Friday, April 03, 2009

Every confusing bit helps a little bit?

Tesco trials packaging returns scheme

Of course, if more packaging was also designed for reuse, it wouldn't need to be left behind at the store, but might find new life elsewhere.

Dumped at the store, or dumped in the kitchen bin still means dumped, though with luck the store might have more idea on getting segregated waste back in a useful form to recyclers. Nice of them to do that work.

6 weeks is short, and it would be interesting to learn what in-store or local promo there is to advise and drive shoppers to work with it. And the two (area) stores question is valid.

And is it just cardboard? My area is already well served for that on both kerbside and local skips. What about plastics?

THE TWO E's... and a big 'O'

Just having my lunch watching Pres. Obama speaking live.

He is, no doubt about it, a class act.

And I write this as he still speaks. While I will soon need to get back to work.

Now, there's a thing. Why am I working? What on? With what consequence... short, middle and long term?

The bit I caught was about fellow workers, Indians, being helped out of poverty, such that they could all have... refrigerators.

Nothing wrong with that at all, but I must say that, even though he skirted the issue in passing, I am a little unclear how this noble aim can be rationalised with much that is advocated in the realms of climate change mitigation.

Seems to me the West is going to have pretty much not just slam on the brakes with its economies, but hit reverse, whilst this acceleration takes place elsewhere. Fridges do not get bought without consequences environmentally. They need to be made, and then new energy is then required to run them.

I'm not sure the population (hold that word in mind) of the USA using less a/c in their cars is quite going to do it.... even if the economic sell is made to that voting bloc... which I doubt.

The oratory is awesome, but so far the logic is escaping me. And while fine words are better than no words (I have no solution to offer, well, that can be printed here, but then I don't get the personal 747 and limo), but I really hope the guys with the smarts have thought this one through, especially if certain areas are deemed 'no-go' or 'exceptions'.

It will be interesting to see how the MSM spins this. I think he's possibly the best we've got, but that does not make him infallible.

Telegraph - Greener energy policies don't have to cost the earth - if only for that line. I've missed it.

Mail - O'Barmy meets completely barmy

Washington Times - Military strained by Obama trip

NY Times - The Words Have Changed, but Have the Policies?

Do gooders. No bad thing these days.

I usually keep ad commentary over on my other blog, Bordello Ivory Tales.

However this does seem worthy of note more here:

Honda block books 'green' ad space on Saturday Guardian

Not to sure the Guardian's rivals will be plugging it quite as much, but there scale of the event is worthy of note. If not the ridiculous ad speek straight out of the press release.

My main interest is in the 'Do good' theme; one we at Junkk.com plug long, hard... and often. And endorse.

Not so sure 'An Inconvenient Truth' is quite the best bit of science documentary for Ch4 to associate itself with, as things have moved on a fair bit since then. Maybe they see it as 'balance' to 'The Great Global Warming Swindle'. I fear I view both more as 'Two wrongs make more ratings' . I am sure there are now later, better, ways to entertain and inform and persuade. Though, I still doubt any that don't fall down on one 'side' or other. And while saving the planet is a laudable aim, folk need to make money, so the new stuff needs to do the cinemas and DVDs for a few years, which is why we get the old stuff on TV now.

Let's see what the comments throw up. That's a lot of money, in one place, for, let's not forget, a car brand.

A matter of degree

I love blogging... evidently.

It can be, and mostly is, a great experience, and usually a learning one.

However, just as Peter Parker found, with great power comes great responsibility.

And, often, sadly, challenges.

One is moderation, which is a very difficult line to walk. One which, if you are not careful, can lead to censorship, which is the gateway to objectivity going out the window, and bias and control coming in.

G20, Bonn and the climate of opinion

Not from the author, but I do find such suggestions creeping in these days, and feel the need to at the very least challenge the thinking. I worry about those who think they 'know' 'right' more than others can hold more sway than they deserve, simply by being vocal:

(I don't know if the technology allows it, but it would be good to impose a limit on the length and number of posts)

It exists, and has since time immemorial. The problem tends to come with the humans behind it who set and police the 'rules', and where their skill sets, influences and/or sympathies lie. So I am unsure how 'good' that would be.

While I agree that the blogosphere can get prone to 'distractions', trying to explain or debate science via Twitter-feeds is indeed a worthy discipline to encourage, and may be great for those seeking sound-bites, but may lead to incomplete and hence inaccurate posts. I think most blogs do have a limit anyway, and seem to work as a consequence.

As to number of posts, what if I agree? And suggest this should be the last on this issue? Shame you might not get to have any further opinion on that, at least in the same thread:) I also find that when the mods call a halt often leads to suspicions that an over-arching agenda is at play, and when things are not going in a favoured direction impositions can get applied. Not great for free and open debate.

I agree it can be frustrating, but on balance simply skipping over those that seem to be going in a poor direction still works best for me.