veg.

Still struggling with the Green Cone for the other organics (meat, bones, etc), especially as the sun has dipped and there is no place at all where it would cop enough sun to brew.

So I rather fear there may be a bit of a clash in the offing between those who set policy and those who have to live through the often 'idealistic' notions of those who set them... backed by threat.