This is not my... Week 2008
18/01/08 - Nothing like
17/01/08 - Happy Birthday to me...
16/01/08 - Bring it on
14/01/08 - If it involves a man with a huge moustache
18/01/08 - Nothing like
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a spot of do it yourself... |
Currently in the middle of plotting an adventure.
No idea if it will actually work out and - naturally - it may not be an entirely sensible adventure but as Oscar Wilde pointed out:
“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
Anyhow - in the course of investigations I stumbled across a site with some brilliant ideas for DIY renewable energy projects.
So you are handy with a hammer and fancy a go at making your own wind turbine then check out gotwind.org
They look fantastic and fairly cheap to make - though perhaps not for DIY novices (might hold off myself... our curtain rail fell down in October and we still haven't figured out how to put it back yet)!
Anyhow - best be getting along - but hope you have a brilliant weekend.
Susie x
17/01/08 - Happy birthday to me
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Happy Birthday to me... |
Not really.
It was actually a while back but I have been in denial. So much so, in fact, that one of my friends was dispatched yesterday to gently find out whether such denial goes as far as not receiving gifts.
Clearly she did this with the subtly of a sledgehammer: "So do you want a present from us or not...?" (Thanks Soph)
And clearly in the face of such persuasion I could hardly protest!
My first suggestion was rejected outright. Apparently, since I only cook once a month and eat all of my flat mates leftovers, a composter would be almost entirely redundant. (Well - waste not, want not.)
A giant inflatable Fiat 5000 is also looking unlikely (long story involving eclectic modern dance...)
However, I do need a kettle. And since boiling water uses a lot of energy I want to get an eco-friendly one that measures the amount of water you need for each cup.
So therefore thought it might be a good thing to highlight on here... (This. This. can I have one of these. Pleeease..!)
http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/eco-kettle.html
Ha ha - right better stop abusing the site for my own nefarious means!
Have a lovely day though.
Susie x
16/01/08 - Bring it on
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the FoE massive... |
Pottered off to parliament yesterday.
Been away for the last couple of weeks and so arrived back, straight in to work and then to the House of Commons as part of a Friends of the Earth initiative to support a climate change debate. (I'd like to pretend that I know exactly what it was about, but I was very tired...)
Anyhow - by the time we got there there was a huge queue and we couldn't get in.
I was delighted by the turn out (for whatever it was) on a wet Tuesday evening but must confess, even more delighted to go home and wash my dirty socks (rather than getting them searched by the House of Commons security personnel)!
Anyhow - inspired by this enthusiasm - I hopped on the FoE site to find out more about it and clearly got distracted by their 'Tips of the Day' instead.
Haven't noticed them before but they look pretty good so thought I'd point them out for anyone else wanting to sign up.
Anyhow - hope that life is good and that you are having a fine time on this sunny day.
Susie x
14/01/08 - If it involves a man with a huge moustache
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then you have to have a little look at least... |
The Big Green Challenge is now on.
You may have heard of it - but if not - it is a "£1 million prize fund is designed to encourage and reward people working together to develop new approaches to saving energy."
(And the man who gives the 'tips on getting started' has a massive moustache... though sadly - not as impressive as that of the man pictured!)
So if you have any cunning schemes up your sleeve, then the cut off date for entering them is the 29th Feb.
Also - if anyone wants to nick mine* then feel free.
I am (naturally) of the opinion that it is inspired but lack any of the organisational qualities which would enable me to find out if it is or set it up.
Which is a shame.
Anyhow - hope you are having a fabulous start to the week!
Susie x
*For local councils to use the recycled cardboard they collect to make - environmentally friendly and very effective - cellulose insulation which they can then give / sell at a discount back to their inhabitants. Cellulose is easy to make (you just need an industrial strength grinder and some flame retardant) and such a scheme would provide a use for recycled cardboard and reduce the amount of energy spent on heating homes and offices.
What do you reckon...? Good idea? Bad idea? Any takers...?
This section will be a daily, well - Monday to Friday daily, editorial. (Have to keep some time aside to keep up the ritual wine drinking / dancing as if being chased by bees.)
I promise to make it my mission to investigate something each day on exciting forays to find new stuff, fun stuff, ethical stuff and anything involving break dancing men with extremely toned physiques.
Let me know if you think of something I should go and visit or if you have any great ideas or information. (Any dodgy suggestions will be politely declined... or not so politely, depending entirely on what they are!)
For today, though, please just have a look below to find out how this whole thing came about. I hope that you are having a lovely morning.
See you tomorrow,
Susie x
Background to This is not my...
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What is this site all about?
Well, as all good ventures do, it started in the pub with the ominous words "I know, why don't we...?" |
What was different, though, was that it still seemed like a good plan in the morning (and somewhat less injurious than trying out extreme ironing, the other suggestion...)
Anyway - once again we had been supping beers and putting the world to rights when someone mentioned the unmentionable, despite our disaffection with the state of the world, none of us was actually doing anything positive to change it.
Whether this was complacency or apathy, who knows - but we were definitely leaving it to others to make decisions and take action for us on issues about which we felt strongly.
We live in a free society, but often things seem to happen as a fait accompli. The war in Iraq, ID cards, the fact that we will eventually succumb to watching some of Big Brother no matter how hard we try...
And we just go along with it. But that is ok, right? I mean, we aren't exactly encouraging the abuse of others - are we?
Ok - so maybe my new top might have been made under less-than-perfect conditions and I suppose that means I am supporting those conditions, but - I have to buy something to wear, so what other choice do I have?
And that was the problem. What - and where - are the choices?
So we decided to investigate. Surely in this free society we have other options; we just need to know how to find them.
So we went online. There are some great directories already for ethical and/or environmentally friendly products, but for us these didn't go far enough. We were on a bit of a roll and decided that these products deserved more active promotion.
We wanted to make as many people as possible aware of the practical things they can do to live life in a better way.
So on this site we will provide information about easy, positive and ethical consumer choices. These are choices that won’t necessarily cost you more, either.
In our directories you will find environmentally friendly and ethical companies and products across the following categories:
Clothes
Energy
Food and Drink
Health and Beauty
Home and Garden
Office
Recycling
Restaurants
You will also find plenty more to lure you back to the site on a regular basis. So come back to have a wee look.
Plus we will be working on video's, events and curious antics to keep important issues in the public eye – and provide us with much entertainment and amusement at the same time.
Give us a shout if you want to get involved!
Anyhow - take a look. Explore… investigate… probe away.
We hope you like it; we hope you use it.
