I'll drink to that!

Buddhist temple built out of one million beer bottles

Now, imagine if, instead of recycling to box-ticking 'waste mountains', this effort was coordinated in the direction of reuse, and complemented by designed-in second-use materials.

Happy Valentines!

OK, so it's a recycled, reused idea... what do you expect!:)

An Ink Saving Font

This is one of those ideas that it so simple it makes you wish you'd thought of it first.

Ecofont, as reported on the EcoGeek site, can save up to 20% of the ink when printing a page of text compared with a normal font. There is a link on the page to where you can download it for free.

Like all the best ideas, simple yet very effective.

Spin cycle

Clothes Washin' Man (a pedal-powered alternative to wringing)

Now, combine this with the local laundry and health club, and you have a business!

PETITION - ESTABLISHING ESTABLISHMENT STANDS

These days it seems a lot gets done in our names by our 'representatives' and other 'leaders'.

Fair enough. Often we are too busy, or lazy, to get involved in the minutiae of governance, which is why we trust elected, and often not quite so elected folk to get up to stuff in our name. Approving and disapproving. Asking and taking to task.

However, often there seem these days to be powerful forces at work that can skew what happens in our name away from courses that we might hope for, and even approve of. Everything from lobby groups to the rather unattractive, if to some degree understandable notion that what might be right, specially for later on (when out of office and either in comfortable index-linked retirement or 6' under) might not attract votes, as such, now.

Worse still, I am sensing some voting on key issues is not so much on the issue themselves, to to removing checks and balances that might at first glance seem innocuous, but actually are there to address more controversial topics at a later stage.

Again, by the time all this happens those who instituted/scuppered the deal might well be long gone.

It might exist already, but I propose a simple chart (with key headings - Nuclear, Planning, etc) of those in power, predominantly MPs, Ministers, MEPs, etc, but also quango heads and even business leaders, who are on record as being 'pro' or 'con' an action/piece of legalisation/etc, especially with their voting record along with a brief, comprehensible summary (this is key, so every voter can understand the issues, at least as well as they are capable of being expressed) of what the consequences of their voting might be and, if and when proven, has/is/will come to pass.

At the very least I want these fine chaps and chapesses to be confronted with the consequences of their actions and, even if they are long gone, in an archived way their descendants can appreciate their legacies (good... and bad).

Perhaps it could be called 'The Parapet Post'? And for some, maybe it become, with cause, a pillory?

ADDENDUM - Bit of fun: as there seemed to be nothing like it, I have submitted a petition:

'The Parapet Post' – a simple online, constantly updated, archived chart/record of our leaders’ voting records on topics, with possible and actual outcomes listed.

We are too busy, or lazy, to get involved in the minutiae of governance, so we trust elected, and often not quite so elected folk to act in our name. Approving/disapproving. Asking/taking to task.

However, these days powerful forces can skew away from courses that we might hope for, and even approve of. Everything from lobby groups to vote-driven self interest.

Voting on key issues can not be so much on the issues themselves, but to removing checks and balances that might at first glance seem innocuous, but actually are there to address more controversial topics at a later stage.

I request a simple online chart (with key headings - Nuclear, Planning, etc) of those in power, predominantly MPs, Ministers, MEPs, etc, but also quango heads, who are on record as being 'pro' or 'con' an action/piece of legislation/etc, especially with their voting record along with a brief, comprehensible summary (this is key, so every voter can understand the issues, at least as well as they are capable of being expressed) of what the consequences of their voting might be and, if and when proven, has/is/will come to pass.

BBC - Poll finds AMs back more powers

Guardian - NEW - How many MPs are climate change sceptics? - LED burning crosses at the ready?

Addendum - 17/07/08 - Oh, wo..e is me. And boy, was it quick:

I'm sorry to inform you that your petition has been rejected.

Your petition was classed as being in the following categories:

* Issues for which an e-petition is not the appropriate channel

Further information: Sites containing this requested
information already exist e.g. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

If you wish to edit and resubmit your petition, please follow
the following link:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/TheParapetPost/BCfF51CgkEwAEDq1PTALogg

You have four weeks in which to do this, after which your
petition will appear in the list of rejected petitions.

