Tuesday, August 04, 2009

I don't normally applaud long downloading sites, but...

As sent by my Singapore Aunty:

HEMA is a Dutch department store, similar to IKEA.

Take a look at HEMA's product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. Don’t click on any of the items in the picture, just wait, be patient and see what happens.

This company has a sense of humour and a great computer programmer.

Indeed, and thanks to this viral I watched all the way through.

I really must concoct something for Junkk.com in a similar vein.

EVENT - CM - Eco Innovate 09

EVENT

WHEN: October 21st 2009
WHAT: Eco Innovate 09, Towerlands Park, Essex
WHAT... MORE?: From blurb - Business-to-business event promoting the use of innovative, environmental solutions. Will showcase products and services that can help businesses become more resource efficient, sustainable and ultimately more profitable.
HOW MUCH: Delegate Ticket
£55 (earlybird until August 28th)
URL: http://www.ecoinnovate.co.uk/index.php
COMMENTS: Possibly a bit for, pricey and B2B for us, but then again....

IRONY ALERT - The latest cycling innovation - power assist!

The purr of electronic gears sounds great - if you can get past the price

I am presuming (tried and failed to check via the site, which has to be one of the most indulgent, useless, time-consuming examples I have seen in a while) that these little servos use 'leccy, which is kind of quaint, above the weight, all things considered.

However, as one who can rarely access the highest a lowest gears thanks to poor spanner-technique, and has spent more than his fair time trying to get chain oil off his hands in one's posh frock at a Central London kerbside for much the same reason, I am intrigued as to whether the changing mechanism is different, and better, and if so why a human-powered/instigated version might not be created.

Money and image issues noted.

Recognising the role of the cock-up

A few summers ago, my family attended the Big Green Gathering.

We had a hoot. And yes, despite it heaving down. Again. In 'summer'.

So I was sad to read of its demise.

However, the back story rumbles.

Is the Big Green Gathering another victim of the crackdown on dissent?

A Monbiot piece is rarely worth commenting in (on is different:) as things get polarised very quickly (I see a 'you're a racist' got in pretty quickly), but there are some facts in there.

And by my assessment, I am erring on cock-up rather than anything else.

Which is a pity, as it was no harm at all, pretty fun, and possibly a fair bit of good.

Which is more than I can say for stirring up notions of establishment crackdowns when parties you like fall foul of legislative impositions, especially those often brought in my your mates to support parties you do.

All I will say is that when I read: 'Is it paranoia, or are they really out to get us? Most of the time it's paranoia. Every week I'm approached by people whispering about vapour trails from planes being used to control our minds, free energy devices suppressed by oil companies or missile attacks on the twin towers' at the very least it explains a fair bit. One just has to hop the author is cluey enough to at least chat with others before coming to conclusions based on whispers in his ear form the comfort zone.

CASH FOR CLUNKERS. The cars, not the concept?

An interesting follow up on 'scrappage'

Cash for clunkers, signs of life


Especially in the comments. I empathised with this one.

POOOiNTS to ponder

Polluted Olympics

I share this merely as a prompt to ponder various issues, from 'The Two E's - Economy vs. Environment' to enviROI, especially with things that may be billed as 'green', and even more so at a point in time that may not reflect the totality of impacts.

SIR – Your report (July 31) on the air quality around the Stratford Olympic site paints a stark picture of athletes breathing polluted air, but the residents are already doing so, and there is a solution – now.
The Rail Freight Group has calculated that 800,000 truck movements could be saved in the area if rail freight were used for deliveries of steel, precast concrete and prefabricated building elements, all of which were transported by rail for the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5. Rail could also be used for the removal of contaminated waste.
The rail facilities on the Olympic site are hardly used. The Olympic Delivery Authority could require contractors to use rail, but relies instead on the media swallowing their green hype rather than confronting the facts that, unless they take urgent action, this will be the most polluted Olympics in history.
Lord Berkeley
Chairman, Rail Freight Group
London WC1

Tricky one. There can be little doubt that in terms of emissions, the mere creation of and consequences of this event cannot in any way be viewed as making the world 'greener'.

CATEGORY - Funding

Already a lot on blog in this area. Time to pull it together.

Articles

Guardian - Activists slam changes to green grants - Isn't a BERR an irritating thing that sticks to you to spread everywhere? The enviROI of the investment into the department vs. the benefit out would seem... less than optimal.

ps: sub-editors: I don't really feel that I am an activist, nor to I 'slam'. I am a concerned consumer and informed advocate of sensible enviro-practices. Stop waving silly, stirring sentences about!

BBC - Anger over climate change loans - Bit O/T, but I had nowhere else to stick it. Makes you wonder about the value of some paper things get printed on these days.

Grants

The 2008 CIP Eco-Innovation Call has been published - your chance to apply for funding for your eco-innovative pilot and market replication projects this year.

government-grants.co.uk - NEW - plus twitter

Resources

innocentive - have an invention? They may have the money. RE:tie ho!
raisecapital.com - but still, caution all round! Lock down your IP.
Resource Efficiency