Monday, July 06, 2009

Quango!

Q&A: the row over quangos

Mr Brown had been against them, despite reports that 70 had been set up during his time in office.

Reports????! You mean, they don't know? I'd say that makes any critique a QED.

enviROI dot guv dot not

Mixed results for green IT goals

In view of the squillions of public funding pumped into comms efforts and initiatives, it is hard not to be more than a tad depressed by: 'A majority of public sector employees do not know about environmentally friendly IT targets set out in government's Greening ICT Strategy.'

Soapboxes - and how to reuse them

Being a gobby sod, I noted a BBC national 'mini-plinth' story on Breakfast News this morning.

It's in complement to the art installation in London.

Basically a soapbox touring the UK. Hey, any publicity...

Today's kicked off with some first aiders on a beach.

We have made our pitch:

We would like to apply for an opportunity to use the opportunity of your plinth to advocate and share ideas on the joys of reuse.

As we have been, and are encouraged to become ever more 'green aware', the majority of personal initiatives usually involve reduction or recycling.

These, while laudable, are seldom personally rewarding. At least in more tangible ways.

Reuse can save pocket as well as planet. It is also a tad more fun in a 'green' environment that is often dominated by guilt, nanny, threat, scare and fine.

It would be good to show what can be done and inspire still more ideas from the collective imaginations of the country.

Fingers crossed:)

e... by gum

Or is it WEEE?

We have a studio full of old IT kit. Year upon year of outmoded or dud PCs.

I'd like to say that it was more than inertia, but really it is just that.

However, it may be that there was accidental method in our ineptitude:

Journalism students get e-waste scoop

Striking some lights

Government ends free energy saving light bulbs scheme

Pity. Along with insulation grants (noting the critique in the piece - it should not be instead of, rather as well as), I consider this a better use of funding than most efforts. A £3 bulb does of course also save on 'leccy.

It is also true that I now have a healthy oversupply of the things. However, I am at a loss to understand how much insulation one can install for £3, and frankly that does not 'buy' much time of an 'adviser', which seems a retrograde step towards job creation over actual tangibles.

Tray Bon?

Reuse is my preferred option over recycling, but where there is no alternative the latter beats a hole in the ground.

And there are a few classes of waste that are, for now, defeating the collective Junkketeer imaginations.

So it is good to learn that two of the worst sources of plastic waste look to be on the recycling agenda at long last.

Yogurt pots and food trays collected in new drive to boost recycling

Not sure I like that word 'forced', but heigh ho.

Also, on reading the piece, I wonder whether the reality actually reflects the level of actual activity suggested y that headline.