Hmn. While the cited site is very good, it really doesn't do what I was asking, at least in the easy to assess, tabular, evolving manner I was suggesting.

Still, I still have Pols Porkies or the Wall of sLime to develop.

In passing...

Junkk.com has oft noted the value of the Pringles can (if not that of the contents - tasty, mind) and even its lid.

Hence we would like to give credit to its creator, though sadly now as an RIP - Dr. Fredric J. Baur

Junk Food Container Urns - Inventor of Pringles Can Buried in One

IDEA - Tin Can Lid

I really should spend more time on what this is all about... ideas.

Here's one I made earlier: the latest Junkk reuse idea.

Currently doing service on last night's Tuna and Corn cans.

NEWS/Commercial PR - one good turn deserves a mention!

There's so little not to like about this I just had to rush it out as soon as I heard: The Pedalite.

It appeals on just so many levels.

As an engineer I can't help but admire the innovative concept for its simplicity and efficiency. Remember those old generator jobs that had a wheel being rubbed against the tyre? Any hill and you may have had light, but you were soon running out of puff! This really gets the rotational energy to light superbly.

It's also a critical safety aid. I have some issues about the claims being made for getting kids on bikes. This won't address all of them, but at least it helps my fight with mine trying to get them in high-vis torso and arm bands as they are not 'cool'.

A big thumbs up from here. I look forward to doing a full on-site re:view soon.

PR as supplied, with edits and tweaks:

Add side lighting to bikes to eliminate cycling accidents urges Tony Doyle former World Champion Cyclist

Cycling safety campaigner and former World Champion cyclist, Tony Doyle, MBE, urges cyclists to add side lighting to their bikes, following a report this week by Transport for London stating that more than one London rider is involved in a serious cycling accident every day, with three out of four of these accidents taking place at road junctions, where cyclists cannot be seen from the side (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents).

Statistics also revealed that:
· 156 cyclists had been killed in London in the past 10 years
· More than 34,000 people were involved in bicycle accidents reported to the Met between 1996 and 2006
· The numbers involved in serious accidents fell from 566 in 1997 to 373 in 2006
· The number of slight accidents fell from 3,852 to 2,566 in 2006

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has just announced a £500m investment in a new network of quick, simple, and safe routes for cyclists, which will provide 900km of safer routes through the capital. A new central London bike hire scheme will also be launched, with 6,000 bikes available every 300 metres [not quite sure about this stat!? - Ed].

Tony Doyle comments, “The TFL’s investment in cycling is brilliant news for cyclists, however, we all need to be aware of the safety issues for cyclists. The increased popularity of cyclists in recent years has also seen a 30% rise in deaths of cyclists on the road since 2002 and with 75% of accidents happening at road junctions, side lighting should be seen to be as important as wearing a helmet in terms of keeping cyclists safe.”

With more cars on the roads than ever before, 48% of cyclists feel unsafe on the roads, according to research of 450 cyclists conducted at the National Cycle show in October 2007 by Pedalite International Ltd. 68% of cyclists believe that motorists came too close to them and over half were worried that they would not be seen in the evenings by motorists (51%). One in five people felt that there was a lack of cycle lanes to ensure their safety, despite the fact that many more cycle lanes have been created over the past few years in major UK cities.

Tony’s top tips for cycling safety are:

* Cyclists need to be as visible as possible on the road and should wear reflective clothing at all times

* Never cycle without a helmet, even on the shortest of distances

* Give your bike a regular bike service to ensure its on road safety

* Pump up your tyres and carry additional batteries for your front and rear lights

* Add reliable side lighting such as battery-free 360 visibility Pedalites* which provide always-on lighting to ensure they can be seen clearly by motorists

*Pedalite International Ltd offers unique 360 degree visibility battery-free pedal lights that improve cycling safety. Pedalites are powered by cycling energy which is harvested and stored enabling the lights to stay on for up to five minutes after the pedalling stops, such as when the cyclist is freewheeling or waiting at a junction. Motorists can see bikes fitted with Pedalites from up to 1km away and from any angle, including the side.

