Sunday, February 15, 2009

CATEGORY - DDAIDDAIS

This acronym (for 'Don't do as I do; do as I say') has lurked around on this blog* for a while.

Time to pull the threads together. Until I do, let's start here:

Times - Atticus - Defra

Times - Atticus - HMG/Plastic Bags

BBC - Tony the climate tiger: Roaring success?

Indy - 'Jet-setting' government clocked up 300 million air miles last year - 'Well, y'know, like, it's not really practical for THEM not to fly'.

Indy - Ministers keep their gas-guzzling cars despite CO2 targets - Again, there is a need for common sense. The leader of our country out-running a terrorist in an armoured Prius? However, as to the rest...

Guardian - Public servants clocked up 306m air miles last year, Conservatives say - Of course, the key is not the total, but what was/is avoidable.

BBC - BBC staff Olympic details missing - 'The BBC fears the files have been stolen, possibly for identity theft or an attempt to embarrass the BBC over the number of staff going to the Games'. Now, who would think such a thing? They seem immune to most things. I am sure they a sharing the same A380 over, too.

Telegraph - HMRC is accused of double standards over staff expenses - It's not strictly (well, at all) enviro. I don't care.

Times - NEW - Hotshot greens caught wasting home heat - Let he who waves the first finger....

*Might be worth also cross-indexing with 'Quangos Jolly Good Fellows' (see link in baseline)

CATEGORY - Coal

It's baaaaack! And hence warrants its own category.

Indy - Back to black: return to coal power

Indy - Coal-fired power: 'Clean coal' technology

BBC - Clean deadline call on coal power

Guardian - Coal isn't the climate enemy, Mr Monbiot. It's the solution - Now there's an odd couple squaring off.

Times - The burning question ...

Guardian - Coal-fired power stations are death factories. Close them

Times - NEW - PM stokes row with ‘clean’ coal plan

Think Big, Start Small. And then... stop?

Is this another example of economy vs. environment?

I have had my issues with their business model, but as it was there have always felt BBC Green to represent a perfectly good source of complementary info (though some have been concerned about the stances taken on various issues, which were, unsurprisingly, reflective of the overall corporate agenda). Shame they ignored all my efforts to raise reuse as a worthy topic.

But it was odd, and a little sad, to get this in my inbox just now.

Hello JunkkMan,

After nine months of brightening your inbox with weekly green news and advice, I am sorry to announce that this will be our last newsletter. From today, we won't be adding any more stories or features to BBC Green.

I hope you have enjoyed reading, using and interacting with the site. Building an environmental and sustainable living website from scratch was an ambitious project, and I would like to thank all of the BBC Green team who helped to make it happen.

I am also very grateful for the many kind and supportive messages we have received since our launch in March. We even enjoyed the few critical emails from die-hard climate change sceptics.

On a personal note, I have been amazed by just how many of you are looking for positive and practical ways to lead a greener life. We have really enjoyed hearing about and following your experiences, especially those of you who have used our Action Plan.

I hope that we have helped in some small way to inform and inspire you, and that BBC Green will continue to help you to make the right choices for you and the environment.

Very best wishes,

Paul Allen,
Editor, BBC Green

The one thing not explained is why*, and having a quick scope on the website I remain none the wiser. Maybe it just there will be no more email updates, but it's hard to see how that would make much difference.

It seems to be saying that what's up is all there is, and will be, and that will remain. However there will be no more need for additions, or interactivity, and hence staff.

Anyway, as I rush to try and get off the latest Junkk newsletter, packed with all manner of useful tidbits, I guess this is one less complementitor (my main beef was that when you are competing for ad revenue, having a funded entity courtesy of the licence fee was a bit frustrating), though the field is still pretty packed already.

I guess we just have to make sure we keep being useful, second useful, and entertaining enough to always find new stuff to share and offer plenty of reasons for folk to keep on coming back.
10/12/08

*Guardian - BBC Worldwide drops environment site - '..the corporation's commercial arm, has quietly ditched a controversial website ... following criticism from commercial competitors that it is overstepping its remit and distorting the markets in which it operates.'

Press Gazette - NEW - Rivals welcome closure of BBC Green 'passion site'

Message and messengers

Or, equally, another from 'not all that is green can be viewed in black and white'.

The breaking news the BBC wouldn't tell


I do confess that I am finding science, and logic, take rather lower fiddle ranks to agenda and ratings-driven hype.

By any measure I would rather this job was done in an accredited yard for good money, rather than by a bunch of kids cheap on a distant beach.

As to this... 'In 2004 Liam Sheahan of Ready Creek, Victoria, famously lost $100,000 when he was prosecuted for felling 247 trees to protect his property. Last week his house was the only one in the area left standing.' Head-shaking is not enough. I guess he got a form of refund in that he still has a home. In this era of sorry folk left right and centre, I'm betting even an apology will be hard to screw out of those responsible.

In the frame of mind to wonder what else I am told, or not, just watching the Breakfast News, this cranked an eyebrow:

BBC - Global warming 'underestimated'

I dread to think what lies behind such stuff any more (This is 'a' scientist, and a few other blogs I read have pointed out that his area of expertise is not really in this area, yet I am sure he was introduced as 'a leading climate change expert'). Especially as, irony-free, it was followed by this spot, with the teleprompter readers and their guest pretty much agreeing it was awful, and people better fly now or lose out:

BBC - Flyers face losing their Airmiles

And in closing, here's one from the other day, just to put what the world faces in some kind of context:

Telegraph - China's rescue plan a load of spin?

Addendum:

The Register - Thermageddon, the BBC and a giant snake

Addendum :

Guardian - Scientists must rein in misleading climate change claims - Read beyond the headline (which rather neatly makes a point in its framing). Indeed, read beyond the article. Woah! I'm glad I just try and help reduce waste.

Guardian - The tropics on fire: scientist's grim vision of global warming - Same paper; same day.