Diamonds are forever; plastic lasts not quite as long

There’s no such place as “away”.
Set to Queen’s “who wants to live forever?”, this haunting video shows what happens to stuff when you throw it “away” – and what it does.




Probably best to double click this video to see it in full size.

JCAN on Grand Designs Live

The 6th annual Grand Designs Live event (click for website) took place in London recently at ExCeL near Canary Wharf from 1-9 May.
I was approached to submit a question to the Grand Designs Live panel (which included Kevin McCloud). I submitted it in my capacity as one of the media spokesmen for Jersey Climate Action Network and also as a sustainability blogger.

My question was:

To make a meaningful, timely, impact on greenhouse gas emissions requires acting now. Does the panel feel that all new buildings, starting tomorrow, should be designed to the highest BREEAM standards, particularly those relating to energy conservation (or, at least, to be easily retrofittable later) with a significant emphasis on a very long design life? Super-insulated buildings, which will last for generations, must surely be the way forward to a sustainable civilisation?"

As you can hear, they changed it somewhat but the essence came through.

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

The Icelandic volcano continues to pump out ash and gases.

We see here the sheer unstoppable power of nature writ large – this eruption having had a significant economic and “nuisance” impact on a fair part of the global aviation industry.

When watching this display, everyone ought to be aware of a few things. The US Geological Survey has calculated that all of the volanoes in the world - active, passive or just “simmering” (including the undersea ones too) emit about one one hundred and fiftieth, or 0.7%, of the greenhouse emissions that mankind does constantly 24 hours a day – 7 days a week – 365 days a year.

 

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

The music is by Jónsi - lead singer of Sigur Rós