The Getting of Anthropogenic Waste

Saturday, February 26, 2011

A number of us have been working pretty hard to organise a trip to Daylesford by Michael Reynolds. He came and gave a workshop on Thursday and a knockout public talk in the town hall that night. Between the workshop and the talk I raced home and put together this footage of the prepwork we volunteers carried out before his arrival and of the workshop itself so as the 300 peeps that came to the town hall in the evening could get a sense of what we had started. One of the local councillors was at the talk and there is word that he is going to pass a motion that this building remain so it can be completed and serve as a demonstration site for experimental building using waste.

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Anticipating biodiversity in the car spaces of yesteryear (or, CARtesian idiocy momentarily renewed)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Yesterday I received this strange email from a project manager acting on behalf of the university where I'm conducting research:

Dear Students,

Over a 10 week period commencing Wednesday 23 February 2011, 200 additional car park bays will be constructed on the southern side of the P4 car park on B campus. During this time, a small section of the P4 car park will be fenced off as part of the construction site.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your patience and understanding while the works are carried out to extend the P4 car park.

Regards

Neil H
A/Senior Manager
Major Projects
Capital Works and Facilities
The strangeness of this email prompted me to respond immediately, as such:
dear neil,

200 additional car park bays?

we're entering a period of permanent expensive oil as this resource has peaked and entered decline.

any construction based around the car is twentieth century thinking, wasteful and is heading in the entirely wrong direction.

cld you pls let me know what public transport and bike infrastructure works the university is currently developing.

university buses with the ability to carry bikes is now urgently required to cope with today's economy.

it is simply not good enough for a progressive university to be making provisions for regressive and polluting technologies.

many thanks,
patrick (doctoral student, b campus)
As chance would have it, my friend Ianian sent me this image today of a parking lot at one of the abandoned car factories in Flint, Michigan:


Image: Wes Janz. His accompanying essay can be read here.

"Speaks volumes," said my friend.

I look forward to Neil's reply and the chance to respond to him with this image, alone, because what else can one say?

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A bit more shoulder on the road to Argy-Bargy

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The sense of entitlement that many drivers have on the road has become decidedly apparent since we gave up our car and began riding greater and greater distances. It got me thinking about that ridiculous word 'progress', and got me redefining it, absent of the prejudices of twentieth century thinking.

Image: Meg Ulman

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Old School Economics Continues to Fuel Brave New Climate

Friday, February 4, 2011

On ABC News 24 this morning I listened to the mayor of Cairns give a report on the devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi. She finished with an advertisement-cum-plea: "Don't fly to Europe, fly to Cairns instead and spend your money here, this is the best way you can help us."


That's akin to saying this: Please continue carrying on doing the things that we know triggers worsening anthropogenic climate change (air travel; indulgence consumption), so as we can put off changing our behaviours until we absolutely no longer have the choice.

Screen grab taken from ABC NEWS 24.

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These Arse End Around Days

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Click for bigger.


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Greenwash #19 in Trouble - carless company

Tuesday, February 1, 2011


Click on image to read, then click again for better resolution.



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