PROF'S POSER - Recycling old photos

From a question to the site as to whether old photos could be recycled:

I didn't know, though I had some fair ideas.

No toxins as far as I am aware, but some possible heavy metals (Silver? Though that might just be in the negative. There might even be value to it, though not to you. But a recycler might find some). Not enough I wouldn't have thought to upset a kerbside paper recycler.... How wrong can I be!

Times - Can I recycle old photographs?

Assuming they know better, and by your question I'm guessing you care enough to err on the side of caution, here's the skinny: No. Much like wrapping paper and the Yellow Pages, photographs cause problems at paper mills. In this case it is the chemicals used in the paper and the thin layer of polythene that coats a photo to stop it going wrinkly when it dries. These are classified as contaminants and clog up the recycling process.

Hence, for reuses, you could do worse than some here: How can I reuse or recycle … old photos? (nice site)

Just... make sure you are prepared to let them go! I'd suggest keeping the negatives!

Interestingly, and in the spirit of archiving our past, I did stumble across this from a council:
Recycling - Family papers or photographs

Might be worth asking your local?

CATEGORY - GREEN ACTIVIST GROUPS

Always worth starting another list:

ARTICLES

BBC - The campaign group: Greenpeace

INFORMATION

AWARDS - 2008 Start Up Awards

WHEN: The closing date for entries is 06 July 2008
WHAT: 2008 Start Up Awards - esp: Green Business of the Year and the Social Entrepreneur of the Year
WHAT... MORE?: The awards celebrate and reward the most outstanding new companies across the UK. They are now accepting entries from ambitious businesses that think they have what it takes to become the household brands of the future!

Previous winners have included GlassesDirect, eCourier, GoinGreen, BeatThatQuote.com, RTL Games, 82ASK and SportStars.

The judging panel consists of some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs and business experts including Chrissie Rucker, founder, The White Company; Simon Calver, CEO, LOVEFiLM International; Wilfred Emmanuel Jones, The Black Farmer and Alan Giles, chairman, Fat Face to name just a few.
HOW MUCH: Not clear... might be free! Check URL.
URL: www.startupsawards.co.uk
COMMENTS: If it's free, why not? £5k up for grabs. Plus PR kudos, too.

CATEGORY - SHOES

INFORMATION


RESOURCES

soles4souls.org - I know it's US, and there are more such things in the UK, but I have to kick off (:) somewhere!

Star Flaws

I'm an inventor. I like fixing things. But...

Can the ecohackers save us?

I'd really prefer we were a bit more certain of the causes of problems before we presumed to meddle with possible cures.

QUOTE OF THE DAY - What a LOAD

Yes, it's a new acronym, too: Lexicon Of Absolute Doublespeak

The Register : The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has decided not to appeal a legal ruling that it must release information on secret meetings between ministers, civil servants and lobbyists at the Confederation of British Industry.

BERR said keeping such information private would "protect the 'thinking space' necessary for good public policy formulation"

So when you don't feel like owning up to any, possibly dodgy stuff you may have been/are up to, just get out of jail free by claiming you are 'protecting your thinking space'.

Little fleas

The lobby in our house is where no one actually stays longer than they need to.

It merely a gateway to another place, offering a brief interlude between being on the inside and the outside. Hence it is merely functional, usually a bit dusty, prone to draughts and not my favourite place.

I ponder this as I stood in the lobby of the Houses of Parliament during a tour, and learned that the verb came from the noun, as this was where people sought, and seek to influence those in power.

Government ordered to disclose business lobbying on green policy

Just as there will always be politics when you have more than two folk vying for position, it is foolish to think that, where money is involved, there will no be all manner of shenanigans in trying to sway a decision. And, in a democracy, there can be no restriction on any and all people's rights to make their case.

But what I see in the name of 'lobbying' today is a complete corruption of the fair principles originally intended. As this case lays bare.

Nice one, FoE. Respec'. Mind you, it might all just drive the SOSO sods underground.

The Register - Legal blow to secret government lobbying

The Register - NEW - UK gov waves white flag on secret lobbying ruling

The water is lovely

Camping is great.

In fact, I have just added to our repertoire thanks to an Argos half-price offer.

However it is wise, as with many things, to be realistic.

As I look out my window at a bus floating past down the street, I'd be the first to admit that it can and does have limitations.