The lights cost £34.99 from Evans, Leisure Lake Bikes and they can be purchased online from the makers

To read more about Pedalite International’s SHE campaign please go here.

Off his trolley

Experiment time!

We're very lucky to live in the centre of town, certainly within walking distance of most things one might need to visit.

And despite the boys now walking to school most definitely without me in tow, I can still 'pop' out daily to get a bit of this and that whilst grabbing some exercise. So a lot of fresh shopping is possible, and I usually remember a couple of hemp bags to do it with.

However, Sunday is usually when I do a dump run, and en route back pop into the supermarket for the weekly 'big' shop. Things like 24-packs of Coke, 5 kg washing powders and a few dozen juices. These, frankly, are rather beyond my shoulder to bear.

So I decided on an experiment. And you see the main feature of this pictured.

Combining a full-size dustbin and golf trolley, I cobbled together about the biggest person-powered device possible to carry out the task in one shot. And off I went.

Now there were only a few minor issues en route. One was the fact that our pavements are woeful, so it was almost impossible to get over some hazards and though others. The other was that all out and about looked at me like I was barking. Fortunately I am long past worrying about my reputation.

The shopping was also not too bad, especially as I did not get turfed out by the staff. But a few more serious issues did become clear. Firstly, whilst loading it up as I went around made sense to ensure that what I bought would fit, it was hard not to crush things as I piled stuff in. And, most of all, I fear this still ended up only about 1/4 of my normal shopping at best. A car boot can hold a fair bit.

The trip back was OK, but I am glad I had the lid on as it started raining. Also that I was strong enough to manage the load.

Yes, it was worth it, and worthy to be sure. But I have to say that one must have sympathy with those (and I am sure there are many) who through salary or circumstance don't have the time or money to contemplate much beyond grabbing a quick weekly stop at the local supermarket in their cars to get all they can in one bulk, BOGOF shot.

Something those spouting off from under their green halos would do well to bear in mind before they come out with their next smug pronouncement on what 'we' 'should' or 'should not' need to do by way of conducting our lives.

Few enjoy the idyllic lifestyle espoused by a few, who pedal gaily in the sunshine past Jethro milking his cow en route to mid-morning Pilates prior to jetting off for a weekend's diving in Dubai, able to request a quick pint squeezed fresh into the jug in the wicker pannier to sip whilst lathering up the next big eco-issue.

But it's nice to know our family at least can lug a bit more than some home on Shank's Pony for when 'they' get round to banning cars to all but those who get their travel paid for on expenses (MPs, BBC journalists, NGO directors' wives, etc).

ps: D'Uh! Spellcheck is back and I hadn't twigged 'til now.

ADDENDUM 1:

Daily Telegraph - Rehabilitate the shopping trolley! - Saw it on the BBC news, and now here. Nice to see I am ahead of the curve. I think mine is more 'cool'. The downsides remain, sadly.

They're out there

For my forthcoming speeches at ECOPACK '08, I put out a call via the IoM website to ask for examples of second use design.

Here's the first to come in.

From Clifford Packaging.

My car currently has three purpose built efforts from Morrisons, whilst my desktop filing systems uses 6xwine boxes I collect separately to support the cereal box dividers within.

So I'd say this was a pretty good plan.

They don't make it any easier

See those two packs on the left?

Both choccy drinks, but made by what I had thought were major competitors, Mars and Cadbury Schweppes.

I wonder why they feel the need to look so like each other, in shape terms at least? Is that what choccy drinks are 'meant' to look like?

I so miss the old Maltesers version, which presented so many useful possibilities.

LA stories

I subscribe to a (by invitation to comment I think, but hopefully free to access) website called the 'eco-innovation network, which shares interesting e-snippets and of course subsequent forum feedback.

It just occurred to me that what I write I should share here.

