Nothing ventured

Obama to skip UN climate talks

Probably he and his entourage not going is doing more to reduce carbon emissions than any conversations held there will achieve.

Mini Nuclear Plants...

..... look to be just around the corner; they are even taking advance orders already! No bigger than a large hot tub, and creating enough power to support up to 20,000 homes, the full story is from PhysOrg.

Perhaps in a few years time there will be a matchbox box sized version suitable for generating the power just for one property? The mind boggles!

Turkeys think Xmas is better vegetarian, when asked.

Or, who pays,.... oh, heck who cares?

U.S. Consumers: Companies Should Pay To Manage Climate Change

An interesting survey, and encouraging in parts.

Of course I have never come across anyone (though have seen a few blog posts that would suggest a few of a contrarian aspect) who, if asked, is against anything 'good' that is 'green'.

One also has to wonder to what extent it was made clear, or the respondents made the mental leap on their own and were still cool on the notion, that the personal cost to them of most company products usually includes any costs the company incurs, plus a bit.

Would the results be the same if the headline dropped the :Companies?

CATEGORY - Paper

ARTICLES

Indy - How to cut your paper footprint - Mind you, this cranked an eyebrow a tad: '...on her return from the trip in 2006 which took her round most of the great forests of the world for her new book: Paper Trails. Paper Trails by Mandy Haggith is published Virgin Press £12.99' - call Independent Books Direct'

Gaurdian - NEW - Don't print this post - Perhaps as interesting, if depressing, for the replies. Mind you, a finger-wag from any in 'green' officialdom, DDAIDDAIS-wise, rather invites a mirro being held up.

INFORMATION

shrinkpaper.org

Britain's trillion-page mountain stacks up

donotmail.org

paperplanet

IDEA - It is art...

...but as I have four rescued from my garden, can't a way be found to reuse them?

Artist creates sculptures from hubcaps

Maybe a central community drop off 'lost 'n found', say at a local garage forecourt, to let folk see if they can retrieve them... and make a charity donation as a thank you?

A new mission!

Prof's Poser - Polystyrene cups

Inspired by a post here.

'One of my pet peeves is how many coffee cups are wasted. Why don’t more people use a thermos type or reusable coffee mug?'

I don’t know the answer, but I bet someone does.

As with all things eco, one needs to look at the enviROI. And also bear in mind whether your eco concern is waste, Co2, or a mixture of both.

It can be interesting sometimes to find out the energy used in, say, cleaning a reuseable vs. the cradle to grave of a disposable.

Sad to say, IF these things are a necessary evil, I am stumped as to possible reuses for now, however I then wonder about recycling.

This is not often optimal green-wise or anything like cost-effective, but these wee efforts tend to be used and disposed of in vast numbers by big offices.

Maybe there could be an argument for a dedicated in-house separated collection and purchase of a shredder to create virgin media bags of the stuff someone might be happy to collect and/or pay for to turn back into new ones?

If there isn’t already.

Or… just lob it all in the black plastic bin liner like usual.

RE-miss?

Spot the missing word here.

Now, what could we turn this into?

The Two E's, enviROI... and a plug

I wonder if he posted it anywhere other than the Gaurdian?

A limited, almost certainly hostile audience unlikely to be open to changing entrenched beliefs. Would this not serve more, in every sense of the word, being in a more mainstream arena (maybe it is, but if so I have missed it. Ergo...), where advocates from either side of the arguemnt can debate and 'sell' their points of view?

Maybe a bun-fight is better for ratings... and sales.

The green pseudo-revolution

PR COVERAGE - Nice little Fillip

The other day I was a speaker at an all-day event on the pros and cons of Intellectual Property protection.

It was promoted by Fillip, the organisation that has been very helpful and supportive with the RE:tie invention I am marketing.

Seems my adventures with RE:tie are deemed an entertaining example of the roller-coaster ride it can all represent. At least it got some nifty PR in the Birmingham Post, and major regional daily.

I also had a lot of good feedback from many present, which was encouraging, as we were talking hard-nosed types from the VC and associated worlds.

I feel like sharing an exchange I had with one kind soul who offered some good advice on dealing with money men, with my answers in reply putting it in the context of one from the more creative side of the equation.

One major drum I banged at the event was that too much resource was going into funding the making of things and not enough into complementing these efforts with sales. Inventors tend not to be great at Business Plans or pitching to boards packed with bean counters.

Note that (in big bold letters), they will not do everything for you and I’m afraid to say it takes a considerable and consistent time and energy commitment from the current management team to enable them to do their job.