But what do we have on the BBC News this morning? A pretty idealistic view of the whole experience, and as a piece of advocacy one has to say, on a day like today, 'good luck with that'.

And we're not talking one of those PR-funded jollies that seduce the London media beyond the M25 to enjoy a week's pampering under canvas... well, in an Eco-Yurt the size of my Mum's cottage.

But in trotting out the party line I do think they do often push things beyond credibility. I'd be hard-pressed to say my kids 'had much more fun than sitting on the beach all day'. Especially when it is heaving down. And that's when the financial aspects kick in. Of course travel is less (mind you..) and at £25 the accommodation is reasonable, but we have seldom seen UK holidays come cheap. Decent meals for four, and entry to 'attractions', can really add up.

Sorry, while staying home is part of the mix, trying to sell against an all-inc. getting away from it all with something different and some sun and warm water is a bit disingenuous. Especially when you know almost none of them will be doing it themselves if they can help it.

Great to share the option, and its joys, but lay off the eco-guilt ladle guys.

NEWS/GO3 PR - The trouble with mushrooms.

You know: 'kept in the dark and fed on manure'. Plus another, entirely deliberate allusion.

Via a blog post, but from the FoE.

Now, despite being a bit more involved and trying to stay abreast of 'issues' than some, I don't still know enough about nuclear to have a clear view one way or t'other.

However, I do know when I sense a potentially fast one going down, and that I don't like.

Such as this is too important to let pass, at least not without the whole thing being properly discussed. In fact by my reading much is about getting rid of discussion and/or accountability in the future, which can't be right.

And all they are doing is ask that you write to your MP if you agree (or adjust the template if not fully), which is as free will/democratic process in action as I feel life needs be.

As received, E&EO:

Please write to your MP for a more democratic Planning Bill! [inc: link 2 'theyworkfor you']

Deadline Monday 02.06.2008!

Currently being whisked through Parliament, almost unnoticed by the press,
is one of the most anti-democratic pieces of legislation ever to be
attempted in this country.

If the Planning Bill becomes law, in its current state, opposition to large
projects such as nuclear power stations or new motorways will become far
more difficult. We will effectively lose our right to be heard at hearings.
Opposition will take the form of written evidence only and apart from an
"open floor" session, where the developers need not be present, there will
be no other means to oppose. It seems that we will be very much distanced
from any source of information or any voice loud enough to be heard!

Once a large project has been finalized and executed by an
"Infrastructure Planning Commission", an un-elected body with hitherto
unknown powers, the IPC will be above Acts of Parliament. The IPC is not
even answerable to the relevant ministers!

Friends of the Earth demands that the Bill should:

a.. Take climate change into account
b.. Ensure that the General Public have a right to be heard at enquiries
c.. That Ministers remain accountable for decisions

There is very little time left, as this Bill is at the report stage, and is
to be debated in the Commons on the 2nd June 2008.

Please spare a few minutes and go to this link below:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/local/planning/news/planning_bill.html

If you are in agreement with the contents of the template letter, then
please send it to your MP. We would also be very grateful if you could
forward this email on to friends and colleagues.

It's an ex-parrot. A green one.

Newsnight: Are green taxes dead?

'Are green taxes dead?'

Cripes. That's a big... sweeping... question to a complex issue... set of issues.

Short answer: I certainly hope not, if 'Green taxes' means sensible, fair, practical ways to help people make personal choices on their consumption of 'travel'.

However, if it is anything like the historical, and current crop of ill-conceived, poorly thought-through, city-centric, revenue over planet, stupidly-communicated 'initiatives' tried or floated to date, I certainly hope NOT!

For instance, retroactive taxes on the majority of the poorer electorate's older cars to fund pay and pensions black holes for legions more box-tickers (even if 'green'), many of whom never actually pay for the consequences of their travel, was never going to fly as anything like helping person or planet.

And with each clunking great effort of this nature, the chances of selling something rational to an expanding, travel-imposed (work) or addicted (social) race gets ever harder.

Indy - Don't Be Yellow, Gordon. Be Green

What an interesting Earth-coloured rainbow is getting conjured: Brown, Green and now Yellow.

What the heck is meant by 'Be Green'? Especially from a major national newspaper.

