Wednesday, September 02, 2009

1066 and all that

Read an article in the New Scientist recently about climate scientists jetting off around the world, not only to attend conferences, but to go on frequent overseas holidays too.

Similar madness this week, with several thousands converging on Tate Modern in London, to sign up to the 10:10 campaign pledging to do things like switch to energy saving lightbulbs, grow veg on the balcony and turn the central heating down in an effort to reduce emissions by 10%. Fine, if you walked or cycled there, but inevitably quite a few of those attending increased their carbon footprint in getting there. Like a mother and daughter who travelled up by train from Brighton and others interviewed in The Guardian.

D'oh!



As king of the cynics, I was going to make a similar comment last week about the Blackheath Climate Camp which attracted thousands from all over the place and ran workshops on, amongst other things, using digital technologies and the internet in the campaign to reduce global warming.

Double D'oh!

Not only is the best place to learn that kind of thing online, at home, thereby negating the need to clog up the public transport system or get the car out to converge in the Big Smoke, but don't these people realise that this is the time to be attending to the harvest ?

Haven't they heard what happened in 1066 ?

"...some of Harold's army got tired of waiting and because they could not be fed, they went home. It was also the harvest season and many of Harold's men had farming commitments."

historylearningsite.co.uk



Meanwhile, windfall apples drop and raspberries rot on canes.

Without saying, "we're all doomed," like Dad's Army's Private Frazer, unless people start doing practical things instead of talking about them, like the People's Front of Judea in The Life of Brian, the action that's needed ain't gonna happen.

"Reg, For God's sake. It's perfectly simple. All you've got to do is to go out of that door now, and try to stop the Romans nailing him up. It's happening, Reg. Something's actually happening, Reg. Can't you understand? Aaawoooooo!!!!!" [She rushes out in a rage.]

corky.net/scripts/Life of Brian

Of course, on a local level, people are going out of the door and local's where it's at.

  • Bristol City Council Allotments

  • Bristol Food Links

  • Bristol Green Capital

  • Burried Treasure

  • East Side Roots

  • EcoJam (green directory)

  • Garden Share

  • GROFUN

  • Landshare

  • Share the Harvest: celebrating local food

  • Slow Food UK

  • Sustainability SW

  • Transition Bristol




    Rhubarb appreciated the damp weather last month, even if we didn't.



    The sweet potato vine has spread and developed a flower.



    A gherkin, looking alarmingly like Kermit's scrotal sac.
  • 1 comment:

    Anonymous said...

    ribbit