Don't get me wrong. I will meet more than halfway. The more I do, the more I save... and make. Thing is, there is no management team... I'm it. Chief cook and bottle washer. I can do time and energy. What I can't become is something I am not. Too many suits so far seem to have a problem getting their heads round that. I need a team of complementing talents. Some consultant telling me what I need that I have already told 'em I know I need... er... no.
It will take longer and be more painful than you ever imagine at the start, but there is no magic bullet to either funding or a stronger management team.

It will take longer and be more painful than you ever imagine at the start, but there is no magic bullet to either funding or a stronger management team.

Length and pain noted. Been there, am still... got the T shirt. Robert the Bruce is my inspiration.

I understand where you are, I was in the same position, there was one of me, but if you don’t support them, it’s impossible for them to produce the resources you’ll need to take it to the next stage.

Finding, and clicking with the right guys is the mission. Intros like this one will help that happen.

No VC is going to even consider you without a solid plan.

Noted. But most I'd not be targeting. Their skill sets are inappropriate and while I need hard-nosed money men reigning me in, wannabe Dragon's Denners who have no vision of making the world better whilst making money are not either. Without folk who pluck ideas from the ether, guys like this are nothing. A joke about a one word business plan is funny to other suits, but cheap. What about the story of how they saw a product's potential and worked with the creator to make the plan perfect, if necessary using network contacts to complete the jigsaw. 'Computer says no' followed by 'try again, do better and come back when it's how I expect it' is not a mindset I'd want on my team, even if I could find a way of helping them deliver money I need to pay back with interest. I don't need money as such; I need talent and access... which does take money. It makes sense to have that role performed by a player on my team with a vested interest in long term success, not a vulture hovering above seeking a quick return.

You need the following pieces clearly worked out in your mind to pass on even before you approach anyone else–

The potential for the business, numbers (size of market not micro detail)
Sorted.

The routes to market
Sorted.

The licensing potential
Sorted.

Detailed current and IP road map
Sorted.

SWOT analysis – risks & threats, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses
Sorted.

Where you fit in and your future role
Sorted.

What skills you’re going to need to rent in the future
Sorted.

Exactly what do you want to do with the funds and how will it achieve the growth that will reward anyone coming in
Sorted.

Investors from what I hear rarely feel comfortable with one product companies

Noted. Not really a problem, because it's a design with license potential. See rapstrap. Plus I do have more second use ideas in mind. I need a hero to play off first. Then there is a whole raft of other inventions to come. I am at least smart enough to keep 'em tucked away until I can afford to protect them, and give all necessary resources to exploiting them. Being the guy behind the 'RE:tie' is a brand foundation I am building here.

And I think you need an idea of what will generate growth moving forward.

Those numbers exist, but already this is moving into areas I am not qualified to handle effectively. If a bridge is needed to interface with a VC, so be it. That's who I need to find to fight my corner. There is no point pitting me against a suit who expects me to fit into their mindset totally as it will end in tears.

I am here to make money by doing good. Not just for me, but all who hitch up. That means seeing the potential of what I am seeking to achieve and convincing me that they can make it happen as much as I need to convince them it's worth the effort. A way with P&L's and a swanky office and a client list means diddly. I seek added value, personality matching and end-benefit focus.

If you get the opportunity to pitch to any investors they want to see someone; extremely clear, passionate, focussed, with very defined aims. Don’t forget at our level, 90% of what they’re investing in is your ability to deliver, bring in the rest of the team and manage and motivate.

I am at the bringing in the rest of team stage. It seems my pitch has re-inspired a few to wish to help, with luck not for up front money but to share in the rewards.

My instinct is that you need at least one deal already in place to use as a platform.

Agree. Too many in this country are set on being first to be second. I get one and the dominoes will fall. It will give me great pleasure to charge those who could have had a much better deal a lot longer ago... anything I feel like.

CATEGORY - WEEE

Ministers call on consumers to recycle WEEE - Maybe not the headline I'd have gone for (that said, it got more interest from my boys than something less jargonistic that would probably simply look boring. So let's call it 'creative but still obscure'), but if the infrastructure really is in place then let's all try and use it!

Register - NEW - UK.gov has no idea how much WEEE ends up in landfill - now, where have I seen this phrase before: '..It is hoped that this consultation will..' Bonus-time!

Another lightbulb went off

And here it is. Sorry, no 'idea' inspiration this time.

