Artist Michael Radcliffe responds to witnessing a violent assault by leaving pieces of art, with a message of peace, around his estate.
Did it make a difference? Maybe not, judging from his conclusions, maybe not...
“So, what did I learn from this (leaving his art)? If you're not careful, something like this can just re-inforce your worst fears and beliefs about a situation or a group of people. Our media has spent a lot of time demonising kids, but in a situation where funding for youth clubs have been cut to nothing, kids are bored and having options for expressing themselves reduced by the minute.
It's a sad state of affairs that for some, they feel that the only responses open to them are violence and destruction, but it's important not to forget that a lot of good comments were made by many kids, and people did come and sit and just look.
The subject matter of PAX or peace was a deliberate choice, and was a prayer of hope from me. It was helpful to think that in some way I am able to contribute to my environment, and frankly I'd rather they hurled rocks at my artwork instead of cars, windows or people (all of which I have witnessed on occasion). But I shudder to think what will happen when these people grow up and find their options limited further still. This generation is not being looked after properly, and the consequences may well prove disastrous.”
But at least he did something. And who knows what impact this will have down the line. Whereas doing nothing will never change anything.
Great presentation from Annie Leonard on stuff: where it comes from and where it goes to...and why we're running out.
Best sound bite: 99% of what we buy, in raw materials terms, is trashed within 6 months!
Thanks to John for the tip.
When it comes to mobile phones I'm a bit of a techno-Luddite - Blackberry aside, I am proud to say I have only ever owned two...both of which still work! For others tho, there is clearly the need to get the latest gizmo before you've barely learnt how to use the last one.
But apart from the sustainability issues involved in keeping up with (and fuelling) this demand for the new, there's also the question of disposal. Because. apparently, two thirds of us Brits don't know how to recycle their old phones, and 1 in 5 just dump them straight in the bin…even if they're still working.
To help do their bit to address this, Tesco Mobile wants to encourage us to recycle more. How? By bribery basically (but if it works...!). They are offering free airtime (up to £70), clubcard points or a charitable donation if you dispose of your phone thru their new scheme. And you don't have to even be a customer.
As they say, every little helps.
(Via Gizmodo)
How to take renewable wind power to the third world? That was the challenge Shawn Frayne set himself. Big turbines are, well, very big…and very expensive. Even small turbines are pretty pricey, given the engineering involved.
The answer first came to him at school when watching a film on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (this Wikipedia link includes a great film). So unstable was said bridge, that it used to oscillate in the wind, turning it into a bit of a tourist attraction as people came to ride the wave (until, sadly, it collapsed in 1940, taking all its passengers with it).
Anyway, the idea of wind based oscillation stuck with Shawn, and he has now turned it into a potentially very cheap and very efficient means of energy generation. Watch the film here, which explains everything very well. Or read the website.
Just goes to show you're never too young to have great ideas, and that harder problems make for better inventions.
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