One of the latest struck a chord, whereby a post about grants for alt- energy projects elicited an interesting response from an obviously cluey local Authority officer and prompted me to ask a few questions of my own. It is ongoing and will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Below is what I wrote by way of some questions, which I really hope to get answers to because if there is no such collation of resource there blooming well should be. To much in this country is about fractured empires, and not enough about coherent national policy. Especially when it comes to saving our kids' futures. These guys have a wealth of experience and it should be shared if it is not, and shared better than now if it is.

I was wondering:

a) Is there a single, trustworthy, accurate, easy-to-comprehend analysis anywhere of the relative merits of various alt. energy systems the UK consumer can consider (allowing that there will of course be variations based on local conditions (wind speed/duration, sun exposure, etc))?

b) Is there any listing comparison of the experiences and considerations behind, plus support for (in the form of grants as you have listed) initiatives by local authorities countrywide.

As a simple consumer making decisions based on the enviROI (cost to planet) as much as the ROI (to self) of all such options, I find what you have written of great interest and find it odd that I cannot find (at least easily) such invaluable collected wisdom on what works and may not be so great, with associated cost/benefit analyses.

I'd very much like to see this collated and indeed would consider offering to try and do so on behalf of consumers via my site (your council, as have others, is already always welcome to its own free page to share such information, and anything else of an enviro+ nature already, but this issue could benefit from being tabulated for easy access and comprehension). It's possible the information may exist, but either in fragmented form or in specialist areas. Or simply not in a public-friendly form. Or... I have missed it!

If not, it would seem a very worthy thing to do to try and pull it all together.

Frankly I see such initiatives, and the support behind them by authorities such as yours, as much more valuable to my kids' futures than the bazillions being blown on a few high-profile communications exercises floating about of late.

By my understanding, on a personal/domestic basis the reduction of waste and reduced dependence on energy from fossil fuels will offer the best and most immediate chances for carbon reduction, and I can't quite figure why more is not being done to coordinate and support this nationally.

ADDENDUM - he has kindly replied, if slightly in the way I'd expect from an LA officer:

Every District/Borough/Unitary Council in England has a statutory duty to promote, educate, inform and advise on energy conservation and many have taken this a step further to include renewable, sustainable energy, carbon reduction and climate change.

There are national agencies such as the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Carbon Trust that will offer the same advice to householders and businesses respectively.

The EST fund a nationwide chain of 52 energy efficiency advice centres that are designed to advise householders. These are situated in most Counties if not Regions.

If you are fortunate enough to live in the East of England there is a regional agency, Renewables East, set up to promote renewable energy in this region.

I belong to an organisation called the Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders, AECB, have a look at their website it will help plus they have a discussion board.

The British Wind Energy Association, BWEA, the National Energy Foundation, NEF, are both good sources.

If you do searches on any of these organisations you will find their websites, most have further links to others.

As have I in return:

That answers my questions, but also, I'd say, still suggests some opportunities if any agree with my notion that such localised expertise and data could be usefully pooled and shared nationally in a consumer-friendly, and persuasive manner.

All would benefit from knowing what works and would be best to improve one's domestic enviROI (with possible/probable healthy actual ROI, too), from the consumer to the LA to the planet, if we know what can be done, how easy it is to do it ... and what cost savings can be made.

I think this deserves a lot more effort than some others that are getting way too much attention, as reducing energy usage and insulating against waste has to be one of the more sensible areas to tackle first to see some big wins.

I'm sorry, but as a householder with a greater than average interest in, and engagement with such issues, those entities you point me at just don't seem to be reaching me. I wonder if they are others. But I will look at the sites you suggest, ta.

Edie - Councils leading the way with green technology - bearing in mind Dave's comment, that may be 'a' view, certainly.

I am not a plastic bag.

Or... just another over-hyped, negative enviROI, truly insane way to make even more useless rubbish on the back of a bunch of faddish green sheep and their trendy magazine cheerleaders. Or this, the real thing: Make Plastic Bag Yarn

Then you can make it into fleeces to offer customers who need to keep warm outside the pub instead of using patio heaters!

Getting reuse taped

There's opportunity at every turn:

End of the reel for cassettes?