Unfortuately, It also highlights a slight flaw in my advocacy for writing when you stuck it in around the edge, so you can take it back and demand a refund if the low energy is not matched by the long life.

We're talking 2 years, give or take. In the hall. Call it 2x365x5. Not quite as claimed.

Trouble is, a) I did not note where I bought it and b) if I knew do I have the receipt easily to hand.

Now rectified for the future. Receipt in special file and coded to the actual bulb.

I'll go green, but I am not funding others to profit from not delivering on their promises to help me do so.

You can be too green, apparently

I find I tick a few boxes at the end.

Are you carborexic?

While most, I am sure, are 'total', I do wonder about the enviROI of other activities some of these paragons might be, especially to get into the radar of the London luvvie set.

Not, on the whole, a lot I identify with, or seek to emulate. And hence I wonder how many are inspired or not. Beyond their mates.

CATEGORY - FOOD MILES

The topic is arising more and more. So I thought a new category was in order.

Indy - Food miles: The true cost of putting imported food on your plate

Ch 4 - Kiwi lamb and food miles

Telegraph - NEW - Sainsbury boss says 'food miles’ miss point - funny it comes out at the same time as this: Consumer giants cry foul over EU label laws

Grid and bear it

In amongst a lot of rather ill-defined, news hype and spin of late, this caught my attention:

Yes we can... build the smart grid

A sober (well, a little starry-eyed stuff creeping in) look at what can, and may not be possible to do.

Energy independence is an ideal, and one I support wholeheartedly, so long as the enviROI works out.

Let's see what actually happens. Here's hoping it works out well.

Telegraph - Barack Obama faces a daunting task on the environment

CATEGORY - Site Q&A - Search facile ity

A lot that ends up here can be viewed in light of the fact that I am using Blogger above the site to reply.

Sadly it is steam, driven and glitch-prone. But the core works OK.

One day all will be revamped. And what gets added here seamlessly integrated so as the info updated here goes in, so does the relevant section the site get updated too.

SEARCH

From Junkketeer Shedfirkler (a name with origins well worth investigating - it's OK, it's clean)

Q: "Either the keyword search only looks in very specific fields or it is generally useless! For example, I tried to find my own submitted idea (so I could direct a friend to it on the site), but none of the descriptive or main text words produced the result. Tends to bring up articles rather than ideas."

A (if more a reason than excuse, with no solution in sight for now): Not sure if it is useless. Just... next to it. What to say? It was installed when the site was built, and though many years have passed and advances have been made, we neither have the skills to improve it ourselves nor the money to pay someone who does. Sorry! One day it, and many other things that could be better, will be addressed.

From the site that says 'Rubbish need not be a dirty word'...

...to one that shares many of our visions.

Next Monday Will Be a Rubbish Q&A Day

Tracey knows stuff, and knows people. And she knows people who know stuff.

So it should be well worth it.

And if she is stumped on anything to do with reuse... she can always 'phone a friend'.

Now, what can I pose? Tricky.

When a promise isn't a commitment ......

... Or, when a commitment simply gets fudged and/or bungled?

An interesting comment piece from the Telegraph on when what is on the statute books is simply, well, bypassed. Plus, the author reckons what has happened with the fuel poverty commitment will also happen with the climate change bill.

I can hear the arguments already "errrrr, well, the 80% reduction in greenhouse gases was a target see, and we did not have the available finances to meet it, so, errrr, we haven't, errr, met it, well, as yet".

T'was ever thus!

Joined up what again?

EU law forces Sainsbury’s to ditch witches’ fingers

Is this part of the 'Love waste, love barking regulations even more' campaign?

Quote of the day - QED

As today's papers are excited about some councils removing Latin from our lingua franca...

I thought I'd share this from 21st Century Latin by linguist Sam Foster:

Calefaction muni - veniat! Colorandum pellum totum annum et via brevior ad litus!

Global warming - bring it on! An all-year tan and a shorter drive to the beach.

Gaurdian - Ave atque vale, lingua Latina - Some folk have too much time on their hands. QED.

Also just noticed a wee glitch that might employ many officers for many days if the write the funding application well enough.

'et cetera' is often abbreviated 'etc', I believe.

Now, I see possible problems with either the easily offended or Japanese communities with "and so on".

Newsnight

Daily Mail - The councils who ban Latin words because they are 'elitist and discriminatory' and confuse immigrants

Telegraph - Local council cretins ban Latin as 'elitist', pro bono publico

D'oh!

Brainy children ‘likely to vote Green’

...research suggests.

'Nuff said.