Mind you, when I say 'major'... what is the readership of the Indy, and where are they located? I suspect most sales are in major urban centres where there might well be adequate public transport alternatives, plus a salary levels more able absorb such increases. Just as I wonder what the transport options are of, say, a News of the World (ABC figures a tad higher?) reader facing a bit of a trek on their shift (don't see many Ministers taking the night bus) if priced out of using their 10 year-old car by fuel prices. Oh, and the rather odd notion that retroactive taxation to try and encourage the purchase of a Prius as the latest 'green' measure; one that is discrediting the whole notion of necessary reduction and mitigation from the wrong messengers touting very self-interested messages .

Too much, too often, turns out to be more designed to put money in places that are in the name of this 'green' rather than serving many tangible actions that might well actually help. For instance, how many 'Senior climate advisers' are there now in government, quangos and activist groups?

Indy - Why are car tax rates going up on older vehicles, and is the move unfair? - an attempt at balance, but almost every sentence written from a person sitting at a desk in London. I'm afraid been lectured at by such folk is proving divisive.

Guardian - We must all act together - That would be an 'MP' we, which is like a Royal one, only they do carry cash, even if they don't need to spend it on much. Love the fact that he turned to... the Guardian with this message seeking support. Not sure he's getting it. The support I mean.

Guardian - Higher still and higher - A frank exchange of views. Not sure the view from comfy chatterati-central is winning out, mind.

Newsnight -

Much is being said (and not much done so far save a few 'initiatives' designed to serve the interests of the initiators more than anything else).

Whatever one believes about AGM, climate change, etc, 'green' is here to stay, with all its confusing invocations and justifications.

Trouble is, most still seem stuck in a rut of simply arguing the point of whether bad climatic things are happening and if so who or what is to blame. One presumes that those who advocate man IS involved are principally interested in what can practically be done to mitigate and/or reverse our probably negative impositions.

So is it possible, and if so PLEASE can we then throw all we can at getting an answer to this once and for all?

It's pretty critical. If there is man-worsened negative climate change, then self evidently it would make sense to stop making it worse. Even just to buy time (unless we just give up and go for the party of all parties to celebrate the end of the race).

If, however, it is out of our control (even if we are making it worse), then maybe other strategies should be allowed for that do not involve p*ssing in the wind. Because we are talking best uses of vast amounts of money and resources here, with a potentially short planetary triage period.

Around the time of the Milliband interview there was a piece by Environmental 'Analyst' Roger Harrabin. If I recall, in it was a claim that we'd need 1,000 more resources going into the predictive modelling to actually know what is going on.

Despite being one who is more than dubious about the motivations of many researchers, I'd say that if this can sort it out once and for all... let's just do it, quick, so we can plan accordingly and act with confidence.

Otherwise all I am seeing is a planetary death by a thousand cuts, from politicians whose sights extend a maximum of 2 years (Dear Lead...er...follower chooses that highly-read organ The Guardian to make his case for retroactive car taxes to shift workers facing the night bus in the Midlands), to media who dabble as it suits with often plain daft agenda-driven propaganda dressed up as green advocacy.

Green Party - Greens call for Government to abolish road tax and charge the polluters - as a low mileage user (for now), that works for me(for now). I just hoep they have thought through on behalf of those with less choice.

NEWS/GO3 PR - Gardens to go

From a few things I'd seen and heard, I had some doubt son the recent Flower Show being as green as made out. This is much more like it:

Flower Show giveaway proves a hit

PR as received, E&EO

A new attraction at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show has crowds flocking - but it's not a conventional exhibit.

The Show's garden leftovers are being offered to community groups and charities who can re-use them, proving that one person's discarded flower-pot can be another's treasure.

The re-use yard, run by the Charities Advisory Trust, opened its door the other day to find new homes for flower show materials which are not otherwise recycled.

Exhibitors dismantling their sites have been depositing materials with the yard, based at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show site, since the end of the Show on Saturday. For the next eight days, groups will visit the yard by prior arrangement to collect materials including flower-pots, wood and stones.

Charities Advisory Trust Director Hilary Blume identified the possibilities for the yard when she saw the opportunities for surplus materials which could be put to use by community groups.

'The Trust knew these materials could be re-used, so we came up with a simple solution which provides groups like city farms, schools community projects with gardening materials. And it's also convenient for exhibitors dismantling their sites.'

QUOTE OF THE DAY - Helicopter Environmentalists

More of a definition really, and I'll credit (unless otherwise proven)... me.

