A box of mangoes and lemons arrived today from Maria Marinez in Malaga. Fresh organic produce straight from the farmer. They get a decent price and it cuts out the middlemen and supermarkets – and makes me feel good too!
THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL
POLLUTE THE AIR AND COVER THE RIVERS AND SEAS IN SHIT
JAMJAM
CLIMATE CHANGE
A government blueprint for changing public behaviour was withdrawn because Johnson did not like it because it contradicted the lies and bullshit he pronounced earlier.
ECONOMICS
The Government is to provide £5000 grants to 90000 households to install heat pumps. It hopes the cost of the pumps will come down with increased sales. Firstly there should be a subsidy to reflect the energy produced and thus reducing the need for massive public investment in new power stations. Secondly what is to stop the manufacturers of heat pumps to increase their wages and bonus’ in line with increased sales. Surely it would be better for government to take a share in these companies and use the investment to increase production and efficiency? The tax payer would get a return and ultimately the company could be sold. I am sure the Government could also offset the investment so it was not listed as an expenditure, thus appeasing the Treasury.
EARTHSHOT – £1million each
The winners
Protect and Restore Nature:
- The Republic of Costa Rica: Costa Rica was a country that once cleared most of its forests, but it has now doubled the number of trees and is seen as a role model for others to follow. The winning project is a scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest
Clean our Air:
- Takachar, India: A portable machine created to turn agricultural waste into fertiliser so that farmers do not burn their fields and cause air pollution
Revive our Oceans:
- Coral Vita, Bahamas: A project run by two best friends who are growing coral in the Bahamas, designed to restore the world’s dying coral reefs. Using special tanks, they have developed a way to grow coral up to 50 times faster than they normally take in nature
Build a Waste-Free World:
- The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs, Italy: Another challenge is waste – and the city of Milan in Italy wins a prize for collecting unused food and giving it to people who need it most. The initiative has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger
Fix our Climate:
- AEM Electrolyser, Thailand/Germany/Italy: A clever design in Thailand using renewable energy to make hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a clean gas but it is usually produced by burning fossil fuels
PEBBLES
Looking for presents for grandchildren I have come across several sites offering pebbles painted with letters (one at a time) – £24 – really. Or but 50 pebbles between 1-3cm for £25. Where they get the pebbles from is important – if from an active environment like a river or beach it should probably be banned. A gardening programme 20 years ago advocated a pebble feature which led to Cornish beaches being eroded.
RIVER RUNNER
A very cool site – Thanks Andy Logan for showing me this. A raindrop or more importantly a pesticide or plastic waste dropped anywhere in the USA will end up where? Go to River Runner.
CLIMATE CHANGE
I was surprised to read that there are still climate deniers around. Presumably they do not watch the news from around the world. Or are they deluded into thinking that it is a problem for other countries. Apparently the Treasury is more concerned to balance the books short term than take advantage of the long term benefits of being at the forefront of clean technology.