Carbon paw print

A new public service carbon footprint calculating website has been launched. It looks pretty good (except, if you're using a Mac, it is one of those really annoying sites that changes the size of your browser to fill your desktop), is easy to navigate and should hopefully attract many people to find out their footprints. Calculate your footprint here. The site also offers some good (and some misleading) advice while missing some very important points. Political hot potatoes even.

So how did Dubdog mansions fair? Pretty good actually. Just below average although we did claim to have double glazing throughout when only half the kennel windows have been changed (good locally made wooden windows are expensive so it's an ongoing project). I have a feeling Dubdog's carbon paw print would have been lower if some obvious questions had been asked. The site DOES NOT cover recycling at all!!!! We recycle pretty much everything that is recyclable, including food waste going on the compost heap instead of in a landfill site. The emission of toxic gasses from landfill sites have been linked to birth defects for anyone unfortunate enough to live within 2kms of a site (which actually is 80% of us)!
The site also tries to convince Dubdog that it needs a dishwasher because one fully loaded dishwasher is more water efficient than lots of bowls of hot water. Fine, if only it would take into account how much water a bath wastes which it doesn't mention at all! And it's not just about heating the water, it's also about the energy hungry process of cleaning water.
But, and it's a big BUT, the biggest bug bear I have is the complete lack of questioning dietary habits. Firstly, nothing about food miles or organic food production. Secondly it doesn't even scratch the vegetarian itch. The amount of methane cows fart into the atmosphere is adding to climate change dramatically. Not to mention the harmful process of meat production when you take into account the agro-chemicals that go into producing grain for cattle to eat. Worse even when you consider that "...only a small fraction of the calories consumed by farmed animals are actually converted into the meat that people eat..." (source) which means why bother eating meat in the first place, eat what the cows eat, it's more efficient.
Looks like Dubdog's 20 years of being a vegetarian counts for nothing. Ho hum. Hotdog anyone?

Thanks Tone, it's been a blast!

10 years ago was a different time.
I sometimes think we forget and need a little time to reflect on the distance we've travelled.
Just think.
There was war then.
There were childen living in poverty, (as if children in poverty was any worse than any other kind.)
You wouldn't believe the tribal wars in god forsaken far off lands.
How we hated those, back in the day.
There were ultra rich and there were ultra poor.
There were multinationals who ignored human rights.
There were people sleeping in shop doorways and people begging on the streets.
Tch. I know, its hard to remember such a time.
There was intolerance toward people of physical or economic persecution coming to this land.
There was distrust of our own youth. Our own youth! Can you imagine that?
There was a lack of respect shown towards older generations.
Can. You. Believe. That?
There was pollution and environmental disaster looming. How we worried about that.
There were nuclear weapons and there was terrorism.
There were poor schools and poor hospitals with poor people in them. Poor people! Jees!
There was a low paid underclass who cleaned rich peoples houses or worked in those poor hospitals.
There was even, I kid you not, distrust of politicians. We all blamed voter apathy, remember?
Now get this, there were actually shallow, vacuous celebrities. Huh.
Backward thinking was, like, so in vogue. No, more than that, I'd go as far as to say it was the zeitgeist.
Who'd have thought we could have come so far in ten years?
Thank God for now!
Fairwell Tony, it's been a blast.

Vicky's advertising campaign

Your space or mine?

New Dublog link added for Suffolk College's FE Art & Design courses. Well done Simon for getting this sorted. I'll have to be a friend from afar as I'm afraid I don't want to sign up to MySpace - maybe I can be more of a secret admirer.

Remembered conversations with friends in restaurant last night.

White Stripes.
Management Job.
Grinderman.
Later.
Glastonbury.
Who's Driving.
Freeview.
Sky.
Arcade Fire.
Latitude.
Disney at Meltdown.
The Stooges.
Menu.
Creme Brulee.
Downloads.
Hedges.
Dog Shit.
NY Exhibition.
Garden Invaders.
Bird Feeders.
Shingle Street.
Norfolk Broads.
Complementary Basket.
Harrods is Shit/Great.
Kylie Exhibition.
Surrealism at V&A.
Tate Modern.
Train Tickets.
This Is England.
Slug in Fur.
Cats.
Noodles.
Rice.
Toilets.
Opium.
Pub or Home.
Pub.
Application.
Bonnie Tyler.
Bill Hicks.
Tribute Bands.
Bernard Manning.
Latitude.
Smelly Hotel.

A plug for Demolition (and Alex)

Click on flyer to see detail and here for more about event organisers. (Flyer copyright unknown)

Lights.

Who lives in a road like this?