If anyone has any tips or suggestions for re:use or re:cycling these little dudes, and their bigger VHS cousins, I'd be grateful.

We are getting asked a lot, and I suspect this news will result in more.

http://www.junkk.com/ideas.asp?slevel=0z622&parent_id=622

I won't be the first...

All homes energy efficient within decade says Brown

'Based on consultations with banks and building societies, he said measures to lower a household's carbon footprint had the potential to create a market for a range of new "green" financial products'

Nice idea.

http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=6038

Author! Author!

I am again grateful to reader Dave of Solarventi, who sent me this link to a piece entitled 'Fifteen painless ways to save the World', with the comment 'they are missing re:use'.

Quite.

One day I am going... need to write a book based on Junkk.com.

In many ways it will be totally pointless, because all it will contain is a synthesis of the thousands of pages freely available on the site. But some people just like to pay money for a thing, and as I need money it seems like a good exchange.

Of course, there is the small matter of it being produced in bookly stuff, which may be deemed a tad un-eco, as opposed to squirted down a broadband connection near you, with an almost infinite and searchable database of whatever takes your fancy.

Tricky to browse in the loo of a morning, or the conservatory on a Sunday, I'll grant you, but compromises need to be made, I guess.

Whether on not it will include a link to the author of the piece above, or her book, is rather down to her. When I first heard of it, as always I sent a cheery hello and invited them to upload, for free, onto the site. I even called a few times to see how we could do stuff together for mutual benefit. Sadly, she has people, and people who have people are the luckiest people in the world. Because they are very busy, and thus the people they have can deal with so much more. Or not. They're still welcome to upload, but I am not doing it for them.

And, I guess, despite knowing full well who I am and what Junkk.com does, they are more in the business of selling green rather than sharing it, so we may be on a hiding to nothing.

Pity.

Because while there are some fine, if obvious, suggestions, I could have suggested a few things, such as...

3 Ask your water company for a free "hippo"..

...or... an even simpler plastic device to put in the cistern from what you throw out, to obviate the need to make a new thing out of plastic simply to fill some space. Oh, and if it doesn't flush properly because of it, careful you don't end up flushing several times, which kinda defeats the purpose.

4 Install a condensing boiler to heat your water and home...

For sure. Though how that is easy and painless I'd like explaining. As stated, at least you get a return for your outlay, but not all have the outlay, and this needs facilitating, Gordon, about... now (Budget speech is on)

5 Use energy-saving light bulbs.

Yup. And the shops to buy them come in all shapes and sizes beyond ebulbshop.com. Many however make claims they don't live up to on lifespan. Write when you fitted one in felt tip on the housing. You can soon see if you are getting your average as claimed. If not, take it back.

6 Don't overfill your kettle.

There may be others, and I'll sahre equally if they let me know, but our EcoKettle does the trick. Maybe they are not good mates like ecobulb.

7 Lower your thermostat.

Yup. Try telling my Chinese missus that is painless. I'd say insulation was a better bet, but there you go.

8 Buy organic food .

Er, maybe. This jury is still out, at least on such a broad claim. Big Barn is good, though, as a start.

9 Reset your computer.

There is theory and there is practice. My monitor goes off. My CPU stays on to get updates. I am also debating the damage due to spinning up and down and hence requiring renewal. Sorry.

10 Save paper.

Ever tried reloading used paper into the printer? It's a nice theory. I am trying to figure out just how much value there is to this (plus security issues) when my paper is recycled and/or from managed forest. Isn't this like creating a carbon sink?

11 Don't buy "sweaty" fabrics such as nylon and polyester

That's the fleece made from old Coke bottles out then.

12 Use your washing line.

Today (lovely & sunny)... no prob, though in the conservatory. It doesn't work so well in the rain. Or if you have a flat. Or don't have much time. I converted our airing cupboard to a drying version of same, and it takes damp from the washing machine to dry overnight. Not so sure about the humid air driven off. I think Dave may have a suggestion on that! A wall mounted solar dryer!

14 Convert to a green energy tariff

Just make sure you do the maths and know the provenance chain. It's one thing to blow extra cash to save the planet. Another to line some green spiv's pockets.

