What Is Carbon Rationing?

Put simply, carbon rationing is about limiting the amount of carbon you use each year. Well, each day in fact. Carbon rationing action groups (crags) have sprung up all over the place and members pledge to hit a reduction target in their carbon emissions. This can often have a monetary incentive too - if a member fails to meet their target they have to pay a fine that is agreed at the beginning of the year.

Members keep track of their bills, travel usage etc to work out how much carbon they use and try to reduce it. Each crag can share tips and ideas to help fellow members. The debts paid at the end of the year then go to a variety of things that are agreed upon at the start of each year.

Sounds like a good idea? You can start by finding out more here.

What’s Happening During Recycle Now Week

Yesterday I wrote about Recycle Now Week and that I didn’t know what’s happening. Well I then picked up a newspaper and it had a four-page spread about it. However, it still doesn’t explain much, rather it’s just a week to remind everyone to recycle. It does vaguely say there are hundreds of fun activities taking place all over England - from recycling exhibitions to environmental magicians, composting displays and eco-fashion shows. If you know of any, or have been to them please let us know.

The pull-out does have some use. There’s a nice story of a family who have an eco-make-over and explains how the newspaper is recycled. There are also some games on the website now. However the only really useful bit is the question and answer bit, which I’ve recycled (get it? Sorry) below:

Can I recycle crisp packets?
These are usually plastic, and cannot be recycled. If you are not sure, use the “scrunch up” test - if you scrunch it up in your hand, and it springs back, it is plastic. If it stays crumpled, it’s aluminium, and can be recycled. It won’t be paper!

Why do I have to wash out my jars and tins before recycling?
If possible, jars and tins should be rinsed clean before they are recycled, then they won’t contaminate the recycling process, or leave you with a dirty recycling container. An easy way to do this is to use the last of the washing up water for rinsing your recyclables.

Can I recycle my broken mirror?
Afraid it’s double bad luck, because the coating on mirrors contaminates the glass so mirrors can’t be recycled and have to go with your rubbish.

Thinking about print on newspapers, is it safe to compost? And what about paper that’s printed with PC computer cartridges?
It is safe to compost newspapers as long as they are ripped or shredded. Newspapers are often regarded as the browns that you add to your compost bin, they give the compost its fibre and structure. Paper printed with PC computer cartridges is fine to compost as long as they do not have an excessive amount of coloured ink or are printed on shiny/glossy paper.

Why is it important to separate the different colours of glass?
Different prices are paid for different colours of glass, which is why it’s important to separate them into separate banks (usually clear, green, brown). Blue glass should be put into the green glass bin.

Do I need to remove the labels from plastic bottles, can, or glass bottles before recycling them?
No, the labels are removed during the recycling process.

Someone told me I need to remove the tops from my plastic bottles before I recycle them. Is this true?
Yes - the tops are often made from a different material to the bottle and so cannot be recycled by the same process. It is can also be difficult to flatten bottle with the tops on because air is trapped inside - and the tops can cause a litter problem by falling off when the bottles are baled.

And finally there’s a fact at the end of the article that says: “On average, each person in the UK uses over 200kg of paper a year. 61% of this is recycled. But 79% could be.” However why 79%? Why not 100%. I’m determined to find out why. I’ll let you know…

Source: Daily Mirror and Recycle Now

Heroes Episode Guide - Chapter 17: Company Man

I don’t know how many times I’ve said this after 17 episodes of Heroes, but it just keeps getting better and better. Company Man was great. Yes I missed Peter and Hiro (and no I didn’t miss DL or Niki), but to learn more about Mr Bennet and his past was great.

Ted and Matt didn’t seem a good team (not sure where Hana went) and Matt soon switches sides. The episode builds tension as Mr Bennet finds out about the Haitian who says he works for someone other than The Company (does he mean Mr Linderman? Is it someone else?), Claire reveals her secret to one and all and they try and stop Ted exploding.

But the real interest is in the back story. We get to see Mr Bennet’s boss - the desk guy (best name I could think of) and his boss - Hiro’s dad. The web gets stickier and sticker. We find the reason Claude is afraid of Mr Bennet and we learn a bit more about what they do.

It’s the ending that made me realise this show is so much better than even I thought. The fact that Mr Bennet choses to have his mind wiped to save his daughter was great and that he might come back as the bad guy makes it even more intriguing. It just makes me want to watch more and more, which is the point I suppose.

Recycle Now Week

June 2 is the start of Recycle Now Week in the UK. Organised by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), this year’s theme is transformation:

Discover how household waste can be transformed into an amazing array of objects - from fashion items to furniture.
Transform behaviour, by making a long-term commitment to recycle more things, more often.
Transform your household, school, office or street into a recycling hot-spot.

Presumably they’ll be events and errr stuff but there’s not much more detail. I did see a picture of someone in a dress made of crisp packets to advertise it, but whether that will encourage people to recycle, who knows? Actually if you do see something or know what they’re doing, please let us know.

Green Google And Yahoo Green

There have been a couple of articles on TechCrunch and Read/Write Web regarding the green credentials of both Google and Yahoo that are both worth reading.

Yahoo has launched two websites, Be A Better Planet, and Yahoo Green that is a portal for information on climate change, including tools for creating your own action plan for cutting your carbon emissions. Yahoo plans to become carbon neutral by the end of the year.

Google is planning on installing “the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the U.S.” and have launched their “Summer of Green” to help people travel in a more environmentally friendly way.

True green initiatives or just corporate hype?

[Via TechCrunch and Read/Write Web]

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