"Helicopter Environmentalists are those, from government, media and now even corporate circles, who drop in briefly; making a lot of noise and stirring up a lot of dust that can be really distracting. Then they usually just as quickly flit away to the next self-centred issue their people point them at, leaving others to sweep up behind them. Ironically, their favoured mode of transport is usually more guided by their busy lifestyles than any tangible examples there might be value in setting".

The seabed scramble continues

Whilst Norway, Russia, Denmark, Canada and the USA argue about how to divvy up the seabed of the Arctic, the UK is part of the rush to grab potential seabed resources too, as this from the Telegraph reports.

"officials are watching with a mixture of awe and suspicion as Britain and France stake out legal claims to oil and mineral wealth as far as 350 nautical miles around each of their scattered islands across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans."

"The forgotten relics of the Empire make Britain a player in the marine race. There are the waters off the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, already home to a clutch of oil exploration companies; the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific; Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean; and a string of outposts such as Montserrat, the Caymans, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos, and Bermuda."

As far as I recollect, Ascension Island is an extremely tall underwater volcano that has only the very top sticking out of the water; so it sounds like some extremely deep drilling technology is going to be required! Oh well, Big Oil makes the world go round, and Big Oil gets what it wants most of the time, as well as having the money to finance ridiculously deep exploration rigs.

But, to me, this is all rather sad, and highly indicative of one of humanity's basic instincts, Greed!

QUOTE OF THE DAY - Screwing folk 'til the pips squeak might not work.

Especially when it is patently unfair.

From the Guardian, by a Labout MP:

"...I am in favour of prospective green taxes to change people's decisions when buying a new car. But taxing them heavily on a car which may have been bought seven years ago does not seem a good way to go and will discredit the concept of green taxes."

New stuff on new kit... fine. You know what you are buying into and can decide accordingly. But retroactive taxes are getting as prevalent as they are proving unpopular and, oddly for guys wanting to stay in power, are almost all totally unsuccessful in working with the public as they are at just working.

And don't get me on the new Carbon Credit effort that has been floated, with some cross-party support, which is shaping up as an unworkable tax and fee generation system with almost no way to reduce anything globally save a bunch of 'name of green' Gov/LA/Quango/City/Activistparasites at the expense of most average people... and planet.

Love the theory. Not so such about the practitioners.

Labour plans green revolution to slash energy prices and win back lost voters

On past evidence... what's the betting that it ends up putting more money in the wrong pockets, cost more than it saves, and needs to be undone at vast extra cost?

Good in theory. Dodgy in practice.

I remain to be convinced on offsetting on many levels. This doesn't help.

Billions wasted on UN climate programme

Yet again, I don't think it's so much what needs to be done that is the issue, but the competencies of those who have taken it upon themselves to do it.

Ina world run by box-tickers, getting yet more box-tickers and their targets into the mix seems a recipe for, well, such as this.

We need to get back to product, not process. And pronto.

View from the middle ground. Well...

What do you get when you mix a pretty consumerist viewpoint (Wired), with one from the green corner (EcoGeek): WIRED's Call to Environmentalists: True or False

For once, a not too extreem set of views from both sides... ish.

And so it begins ....... again?

Another classic from cartoon genius Matt of the Telegraph to preface this post about rising fuel prices.



___________________

Now the last time the haulage businesses started protesting at the price of fuel, it wasn't too long before it turned into a blockade of fuel depots and the UK ground to a halt.

As this from the Telegraph highlights, it looks very much like things are headed the same way. One thousand large lorries crawling through London is pretty much going to grind things to a complete standstill. And it seems human nature that when enough people protest, others start to join in.

I wonder what the chances of our Gov taking any notice are? Especially given the fact that some oil futures are now trading just short of $140/barrel and each 5p/litre rise sticks another several £Billion in their coffers each year.

LOL

Rose’s catty jibe at Kate

'Rose was invited to take part in a talk on “corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability”...

After the speech, Rose jumped into a helicopter, which whisked him to the airport, where he was due to fly out to clubbers’ paradise Ibiza for the bank holiday.'

Not just hypocrisy... M&S hyspocrisy.

Interesting that this is considered 'on message'.

Deep Fertiliser

No idea where to put this, but the subject of of the vast amount of phosphates we waste is pertinent: Waste not, want not