15 Recycle!

This may sound obvious, but try re:use or re:pair first. That way you are stopping stuff going into a target-based system that gobbles up energy and may not be as good for the planet as contractor's profits and public servant's pensions.

ADDENDUM:

Have written to the Enviro Ed, Charles Clover:

One of our readers has just popped this over.

While it's great to see interest in such matters generating informational resources, it can be disappointing when some of the advice may be a bit 'Islington vs. Ipswich' with, for instance, the purchase of a new boiler being possibly slightly more painful to some than suggested, no matter what the long term ROI. With luck Mr. Brown may be helping with this as we speak. A boy can dream:)

I just like to suggest that there could well be many, more, and more down to earth measures than those indicated, and would fly the flag for a few more to add, such as re:use and re:pair to that 15, in time to come.

I am please to say that he replied in short order, and was kind enough to see my point.

Patents and le absurd?

We, the Patent Office

In a month's time I'm off to Geneva as part of the UK stand at an International Invention Expo.

I will have in my clutches a small prototype of a big idea that I hope will a) save planet and b) make dosh, not necessarily in that order.

For either to happen, and for there to be a happy ending on b), I have ventured into the mysterious world of Patent applications, assessments and agents and god knows what.

So far it has been like a stag night in 70's SoHo, looking for the naked ladies in strip clubs but going through endless velvet red curtains and being relived of cash at every turn with a promise that 'soon you will be there'. About halfway you know you have been conned, but are too far in to not keep on going.

So I know diddly squat about this process.

However, in the great 'protection of your idea' scheme of things, is such an open season on its intimate details wise, or even desirable?

BusinessWeek - Inside Nathan Myhrvold's Mysterious New Idea Machine
Times - Patents 2.0 comes to Britain

And on the 6th way...

Last night I watched a programme (trailed in this very blog), called 5 Ways to save the world

To its credit, at the very end they did mention that not umping the stuff out at the prodigious rate we are would be a better bet, but that doesn't make such good TV. So we were treated to an hour of solutions.

I have to say, all bar one seemed barking mad.

Here's what the Grauniad had to say, and that was all I could find.

It's a shame that space was devoted to the inevitable swipe at Jeremy Clarkson, who will swipe back... yadayada.

Only one made any sense to me, and that was a CO2 collecting tower. Though even here there were a few details that had me wondering. For instance, they were shown in huge farms. Now if I remember my Physics, if you suck it out of one part, you're going to struggle to suck it out of the next, so efficiencies will plummet in concentration.

I'm also niggling a bit on us sticking our manmade oar in again. Who knows what we can muck up with any localised, if massive 'correction'. Like climate Rabbits & Myxomatosis. Hence the other ideas were real no starters by trying to solve one thing with another. At least this was about sucking back what we have stuck up there.

Nanny will sing to you now

Remember 'Legs Akimbo', the brilliant comic invention and satirical skewer by the League of Gentlemen? A hopeless, internally-riven crowd of PC-trendies tasked with inspiring 'yoof', with whom they have not one jot of cred. I wonder if they decided on 'rap' 'cos it rhymes with WARP.

Enjoy

My twins would have laughed themselves silly if they didn't click over immediately to Runescape. Now there's an idea... work reuse and recycling into online role-playing. Any developers feel like a Junkk-world?

Er.. whatever.

Same boat

Why should individuals fight climate change?

Why indeed? You'd have thought there would be a lot of traffic following such a question. While I can empathise with one the country's most significant eco-media resources, I am a tad worried for the future:

Dear Sir/madam,

This post was last changed at 09:04 AM, October 29 2006, at a time when the top headline on Guardian Unlimited was Figures reveal Europe falling far short of climate targets, and the top headline from the BBC was Corfu hotel faces death charges,

Considering the ongoing, and ever more pressing nature of the issue, it seems a pity that this piece generated so few replies, some links have lapsed and the thread seems closed, especially as the blog trail still links off the home. I'd have been happy to offer some tangible things to do.